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Ads that I likemake me feel uncomfortable #74


Now, I am certain that the brainiacs behind this little fundraising effort for the war didn’t mean any harm by their choice of words here, but that’s kind of the problem, isn't it?

It reminds me of the time that the former Collingwood Football Club President (and budding-MENSA candidate) Allen McAllister clumsily attempted to refute accusations of institutionalised racism against Indigenous players. He decided that the best course of attack was to explain how he did not have a problem with coloureds, per se...
“As long as they conduct themselves like white people, well, off the field, everyone will admire them and respect them.”

In the words of teh Internets, EPIC FAIL.
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Comments

Anonymous said…
Oh Jesus....
28 January 2009 at 00:20
Kris McCracken said…
Abe, I'm not sure that Jesus would be impressed.
28 January 2009 at 10:49
Kris McCracken said…
Diva, there is no shortage of such ads. This one is reasonably mild, actually.
28 January 2009 at 10:50
G. B. Miller said…
Hmmm....

One has to remember the time period in which this ad was produced.

You can't apply today's values to yesterday's world.

Trust me, I've seen old time ads that are 100 times worse than this one.
28 January 2009 at 11:36
Ann said…
I'm with Georgie B on this one. Would have been the norm at the time. Thankfully the world has moved on.
28 January 2009 at 14:03
Megan said…
Is this kind of like those "Celebrities - they're just like us!" pages in Us Weekly?
28 January 2009 at 15:14
Kris McCracken said…
Georgie and Ann, it certainly pales next to a couple of the earlier examples I've featured [I'm thinking of "Darky in a Watermelon " and the "Nigger Makeup ", and you're right to consider these as products that emerged within a different context.

That said, I think that going back and looking at the subtle and less subtle ways that influence ways of thinking and people's attituded (not just to race, mind you), can be helpful. As Mr McAllister demonstrates, the notion of an acceptable 'black' is one who acts 'white' does remain.
29 January 2009 at 08:24
Kris McCracken said…
Megan, celebrities are nothing like us, they are far, far better.
29 January 2009 at 08:25
Miles McClagan said…
And when Ron Noades, the chairman of Crystal Palace, tried to claim the black folks couldn't handle soccer in the winter because of genetics...

Oh whats that? Your two best players are black? And now you've pissed them off they both want to leave and you'll be crap for the next 20ty years? Good work...
29 January 2009 at 20:55
Kris McCracken said…
Miles, Ron Noades must go down as one of the least likable characters in English fitba. It is a fair indication of an ego when a Chairman sacks his managers and takes over himself.
30 January 2009 at 08:25
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