Volkswagen Superbowl Commercial - Racist?

[jah_yout]

it's not racist....more nationalist...or regionist....


i never heard anyone actually say jamaica although it seems implied, as j-a one of the more known caribbean nations...

basically saying jamaicans or caribbeans have a child-like optimism in any & every situation...a caricature...sort of like the ornery german...i've seen it before...is that carib rum?

[Tropicana]

Man Wahalla you dropped the h and the d. You know we have been discussing t'ousand in another thread.

[Tropicana]

I am Jamaican and I am offended by it. Dem ah tek wi mek pappyshow. They make us look like we are lazy and always smiling. We Jamaican push up out chest too much when anything Jamaican is showing internationally whether good or bad. VW should have did research before they created this ad. I hope the networks reject it and this ad does not see the light of day on TV.

The did they ran it by 100 Jamaicans and everyone was fine with it. There will always be some people who find things offensive. How did the ad make us look lazy? Do you think to be portrayed as smiling is a bad thing? Heaven knows, with some of the bad publicity we have had due to the violence we could use a lighter image on the global stage. Campaigns like this do balance it out. What is the difference between the image here and in some of the Jamaica Tourist Board commercials where people are always happy and smiling? It's an image that the tourist board has been carefully cultivating for decades. Do you feel this was the wrong strategy?

[Tropicana]

[Tropicana]

[Tropicana]

By the way, who is the voice over announcer? RichD, it would be challenging to keep the baggy well fastened. I would marry him in a second. Notice he doesn't say t'ousan Wha'ts his name, is he available, can you introduce me?

[j-kid]

Tropi, mi starting fi si ah crack in yuh armor! WL:

[...it would be challenging to keep the baggy well fastened. I would marry him in a second. ....... can you introduce me?

[Tropicana]

[Tropicana]

So. Do you know him? I could listen to him for hours.

[blugiant]

it's not racist....more nationalist...or regionist....


i never heard anyone actually say jamaica although it seems implied, as j-a one of the more known caribbean nations...

basically saying jamaicans or caribbeans have a child-like optimism in any & every situation...a caricature...sort of like the ornery german...i've seen it before...is that carib rum?

dat de typa image ja guv bout jamaicans. out aff manee wan peeps so itt cyaan be racist cah jamaica ave chinese, indians ann oyinbo woo chatt patwah so wat de big deal showinn wan oyinbo chattinn patwah. no worries mon a wey dem tourist ann marketinn peeps luv

[Tropicana]

So blugiant. Are you saying that you don't like the happy go lucky, laid back, irie image that the Jamaica Tourist Board has been cultivating?

[sistactry]

i luvvv it, it makes me laaf and its funny as hell....the other one with jimmy cliff is boring as hell, the actor is funny, and now it makes sense that he gets his accent from his BIL, he even said 'odder' - i almost fell off my chair....dwl

[LinSkinny]

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/latest/article.php?id=42609

"Prime Minister, Portia Simpson Miller, has encouraged Jamaicans to take a positive outlook on the controversial Volkswagen Super Bowl advertisement, which is slated to be aired on Sunday."

[RichD]

[CeaBee]

i cracked a small smile