The most racist ad in history?

Henlars67

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/americas/the-most-racist-ad-in-history-pepsi-forced-to-withdraw-mountain-dew-ad-after-slew-of-complaints-29237986.html


How?

I see nothing racist about it at all. I presume it's supposed to be funny, though it's a poor attempt at it. Definitely not racist though.

The Backwards Man

The Harp ad with the camel from Belfast was much much worse.

bacon n eggs

I think the lack of white guys in the line up may have been seen as racist, I know meant to be funny which I didn't find but yeah can see how it was pulled.

My name is URL

It's no more racist than this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjSNrg7T0Wo

dee_mc

I suppose they could have used a range of actors from different ethnicities.... although it wouldn't strike me as being racist... still a fairly poor concept for an ad though

Lenin Skynard

Henlars67 wrote: »

How?

The suspected criminals are all black whereas the main police officer and the victim are white. This is why people don't like it. I'm sure that's obvious to you.

FTA69

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LvLn9PWln8

The Kia Ora ad, terribly racist.

Death and Taxes

Henlars67 wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/americas/the-most-racist-ad-in-history-pepsi-forced-to-withdraw-mountain-dew-ad-after-slew-of-complaints-29237986.html


How?

I see nothing racist about it at all. I presume it's supposed to be funny, though it's a poor attempt at it. Definitely not racist though.

You must be looking at a different ad, comparing black men to animals, and presenting them as the only suspects in violent crime is obviously racist.

IvySlayer

They're all men, is it sexist too?

bacon n eggs

They're all men, is it sexist too? [/QUOTE

I'd say no but then they do have a fecking goat in it so have no case in the suspect being male.

Henlars67

Lenin Skynard wrote: »

The suspected criminals are all black whereas the main police officer and the victim are white. This is why people don't like it. I'm sure that's obvious to you.

If the line-up was all white I'm sure there wouldn't be a problem.

WileyCoyote

WileyCoyote wrote: »

You must be looking at a different ad, comparing black men to animals, and presenting them as the only suspects in violent crime is obviously racist.

Would any lineup have more than one ethnicity in it?

Lenin Skynard

Henlars67 wrote: »

If the line-up was all white I'm sure there wouldn't be a problem.

I agree.

Chucken

Lenin Skynard wrote: »

The suspected criminals are all black whereas the main police officer and the victim are white. This is why people don't like it. I'm sure that's obvious to you.

The goat isn't black!

Stupid ad...its not one bit funny regardless of who is in the line up.

Cavehill Red

The ad was written by a black guy. If other black guys have sandy knickers over this, they should go talk to the guy who wrote it. Maybe it's offensive to some, maybe not. But it's not racist, and this is just another example of people reaching for the race card for the most negligible of justification.

bmwguy

Everyone knows you cant be racist against whites, or sexists against men. Only women and non whites can be vctims

splashthecash

It's such a fine line between stupid, and uh...clever

Henlars67

WileyCoyote wrote: »

You must be looking at a different ad, comparing black men to animals, and presenting them as the only suspects in violent crime is obviously racist.

again, if the line-up was all white would there be any fuss about it?

Pretty sure 'comparing' them to an animal wasn't the intention. The line-up of 3 people and a goat was obviously to have the (goat) suspect as totally different to the other people in the line-up, rather than similar as with line-ups in the real world.
I'd imagine most people with non racist views would view it like that.

Those who view it as the goat being depicted as similar to the men in the line-up would be either racist, or one of those people who constantly seeks to be offended on behalf of others, which you regularly do on here.

Gulliver

Well, the black guy who wrote the lines obviously thought it was funny:

"The dialogue used in the ad, which was developed by African-American rapper Tyler the Creator, is an apparent word play on 'Dew It' - the slogan used to promote the drink."

EDIT: Beaten to it by Cavehill Red

Hill runner

Black man to White man toothpaste? The ad is everywhere in Asia.

noodler

If I was mugged by an African-American, surely the line-up has to be made up of five African-Americans?

Meirleach

Regardless of the racism claim, am I the only one who finds a soft drink company using domestic violence as a basis for it's ad uncomfortable?

humbert

It's a line-up they're all going to be of the same ethnicity (except in the Usual Suspects and if one of them is a goat). I find it difficult to object to any complaint that would remove that ad from circulation.

super_furry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FftZt-Dw_hQ

KFC - calming down a crowd of unruly black people with fried chicken. It is an Australian advert though and they've yet to really get to grips with the idea of racism.

FTA69

Sounds like the ad is more a play on racism than actual racism to be honest.

Maybe people should lighten the f*ck up a small bit and concentrate on the real racism in society, there's no shortage of it like.

smcgiff

Meirleach wrote: »

Regardless of the racism claim, am I the only one who finds a soft drink company using domestic violence as a basis for it's ad uncomfortable?

Say Wha?

BTW, the ad is spectacularly unfunny.

suicide_circus

Meirleach wrote: »

Regardless of the racism claim, am I the only one who finds a soft drink company using domestic violence as a basis for it's ad uncomfortable?

domestic violence? if it were a domestic violence case, it wouldn't require a line-up. people need to stop searching for things to be offended by.

the worst crime of this ad is that it's shite

Cavehill Red

Meirleach wrote: »

Regardless of the racism claim, am I the only one who finds a soft drink company using domestic violence as a basis for it's ad uncomfortable?

Probably.

But I bet I am not alone in being outraged by the heteronormativity of this ad and its utter failure to address the invisibility of the transgendered albinist persons of smaller stature community in the media.

Seriously, have you no bigger problems in your life than getting upset about imaginary things?

Henlars67

FTA69 wrote: »

Sounds like the ad is more a play on racism than actual racism to be honest.

Maybe people should lighten the f*ck up a small bit and concentrate on the real racism in society, there's no shortage of it like.

Exactly, and all these false racism allegations mean that real racism is sometimes ignored. Those who try to find racism everywhere are actually a part of the problem rather than the solution.

Arcsin

WileyCoyote wrote: »

You must be looking at a different ad, comparing black men to animals, and presenting them as the only suspects in violent crime is obviously racist.

If a crime is committed by a black man there would be no need for a rainbow of ethnicities in the line up.

No one is comparing black men to animals. I don't know what the point of the goat was, you should ask the black man who wrote it.

If I was going to generalise about a certain race on the basis of that ad, I'd say black men write **** adverts not that they are not they are animals or all violent criminals.

hardCopy

My name is URL wrote: »

It's no more racist than this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjSNrg7T0Wo

You can't bate a bit of traditional hairy wrestling

Angron

FTA69 wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LvLn9PWln8

The Kia Ora ad, terribly racist.

The old Kia Ora ad was the first thing I thought of.

Tonyandthewhale

So it's racist because all the guys in the line-up (besides the goat) are black?
I don't get it.

The implication is that the goat is guilty so the black guys are innocent and have just been rounded up to fill up the line-up. I'd be more inclined to interpret that as a commentary on racial profiling and the stereotypical association with young black males with criminality (and given the fact that Tyler the Creator wrote the ad I think it's much more likely that that is the case rather than any racist agenda).

I still don't like the ad though and it is insensitive the way the humour plays on the panic of a beaten woman.

squod

Widows 8/HP think pad add is racist? How so?

Cavehill Red

Also, being offended should not give people special rights to censor cultural expression, even cultural expression as inane and unimportant as a soft drink ad.
Things offend me all the time. I don't whine like a little b1tch about it. I just think "whoever said/wrote/did that thing is a dick" and on I go about my day. Some people have made a living out of being professionally offended, usually on behalf of other people who often couldn't care less. Those people offend me most of all.

humanji

I would bet good money that the complaint came from Coca-cola.

AnonoBoy

Goats are people too.

Wattle

AnonoBoy wrote: »

Goats are people too.

People don't have four legs.

armchair fusilier

How about Weetabix Skinheads?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYks5sNrEfc

Or the Lyons Tea Minstrels?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgoNSCgP6TA

The Scientician

super_furry wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FftZt-Dw_hQ

KFC - calming down a crowd of unruly black people with fried chicken. It is an Australian advert though and they've yet to really get to grips with the idea of racism.

The fried chicken stereotype is an American one so holds no great significance in Australia. The awkward situation is he's among fans of the opposing (West Indian) cricket team. I suppose they could have used the England cricket fans but West Indian cricket fans are famously boisterous so it makes for a more interesting ad.

I don't think the ad was intentionally racist nor would most Australians (especially the cricket fans targeted by this ad) view it as such but it's interesting that a company like KFC, with global reach, wouldn't have anticipated the international reaction to the advert.

B.A._Baracus

This world is becoming TOO pc. It's not a funny advert but its in no way racist.

Oh and I hate the way people post 'Stewart Lee's pc gone mad' sketch on here when ever someone says the world is too pc. I shall now just link them to this thread :pac:

*awaits someone to post said sketch for poor attempt of getting thanks *

TheUsual

Volkswagen ad that was banned.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyPx35RX2kI

AnonoBoy

Wattle wrote: »

People don't have four legs.

You've clearly never been to Longford.

Rented Mule

Henlars67 wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/americas/the-most-racist-ad-in-history-pepsi-forced-to-withdraw-mountain-dew-ad-after-slew-of-complaints-29237986.html


How?

I see nothing racist about it at all. I presume it's supposed to be funny, though it's a poor attempt at it. Definitely not racist though.

Especially since a BLACK man created the AD !!!

http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=805461&gt1=28103

PepsiCo pulls Mountain Dew ad after criticism
May 1, 2013, 2:33 PM EST

NEW YORK (AP) -- PepsiCo is once again learning the risks of celebrity partnerships after an ad for Mountain Dew was criticized for portraying racial stereotypes and making light of violence toward women.

The soda and snack food company said it immediately pulled the 60-second spot after learning that people found it was offensive. The ad was part of a series developed by African-American rapper Tyler, The Creator, and depicted a battered white woman on crutches being urged to identify a suspect out of a lineup of black men.

pabloh999

In fairness they all look like gang members..except the goat.
I think thats probably meant to be the joke.

That ad looks like it was made to target young Americans most of whom are into hip hop, most hip hop stars look, act, and dress like those in the line up

Hip Hop today does more harm to African American image than anything else

Blisterman

Ok three things.

Firstly, the guys in the Lineup were Tyler, the Creator's Odd Future bandmates, who, as it happens are all black.

Secondly, if anyone thinks this ad is offensive, then don't ever buy a Tyler, the Creator album.

AnonoBoy

What I like about the ad is how quickly Odd Future have sold out.

The Scientician

TheUsual wrote: »

Volkswagen ad that was banned.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyPx35RX2kI

It wasn't a real ad. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2005/jan/31/newmedia.advertising

TheUsual

The Scientician wrote: »

It wasn't a real ad. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2005/jan/31/newmedia.advertising

Ah you're right sorry !!

"We are not pursuing any damages," Volkswagen added.

I guess there's no such thing as bad advertising, like the Ryanair model.

Gbear

My problem would be more about the unsettling screaming.

Also it doesn't make any sense. I don't see what anything in the ad has to do with Mountain Dew, other than one of the guys is holding some.

Chips Lovell

It's amazing how many people seem to think that because a black guy wrote the ad, it's impossible that it could be racist.