Volkswagen Accused Of Racism.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2270134/Volkswagen-accused-racism-Super-Bowl-ad-uses-white-actors-Jamaican-accents.html

How can a white person speaking in a Jamaican accent be considered racist?

If this was the case, then maybe Trevor Macdonald and Chris Eubank could also be similarly accused?

[AB Editor]

Nah, it's a bit awkwardly done though!

Here's the ad:

[ludwig]

I think it's dodgy.

[mushroom25]

all the white kids round here talk with affected jamaican accents.

[emmie]

better swampy with dreadlocks, than the suit.

[LazyGun]

Watched the advert. "Meh" reaction, to be honest. I can sort of see what the adverts creators were attempting to do, but it seems a pretty clumsy way of doing it.

As for your statement "f this was the case, then maybe Trevor Macdonald and Chris Eubank could also be similarly accused?"

I do not see any equivalence at all between a 30 sec advert of a white guy who has been coached to speak a few lines in a jamaican accent, and the way Trevor Macdonald and Chris Eubank both have good diction, and speak english well and with precision - something that they have done and are recognised for over decades....

[AB Editor]

It is a bit - it's not exactly inverting expectations or anything. I like this one:



The Citroen oneplays with over the top stereotypes, where as the VW one rises to them. It certainly not a good ad...

[emmie]

a white guy i met years ago was born and raised in Barbados, he had the broadest bajan accent, lilting and not affected.

[rojash]

"Chris Eubank ... good diction"

You muth be lithening to thomeone elth.

[emmie]

he's a plonker,

[Zeuhl]

/How can a white person speaking in a Jamaican accent be considered racist?/

It wouldn't be if it was someone like em's example, or a friend of mine, who are speaking in their natural accent.

/maybe Trevor Macdonald and Chris Eubank could also be similarly accused? /

Not at all. They too speak in their natural accents.

The ad features a character 'from Minnesota' who is affecting a fake accent, so the question is 'for what purpose?'

I assume the answer is that it panders to an ethnic stereotype - and one that isn't entirely positive

So a clumsy, unattractive effort that won't do much for perceptions of the Brand.

[emmie]

that ad would be switched off, it's a badun and make no mistake, yessir..

[youngmafbog]

How many Jamacans have complained?

Or is it a load of right-on liberals complaining on their behalf ; as usual.

[LazyGun]

@ Rojash. The man has a lisp. That does not affect his diction - or distinctive speaking style, choice of vocabulary etc.

It does mean you are chasing a cheap laugh at someone elses expense, however...

[Zeuhl]

/right-on liberals complaining on their behalf/

Not really ymb

More likely people who are complaining on their own behalf as they have higher standards and a bit more good taste

[anotheoldgit]

AB Editor

Was that your family I spotted 39 seconds into the Citroen advert?

[dave50]

Here we go again. All it is is someone speaking in a different accent to their own, end of story. I am sick of hearing about alleged racism, it's become an obsession in some quarters, looking for offence where there is none.

[NOX]

Right the way I see it, I may be entirely wrong here, is that you have a middle class white opffice guy from Minnesota. All of the other middle class white office guys are a strung out miserable pains the arse.
He, however, owns a VW, hence he is stereotypically Jamacian cool and happy, thus the power of German engineering. No way is that a negative stereotype of either black people or Caribean people. Quite the opposite, so I fail to see how it is racist in any shape or form and I can't imagine any Jamaicans getting upset about it. It's not as if they're all portrayed as Yardie drug dealers who pimp out their sisters, this is a positive sterotype of Jamacican people being nice and cool and happy. No problem.

[Duncer]

Agreed.

[AB Editor]

"Was that your family I spotted 39 seconds into the Citroen advert?"

We do have some family over there :)

[emmie]

give Chris Eubank his dues, he was a good boxer, his clash with Nigel Benn was incredible, however that doesn't detract from the fact that his accent is a put on, as to the lisp, he certainly plays on that too, sorry can't stand the man, he is a wally.