Racist Ad?

[Tamstrong]

It's a black man getting "re-civilized" by the use of a product, which implies a lack of civilization prior. It's ah...in extremely poor taste, to say it as mildly as I possibly can put it.

Centuries of portrayal of black folk as "uncivilized" underlie the image.

Ham-fisted and borderline offensive but message is no different than Chris Rock's "Black people vs. Niggers" routine, or the Philly mayor telling hoodlums to pull up their pants. Basically telling you to get your shit together.

I question the decapitated Afro head however. Why such violent imagery? And to "re-civilize" basically says that negroes aren't civilized NOW.

Basically all they had to do was show a before/after ad and they'd send the same message.

White people are out of control with these coded racist messages these days.

I think these sum up the whole thread....

Yep, I agree, IB. They sum it up well.

 

[karmacoma.]

I compare something like this to the likes of Resident Evil 5 and the controversy surrounding it. In other words, people are just nitpicking at everything and creating something that doesn't belong.

Would you feel better if there wasn't a black guy in that ad and instead it's a white guy with a decapitated head of a hippy looking dude instead?

They would never create such an ad, and you know it.

Your arguments are usually better than this.

The ad is racist. You are ducking and dodging.

[/end thread]

 

[Morning Star]

Words only have power if you allow it. But it's also about interpretation and how you will the words to get to you. Maybe instead of focusing on the big words, why not read what's on the other side of the whole thing to get the main point.

Dude you know words have power and why were the words re-civilize yourself. Why couldn't they have said show your best you or some other empowering phrase. I don't see that kind of negative campaigning else where. Just saying.

If you insist on it, that's fine. Me? I'm not offended by it at all. Maybe at best it's poor wording given the situation. However, I also think this will trigger more sales thanks to free advertising of the product over something trivial.

They would never create such an ad, and you know it.

Your arguments are usually better than this.

The ad is racist. You are ducking and dodging.

[/end thread]

 

[pettyofficerj]

I think everyone's exaggerating the whole advertisement. Tell me, if you had a white guy throwing a his old self, which is a scruffy old homeless looking, ragged dude, would we all go up in arms screaming racism? I doubt it.

Using a black guy in that ad to promote a product and try and find underlying racism in there is nitpicking on everything. Yes, there are hidden elements in certain ads with racist tendencies, but how far are before we simply cry out those words each and every time? It's a hygienic product. It's consistent with the message regardless of color.

this would be considered racist only in America

Where I see a clean-cut man throwing away a pretty savage and unkempt former self, another person sees a negro pressured to conform to society while being frowned upon if he doesn't.

The marketing people figured more people would appreciate the ad than be offended by it, so it was released. You can't please everyone.

You'd want to incorporate more blacks into the media (which is why everyone bitches in the first place), so you put them in roles that you commonly see non-blacks in. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

 

[ThePrince]

I found this on another site and thought I'd post it here:

Personally, I'm not even offended by this ad. I could care less. To me, it's no big deal. I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. Honestly, I think the only ones that should be offended by this are the people that have or had afros. I never ever had an afro, therefore I'm not offended by it. lol

 

[pettyofficerj]

it's funny to sit back and watch people that show conformity to civilization, raise their arms in upheaval when an ad highlights their attitudes.

it's like the chicken thing.

many black people like chicken, but when an ad comes on that pays homage to that, there is racism at work.

i don't get it.

 

[ThePrince]

I think everyone's exaggerating the whole advertisement. Tell me, if you had a white guy throwing a his old self, which is a scruffy old homeless looking, ragged dude, would we all go up in arms screaming racism? I doubt it.

Using a black guy in that ad to promote a product and try and find underlying racism in there is nitpicking on everything. Yes, there are hidden elements in certain ads with racist tendencies, but how far are before we simply cry out those words each and every time? It's a hygienic product. It's consistent with the message regardless of color.

That's an entirely different scenario. Obama being called a monkey is actually based on racism, where as Bush being compared to one is based on his lack of intelligence. That's something I won't dispute.

This advertisement doesn't scream racism to me, however. Unless the headless Afro guy has a bone sticking through his head, then I really don't see the reason why I should jump the bandwagon. If we keep crying foul on every little thing, then black models would be out of the job for just about everything.

I compare something like this to the likes of Resident Evil 5 and the controversy surrounding it. In other words, people are just nitpicking at everything and creating something that doesn't belong.

Would you feel better if there wasn't a black guy in that ad and instead it's a white guy with a decapitated head of a hippy looking dude instead?

Words only have power if you allow it. But it's also about interpretation and how you will the words to get to you. Maybe instead of focusing on the big words, why not read what's on the other side of the whole thing to get the main point.



If you insist on it, that's fine. Me? I'm not offended by it at all. Maybe at best it's poor wording given the situation. However, I also think this will trigger more sales thanks to free advertising of the product over something trivial.

I completely agree with all your points, BBW. I'm not jumping on the bandwagon either. Even though I can understand why people would call this ad racist, I think you hit the nail on the head. If it was a white guy carrying the head of a hippie or long haired bum, would we be crying foul? No way. But because it's a black guy, it just HAS to be racist. Whitey is ALWAYS out to get us and keep us down. Give me a freaking break. :roll:

People are reading way too much into this and are just being too sensitive.

 

[ThePrince]

this would be considered racist only in America

Where I see a clean-cut man throwing away a pretty savage and unkempt former self, another person sees a negro pressured to conform to society while being frowned upon if he doesn't.

The marketing people figured more people would appreciate the ad than be offended by it, so it was released. You can't please everyone.

You'd want to incorporate more blacks into the media (which is why everyone bitches in the first place), so you put them in roles that you commonly see non-blacks in. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

it's funny to sit back and watch people that show conformity to civilization, raise their arms in upheaval when an ad highlights their attitudes.

it's like the chicken thing.

many black people like chicken, but when an ad comes on that pays homage to that, there is racism at work.

i don't get it.

:smt023 I completely agree with you man. I don't get it either.

 

[Sin Mari]

this would be considered racist only in America

Where I see a clean-cut man throwing away a pretty savage and unkempt former self, another person sees a negro pressured to conform to society while being frowned upon if he doesn't.

The marketing people figured more people would appreciate the ad than be offended by it, so it was released. You can't please everyone.

You'd want to incorporate more blacks into the media (which is why everyone bitches in the first place), so you put them in roles that you commonly see non-blacks in. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

This.

Although there is no denying that racism exists...sometimes I think people just want something to be racist so they can bitch about it. Same goes with sexism.

 

[pettyofficerj]

This.

Although there is no denying that racism exists...sometimes I think people just want something to be racist so they can bitch about it. Same goes with sexism.

obviously

i highly doubt a majority of the guys here would go out of the house, with an afro as fucked up as that.

now they're screaming racism because this accepted standard is being exploited for profit. Unless they actually rockin' beat-up afros like that in appreciation of their hair and African heritage, they have nothing to complain about.

 

[The Dark King]

obviously

i highly doubt a majority of the guys here would go out of the house, with an afro as fucked up as that.

now they're screaming racism because this accepted standard is being exploited for profit. Unless they actually rockin' beat-up afros like that in appreciation of their hair and African heritage, they have nothing to complain about.

You gotta be kidding right? You're too smart to be acting this slow Broad St.
It's not the image. The words re-civilize yourself would never be used with anyone else. Why not say re-invent, re-invigorate, re-energize, re-establish yourself. Those are all positive change words that imply you were great to begin with. Re-civilize? That's some quit being a savage bullshit and that's clear encitement. You sure some you mofos didn't go to Devry's school of English Comprehension lol

 

[flaminghetero]

There isn't a history of images and descriptions of white men as uncivilized. It's not the same thing at all.

Save your keystroakes on Bigbrotherwise...

 

[Mikey]

You gotta be kidding right? You're too smart to be acting this slow Broad St.
It's not the image. The words re-civilize yourself would never be used with anyone else. Why not say re-invent, re-invigorate, re-energize, re-establish yourself. Those are all positive change words that imply you were great to begin with. Re-civilize? That's some quit being a savage bullshit and that's clear encitement. You sure some you mofos didn't go to Devry's school of English Comprehension lol

Sorry BBW/Prince, but I have to agree with Andrae after he made this post. This one was the game changer. That word implies that blacks are animals and not really human beings.

 

[flaminghetero]

It's a black man getting "re-civilized" by the use of a product, which implies a lack of civilization prior. It's ah...in extremely poor taste, to say it as mildly as I possibly can put it.

Centuries of portrayal of black folk as "uncivilized" underlie the image.

You'd think a Black person would have said this...but not around here.

 

[flaminghetero]

You gotta be kidding right? You're too smart to be acting this slow Broad St.
It's not the image. The words re-civilize yourself would never be used with anyone else. Why not say re-invent, re-invigorate, re-energize, re-establish yourself. Those are all positive change words that imply you were great to begin with. Re-civilize? That's some quit being a savage bullshit and that's clear encitement. You sure some you mofos didn't go to Devry's school of English Comprehension lol

 

[GQ Brotha]

I found this on another site and thought I'd post it here:

I guess the question is what is he re-civilizing from.

Being a nappy Afro-wearing, disheveled bearded black man to a clean shaven one.

The former being somehow not civil in appearance?

What is wrong with him just trimming the beard and getting a shape up of the "fro"

This is an actual Nivea Ad, they could have paid me to come up with better than this tired, old Kunta Kinte/Roots bullshit.

To think they hired someone to come up with this. SMDH.

 

[Morning Star]

No one with common sense would equate a guy with an afro to savage behavior. That's a dishonest interpretation and furthermore only proving my point that you're elevating the picture into something much bigger than it actually is. It's just a damn hygiene product, so of course they would take some ideas and put them into perspective.

It's more accurate to say it's more to do with the old phrase "Out with the old, in with the new." Tell me, do any of you around here have an afro?

Sorry BBW/Prince, but I have to agree with Andrae after he made this post. This one was the game changer. That word implies that blacks are animals and not really human beings.

 

[Mikey]

No one with common sense would equate a guy with an afro to savage behavior. That's a dishonest interpretation and furthermore only proving my point that you're elevating the picture into something much bigger than it actually is. It's just a damn hygiene product, so of course they would take some ideas and put them into perspective.

It's more accurate to say it's more to do with the old phrase "Out with the old, in with the new." Tell me, do any of you around here have an afro?

I wasn't equating him with savage behavior. What I think they caught on to is that they perceive that it isn't socially acceptable for black men to walk around in public with huge afros on their head. They imply "re-civilizing" as getting the afro off and appearing "normal" instead.

 

[Morning Star]

And yet, we've partake in that social transition/evolution. There's a small population of blacks who do wear afros either by black separatism or simply for cool factor, but the majority of us are either clean shaven or have a trim facial style. So in a way, it's the modern thing or the norm. It's the style we, as a society, have adapted to.

And the "socially unacceptable" bit is based on personal interpretation. I think anyone who don't quite understand that it's a hygienic product and advertising as such are really too short-sighted and simply looking at something that doesn't exist.

I wasn't equating him with savage behavior. What I think they caught on to is that they perceive that it isn't socially acceptable for black men to walk around in public with huge afros on their head. They imply "re-civilizing" as getting the afro off and appear "normal" instead.

 

[The Dark King]

No one with common sense would equate a guy with an afro to savage behavior. That's a dishonest interpretation and furthermore only proving my point that you're elevating the picture into something much bigger than it actually is. It's just a damn hygiene product, so of course they would take some ideas and put them into perspective.

It's more accurate to say it's more to do with the old phrase "Out with the old, in with the new." Tell me, do any of you around here have an afro?

I see what you're doing and you ain't right. I need a pic with a bot of shit and a stirrer lol