Jamaica tells VW - we are not amused

[malaise]

with that SuperBowl ad. Go Cheney yourselves VW - that ad is racist to the core and the accents are atrocious.

http://mashable.com/2013/01/28/vw-super-bowl-ad-jamaican/

[msanthrope]

1. Not funny. Not funny at all. nt

[Warpy]

2. Insulting to Jamaicans

and I want to punch that guy in the mouth and take a baseball bat to his shiny new car.

[hobbit709]

4. Not just Jamaicans-that's insulting to any human with an IQ higher than 25.

And I agree about the bat.

[Initech]

6. About 95% of advertisements on TV are insulting to anyone with a high IQ.

[monmouth3]

3. I thought it was just plainly stupid...

[Schema Thing]

5. It's not particularly funny, but it isn't racist. It's complementary to Jamaican patois and style.

It's ok to notice the differences in cultures. Really, it is.

[11 Bravo]

7. Agreed. I've been to Jamaica several times, and the aquaintances I've made there ...

pretty much talk like that. Not really humorous, but I don't see any racism there.

[malaise]

11. I don't know anyone in Jamaica who talks like that

It's really bad.

[dballance]

13. I Don't Know any Jamaicans Who Talk Like That

Of course all the Jamaicans I've met were through professional connections and not as a tourist. Perhaps some in the tourist industry talk that way on purpose because we expect them to.

When I saw the commercial on Starting Point yesterday I was kind of appalled. White people imitating the stereotypical Jamaican accent? Yep, that racially sensitive.

[Schema Thing]

16. eh? you've reduced the difference between Jamaicans and Minnesotans to "Minnesotans are White...

...people"?



Was Fargo a racially insensitive movie because it gently and not so gently smiled at the upper-midwestern accent and mannerisms? Or was it ok because it was White people in the movie?



Jesus Christ people, there's enough turmoil in the world from people actually INTENDING to hurt other people w/o folks looking to create turmoil from good-natured interactions.

[dballance]

19. I Really Don't See How You Draw That Conclusion From my Post

And, I'm not going to take your bait in trying to address you response that has absolutely no relevance to my post.

[malaise]

8. If they were interested in the differences in cultures they might have

used a real rather than fake Jamaican accent - that is your typical racist caricature.

[onehandle]

9. I think their campaign is tied to this long format teaser featuring Jimmy Cliff

Not defending them, just letting you know.

[malaise]

12. Jimmy Cliff has neer been viewed as a progressive in

Jamaica. Never forget that he toured South Africa during apartheid.

[Brother Buzz]

17. Ha! There's two seconds of Jack Rebney the swearing Winnebago Man at :26

[lob1]

10. The song they use at the end is "Come On, Get Happy" by the Partridge Family.

Hardly Jamaican.

[snooper2]

14. Jamaica didn't say anything...that's just a blog...

[malaise]

20. Maybw you should tune in to Jamaican radio

and hear for yourself.

[snooper2]

29. wonderful, we have an upset DJ now..

any mainstream articles? Anybody elected into office make a statement?

Is this hugh yet?

[cherokeeprogressive]

15. I read the comments and couldn't find Jamaica's...

Some people will get offended by a gentle ocean breeze it seems. I wonder how many of the offendeds feel the same about (insert name here), the black comic, speaking in an accent meant to give the mental picture of a white nerd in a turtleneck sportin' a pen-protector in his breast pocket.

Fucking lighten up already.

[jwirr]

18. Totally agree.

[alcibiades_mystery]

21. I found the one with the dad who can't throw to be saddening

It literally made me sad. I left the ad thinking about how sad everything was, and sticking that to Volkswagon. Very weird ad campaign.

[malaise]

24. It's pathetic

[GoneOffShore]

22. The comments thread at Mashable seem to refute your premise.

Mon.

[TheMadMonk]

23. Just something else to get outraged about, so there's...

...no time for the important things.

[HipChick]

25. I find the Geico ad offensive

This is pretty stupid of VW

[virgogal]

26. The accents are no more atrocious than some of

the Irish brogues I have heard.

Or Boston accents.

Why is this ad racist and not the others?

[CalFresh]

27. You may not like the ad, but

tens of millions of people will see and talk about this Super Bowl ad before the teams even walk on the field. The more it's in the news the better it is for VW. We got played.

[malaise]

28. Yes we got played

as usual