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'Racist' VW Super Bowl ad offends Americans
Published: 1 Feb 13 09:00 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20130201-47689.html
Volkswagen has broken a run of legendary Super Bowl television ads in recent years, after this year's offering featuring a white man speaking in a Jamaican patois accent drew accusations of racism from offended US commentators.
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However, this year VW seems to have misjudged its US audience, and has broken a run of huge hits. In 2011 a VW ad went viral featuring a little boy dressed in a Darth Vader costume who fails to bring things to life with "The Force" until his father secretly remotely starts a Passat.
But Volkswagen's ad this year, in which a white man from Minnesota cheers up his office co-workers by telling them to take it easy and be happy in a Jamaican accent, has been slammed as racist, culturally insensitive and offensive.
"No worries mon," the man tells his glum-faced colleagues in a lift, "everyting will be alright." He then lifts office morale by taking co-workers for a ride in his VW, with the implication that owning a German-engineered car makes you as happy as a Jamaican. "Get in. Get happy," the ad concludes.
Since VW released the ad on Monday US media pundits have slammed the ad and described it as insensitive, offensive and shocking. "I found it offensive. It's racist." Barbara Lippert well-known journalist at Mediapost.com told NBC's Today Show.
Still, not everyone has been so uptight about the ad - Jamaica's Tourism Ministry has told people to chill out, and on Tuesday spoke out in support of the commercial.
"I urge persons all across the globe to do exactly what the commercial portrays, which is to tap into your inner Jamaican and get happy," Jamaican Tourism Minister Wykeham McNeill said in widely-reported statement to the media.
The Local/jlb
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Your comments about this article:
When they just didn't like Slim Shady cause he was a white Rapper. What is wrong with a bright happy attitude. Some People need to focus on real issues
Barbara Lippert should take a chill-out pill and turn her frown the other way. Am I being sexist now? LOL
I liked the commercial and see nothing offensive in it.
As far as Mrs. Lippert is concerned, well, she comes from that second wave of North East American Feminists who's only validation in life came from "shouting Discrimination first...think critically later." Its not her fault...she's just trying to remain relevant.
"Something to watch for, Lippert said: Whether Volkswagen changes its Game Day spot that features a Minnesotan man with a Jamaican accent, which faced some criticism in the days leading up to the Super Bowl from some people who deemed it culturally insensitive."
If NFL.com and/or CNN.com are not mentioning it and ESPN.com barely bring it up, it is not as big as whoever at the local.de would like to make us think.
Honestly, why don't you just revert to your colleagues across the ocean and start hammering on Ray Lewis retiring and the Harbaugh brothers coaching against each other instead of trying to sensationalize something that very few people really had any complaint about? Sad reporting Local.
The commercial obviously offended some people in the U.S. So if they don't want to show it there, they shouldn't have to. If the Jamaicans are fine with it, then they can show it in Jamaica. But speaking of the Jamaican ministry - Jamaicans in the States and Jamaicans on the island are not necessarily on the same page about this stuff. Different experiences and all.
2nd Kudos to the Jamacan tourism department for stepping up and takin advantage of the idea tha Jamacans are happier and more relaxed than the rest of the world.