VW Superbowl Ad

[IshbelRobertson]

Well, am I allowed to say that I found Scrooge MacDuck, Scotty from Startrek and that strange bearded man from The Simpsons TOTALLY STEREOTYPICAL RACIST?!

(I have never watched The Simpsons, so I don't know the name of the character.)

[catherine]

redfox, I appreciate your thoughtful post and your concern about racism. Racism is a scourge. But by your own definition, I still don't think it applies here, and if the Jamaicans disagreed with me I'd really have to think harder about it. But it appears that they see it as funny, they appreciate that they are being recognized for having a wonderful joyful state of mind, and the Jamaica Tourism Board is happy to be copromoting with VW, so where's the "deleterious effect"?

So I think we should just agree to disagree, and unless I read that the Jamacains are truly insulted by this ad, I'm just going to embrace my inner chill.

[Alan]

Well, am I allowed to say that I found Scrooge MacDuck, Scotty from Startrek and that strange bearded man from The Simpsons TOTALLY STEREOTYPICAL RACIST?!

(I have never watched The Simpsons, so I don't know the name of the character.)

That would be Groundskeeper Willie.

[IshbelRobertson]

Thank you!

I remember my kids adoring that show when they were young. All i ever heard/saw was when passing through a room with a TV!

[Gregg]

I find it in poor taste and offensive to mock something that sets someone apart from others. If you mock an accent (doesn't matter what accent) even "in fun" you are not respecting persons who come by that accent naturally. It's not funny or cute. It's disrespectful. I guess what I offensive is the lack of respect and consideration. Yes I get the cultural reference they were using. That doesn't change how it hit me.

Thanks artist (and thank you too, redfox). Really about the only difference in my take is that I didn't see it as mocking. To me mocking is a form of imitation used as a put down of some kind, a way to show another group as being inferior. I just don't get that from this ad. The imitator here is not portrayed as being inept or inferior in any way, just laid back and happy because he gets to drive a bug. In fact, he ends up being the guy the others follow. I can tell you first hand that such an attitude is common in the Caribbean and that it, if not the accent exactly, is infectious. It's kind of the whole point of going there and something every island, especially Jamaica, plays up big time in their own promotional material. The link is to jamaica.com's section about the people of the island. One part goes like this, "Don't be offended if on the streets you are called "Browning", "Redman", "Coolie", "Whitey", "Blacka" or "Miss Chin". It's the way we acknowledge and make light of our diverse racial heritage." If only the US could get over itself in that way...

[Alan]

If only the US could get over itself in that way...

White guilt won't allow it, and, IMHO, prevents MLK's dream that "my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character" from being realized.

[Gregg]

White guilt won't allow it...

Hmmm. Interesting idea Alan, you may be on to something. Do you think its more that whites feel guilty or others tell them they should? I'm white and as much as I'd love to feel guilty just to fit in to a hipper crowd, I really don't.

[Alan]

Do you think its more that whites feel guilty or others tell them they should?

Shelby Steele has written extensively about this and suggests that white guilt has become the moral framework for American racial relations and reinforced through our educational systems, our government and our media. He argues that liberal whites initially embraced guilt for two reasons: to avoid being seen as racists and to embrace a vantage point where they could dole out benefits to disadvantaged minorities through programs such as affirmative action.

[Gregg]

It's been a long time, but I remember reading several different essays regarding how various entitlement programs (like affirmative action) have had the net effect of holding minorities back. Some of the discussions centered around whether that was intentional or not, and if it was who was pulling the strings. I have known people who effectively worked to take advantages away from their own group rather than trying to provide them to another in order to 'level the playing field'. It made no sense, of course, and often left me with a lady-doth-protest-too-much taste in my mouth. I get much the same feeling whenever legislation attempts to regulate racial morality.

[Spartana]

The funny thing is that when I first saw that ad the thought that it was parodying a black man never entered into my mind at all. I just thought that they were trying to rebuke the stereotype of the harried white middle mangagment officer worker as a frenzied workaholic on the fast track with a more laid back relaxed "dude" - not a black dude but a white dude with a Jamacian accent. So until I read this thread the thought of "Black" absolutely never entered my mind.

So what does that say: That those who see this ad and assumed it was a parody of a black man, and thus racist, must there for have a stereotypical pre-concieved idea of what all white male office workers must sound, act and look like. Also a stereotype of what all Jamaican men must sound, act, and look like - a reeefer smoking, dreadlock wearing Bob Marly look alike and black - but also what all BLACK man from Jamacia and elsewhere must sound, act and look like. So if you assumed it was a parody of a black Jamacian man and you have a preconcieved idea of what all black jamacian men look, sound and act like, then I call that stereotyping based on race, job, and lineage. I am sure that not all black jamacians fit that stereotype any more then a white harried middle manager looks, sounds or acts fits a certain stereotype dontchaknow mon :-)!.

ETA: this reminds me of the "Donna Chang" incident on Seinfeld which I saw last night. Everyone just assumed she was chinese because of her name and the many "chinese" stereotypical things she did, the way she spoke (slight chinese accent), etc... They were all shocked - and some appalled - when she was a blonde white girl instead.