Banter Voices

Volkswagen’s Super Bowl Ad Isn’t Racist

By Oliver Willis · January 29,2013

| 1666 Views | Media and Entertainment

I blame the so-called controversy around Volkswagen’s Super Bowl ad on the fact that there’s still two dumb weeks between NFL conference championships and the big game and the media has to fill the content hole.

That said, the ad isn’t racist. As a product of a Jamaican family I found it hilarious, and in fact it made me proud once again at the international influence of the tiny little island my family is from.

It’s a stock issue white guy with a Jamaican accent palling around the office. He’s not insulting anyone. It’s fun. Lighten up, folks.

buck fury

Not racist. Unlike say, “stock issue white guy”.
http://www.danablankenhorn.com/ Dana Blankenhorn

You’re right, Oliver. Not racist. And if it is “racist,” the Jamaican attitude is the HERO of the piece, the thing you desire most of all, and get from this German car?!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Barbara-Hodges/100000863918892 Barbara Hodges

I think it’s funny!
The Dark Avenger

Where’s Dennis? He’s the only expert on racism here, according to the voices in his head……………………………..
- dbtheonly
  
  DA,
  
  Dennis has been playing nicely recently.
  - The Dark Avenger
    
    That’s too bad, because his rants about Oliver’s employer were excellent examples of projection, wingnut division, if he’s given up being an irritant here that would be a welcome change.
Buzz Killington

Also, Jamaican isn’t a race.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jim-Ramphal/853895633 Jim Ramphal

Soooo…..the power of German engineering is actually Jamaican coolness?

As I’d always suspected.
dbtheonly

Oliver,

Racist is in the intent & so I agree that the commercial isn’t racist. Still, it is unsettling. Something not quite right.

On the other hand, I still laugh at the scene in the 1930′s movie, “The Ghost Goes West”, when a Caribbean Calypso Band plays the Scottish, “The Campbells are Coming”.
- Christopher Foxx
  
  Racist is in the intent
  
  I’m not sure that’s true. There are certainly a lot of folks who just don’t “get” how offensive their words/actions are. You need look no further than those who energetically denied that a picture of watermelons on the White House lawn or Obama depicted as a sock monkey ha racial overtones. They honestly don’t see the offense.
  
  Since they don’t believe there was anything racial in it, since they didn’t intend there to be anything racial in it, they weren’t being racist?
  - dbtheonly
    
    Exactly. If people are truly ignorant (& I question how ignorant vs intent there is in your examples) then they at worst are being insensitive. This is a far cry from racist.
    
    I believe we’ve had this discussion before, if you label everything racist, then the term loses it’s bite. One of the resident Trolls was trying to push us that way. I forget who now.
    - Buzz Killington
      
      That was me. I didn’t recall anyone acknowledging this point of view, though.
      - dbtheonly
        
        Buzz,
        
        Apologies for not correctly citing you.
        
        Actually the term racist is itself incorrect. There is one race- Homo Sapiens. We are all human & so if we eat cow, pig, or chicken; we show our racism.
        
        Skin color, accent, & such are just minor variations. Some folks just choose to make a big thing of them.
http://twitter.com/cheveux_argente Vaughan Thomas

If I could pull off a Jamaican accent I’d talk that way all day, man.
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Jim-Ramphal/853895633 Jim Ramphal
  
  uhhh………no.
  
  I AM Jamaican, though I’ve lived in Toronto all my life, and though I can do the patois, let me just tell you there is nothing so indelicate as trying to be what you’re not.
  
  ‘If you cyan’t catch Quako, catch him shirt.’

Banter Voices

Volkswagen’s Super Bowl Ad Isn’t Racist

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