Is this stuff really racism?

[tattuchu]

I think featuring a white guy in an ad and pretending he's black is racist. Why can't they use a real black dude? What's so wrong with being black? This guy in the ad is black like Kevin Costner does a convincing British accent in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. If you want a guy who can speak in a British accent, hire a Brit!



Hand shown holding the magazine: obviously a black dude.
Guy in ad: obviously a white guy.
Mask in ad: Jeff Lynne from ELO with a tan.

[HomerJay]

I wonder who writes in to complain about such stuff?

Dear Nivea, I felt your advertising campaign was not as effective as it might otherwise have been.

yours faithfully, disgruntled shaver.

Anti-racists complain, not necessarily product users.

Nivea are anti-racists - did they complain about their own ads?

Although it looks from the story that no-one had to write-in, they just tweeted some bollocks.

[Exi5tentialist]

I think featuring a white guy in an ad and pretending he's black is racist.

You're just arguing black's white.

[Santa_Claus]

if that's racist - then i'm a slanty eyed nigga hating chinky.

[Exi5tentialist]

if that's racist - then i'm a slanty eyed nigga hating chinky.

Great website this. So rational.

[Santa_Claus]

...............on the other hand, this shit has always used to make me livid over many years (and me being the ethnic minority - amongst the duskies )

But at least NIVEA ain't sexist:-

"NIVEA For Men has a range of Whitening products exclusively designed for Men's skin............Go ahead and join the Whitening Revolution"

"Rub it on your pet Coon"

http://www.niveaformen.in/products/whitening.html

[HomerJay]

That original complaint in full:

Marcus Garvey Did Not Die So This Could Live

A friend shared an image today that made me sick to my stomach. I am sharing with you in hopes that you do as I did and contact Nivea’s offices with a complaint

This is the image:

This is my complaint

How dare you suggest in this ad lockerz.com/s/130486212 that Black men who appear with afros and facial hair are uncivilized and don’t give a damn about their appearance. It is a racially bigoted suggestion that disparages the Black aesthetic. This ad is offensive to Black men and Black people. You must cease placing this ad in magazines. It is completely unacceptable to suggest that by using your products, Black men will somehow become “re-civilized”. Are you suggesting that Black men are uncivilized to begin with? There is too much history rooted in reducing Black people to comparisons to apes, monkeys, etc. We will not accept this.

On hearing that the Nivea exec responsible for the advert was black:

Lack of Critical Thinking is Pervasive

You know what really grinds my gears? When people brush of racial-insensitivity when it comes from someone who is of the race in question.

It came out that the Nivea ad was done by a Black man and everyone is all up in arms about that… as if a Black person could never be racially-insensitive, bigoted, prejudiced, or racist.

Right.

Because Black people neeeeever say negative things about their own aesthetic. Right. Nope, we never ever ever have discussions about “good hair” or “natural hair”. Yeah, we never ever disparage our own people based on skin color. We’ve never ever used “Black ass” as a derogatory term.

Nope, we love every single thing about ourselves and could never, in a million years, make a racially-bigoted advertisement.

Ok.

You know… I wish we would just dig deeper. Read a few books on the history of racism and racial oppression and the forms in which it has taken and continues to take in this country. I wish that people would go below the surface and actually give some real thought to the issues that become hot topics for discussion. I wish that more people knew how to contextualize things rather than come with the “If it were a White man, it wouldn’t be an issue”.

Being short-sighted and narrow-minded is never a good idea.

Think.

http://lifeofanappyheadedfatchic.tumblr.com/

you'll have to dig through the dream interpretation stuff to get there.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I wonder who writes in to complain about such stuff?

Dear Nivea, I felt your advertising campaign was not as effective as it might otherwise have been.

yours faithfully, disgruntled shaver.

Anti-racists complain, not necessarily product users.

Better still when people write doctoral theses on what is clearly paridola (sp?) in advertising. One gal did that, drawing all kinds of lines on adverts to "prove" that there were sexual messages hidden in them, especially ones that demeaned women. A respondent took the same pictures and found cartoon characters.

But you agree the example that starts this thread isn't a contrived complaint?

No, I don't. The symbolism is that you can peel off the half-savage mask and present an more "civilized" face to the world. BFD.

[Exi5tentialist]

BFD.

Budgerigar Fledgling Disease?

[tattuchu]

It never would have occurred to me to take offense at the ad if it were never pointed out that offense might be taken. However, just like the fellow in the ad ( ), I'm not black. So I don't know how I'd feel if I were looking at it from that perspective, of a black man

[Exi5tentialist]

I'm not black.

Yes you are. It's plain for all to see.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

BFD.

Budgerigar Fledgling Disease?

That's one way to parse it. I usually go with Big Deal, myself.

[Exi5tentialist]

Racism is a multi-faceted phenomenon, I suppose. Thanks for minimising.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Racism is a multi-faceted phenomenon, I suppose. Thanks for minimising.

Thanks for feeding a tempest in a teacup.

[Exi5tentialist]

Thanks for feeding a tempest in a teacup

Thanks for minimising still further. No need to reply, I've calibrated your intellectual level successfully now.