is this ad racist?

[nfs6600]

Originally Posted by handyman

One of the larger problems with the world is people reading too much into evreything all we have hear is someone trying to create a ad about a different colour of handheld console. Since its white and the previous one is black the only other thing that comes to mind is a piano and thats pretty crap. If you look at it as a struggle on a personal level then it's you thats adding the racist part to it. I did not look at it and think racism.

Maybe its you that's racist because I saw 2 people. I did not see an african/asian/african american.... and a european/british person

The poster is not playing on white dominating black. For a start it is one of many posters where both colours are dominating.

They are playing on the black and white colours of the PSP, and the poses are sexual, not racist. Using black and white people is a clever way of representing the console.

Racism is treating someone unfairly because of the colour of their skin. It isnt too confusing

[Skatoony]

I don't see it racist at all. It's just a marketing scheme, and nothing more. However, I bet if it was to come up in the UK there would be a lot of complaints

[Stuart]

Is it racist? No. Race is introduced in to too many things, IMO. Everytime people complain that something as unimportant as this ad campaign is racist, they cheapen the plight of those who are suffering at the hands of racists.

Originally Posted by Stuart C

Is it racist? No. Race is introduced in to too many things, IMO. Everytime people complain that something as unimportant as this ad campaign is racist, they cheapen the plight of those who are suffering at the hands of racists.

I am pleased it has prompted this debate.

The graphics are of two people, one male one female, one black one white, with race/gender varied, in stylised confrontation...

- ying/yang, not racism, in my opinion

Originally Posted by Paul M

I wonder if you would say the same if the colours were reversed .....

Somehow I doubt it ............

I thought she was being sarcastic... reading on, I guess not.

Personally speaking I dont think the ad is racist. It all depends if you decide to take the image out of context. I know I dont... bottom line, its an ad not a racial slur.

[AndrewJ]

All I see is a picture, how can that be racist? racist is when abuse is said, or physical harm is done.

A picture blatantly designed to advertise a product, I fail to see the point of how people find it racist myself.

Originally Posted by handyman

One of the larger problems with the world is people reading too much into evreything all we have hear is someone trying to create a ad about a different colour of handheld console. Since its white and the previous one is black the only other thing that comes to mind is a piano and thats pretty crap. If you look at it as a struggle on a personal level then it's you thats adding the racist part to it. I did not look at it and think racism.

Maybe its you that's racist because I saw 2 people. I did not see an african/asian/african american.... and a european/british person

Thats actually a very intersting point.

By trying to be a do gooder for everyhting you can actually harm the people you are trying to help.

Also this : -
[quote] Maybe its you that's racist because I saw 2 people. I did not see an african/asian/african american.... and a european/british person [.quote]

I would never have thought of that, but its again a great point. Not wanting to make any accusations on Sarahlouise, but perhaps its time to stop thinking about things being racist and lets just treat people as fellow human beings.

Things I have to ask are:-

Paul mcartneys and stevie wonder (?) Ebony and Ivory. is that racist, it portrays black and white.

Was the old TV system racist after all you had to ask for a BLACK AND WHITE licence.

what about mint hunbugs, some of them are black and white.

Hey even Newcastle uniteds home strip is black and white.....the racist buggers. (has nothing to do with me being a smoggie)

As ludicrous as all that sounds, its all along the same principles as this advert.

The colour of peoples skin is determined by their genetic make up, it cannot be changed and we must not make racism a comical affair.
The advert is only racist if your own perception is withdrawn so much you believe everyone is racist for saying black and white.

[me283]

Racist? How can it be? Does anyone know the races of the models in the advert? Race and colour are IMO two different things.

But assuming that "black" and "white" are races, then is it racist? Of course not. Let's see, is it racist for the New Zealand rugby team to be called the All Blacks? No. Is it racist that they play nearly always in black? No. It's a colour FFS. Is it racist when a boxing match is between a white person and a black person? No Just the same as whichever boxer wins, it does not prove either colour is superior.

The reason the ads will not be shown in this country is simple: the UK has gone PC mad. The do-gooders in society will look for some kind of discrimination in everything; if it had been two white models they would have looked for sexual discrimination, or ageism, or something else. The fact is that Sony produce something in black, and will produce it in white - it's not about race, it's about style, fashion etc.

The sad thing is that these do-gooders have a voice that is frequently listened to, and taken heed of. I wish they would just get a life, and focus more on improving something that doesn't work, rather than meddle in something that is harmless, innocuous, and actually quite visually stimulating.

[etccarmageddon]

so does this mean we can bring back the Black and White minstrels!

oh god they even have a CD out!

http://www.tesco.com/Entertainment/p....aspx?R=503122

[AndrewJ]

You just know in the The Sun or some other tabloid there will be a outrage by some back benched funded PC brigade over that cd.

[sarahlouise45]

Originally Posted by me283

No. It's a colour FFS.

Black nor White are 'colours' actually......

[me283]

Actually, I've had an idea: anyone fancy joining me on a protest outside Tescos? It's just that they have white grapes there that are cheaper than dark grapes; also, they sell White Lightning and Diamond White, but neither in black? I saw some R. White's lemonade in there too, along with some white wine... why are these people so anti-black? And they think that by selling only blackberries and blackcurrants that will redress the issue!

Mind you, in the toy shop they sell blackboards, but tell you that to get a whiteboard you need to go the office supplies store. What kind of message does that send out?

I've been so depressed, it gave me a black (sorry, dark) mood. I hit myself till I had a black (sorry, bruised) eye, and the pain was so bad they sent out the men in white (sorry, bleached) coats to lock me up.

Jeez, what a racist society we live in.

[AndrewJ]

Originally Posted by me283

Actually, I've had an idea: anyone fancy joining me on a protest outside Tescos? It's just that they have white grapes there that are cheaper than dark grapes; also, they sell White Lightning and Diamond White, but neither in black? I saw some R. White's lemonade in there too, along with some white wine... why are these people so anti-black? And they think that by selling only blackberries and blackcurrants that will redress the issue!

Mind you, in the toy shop they sell blackboards, but tell you that to get a whiteboard you need to go the office supplies store. What kind of message does that send out?

I've been so depressed, it gave me a black (sorry, dark) mood. I hit myself till I had a black (sorry, bruised) eye, and the pain was so bad they sent out the men in white (sorry, bleached) coats to lock me up.

Jeez, what a racist society we live in.

Well put and like you've demonstrated racism is always targetted one way, and never the other.

Originally Posted by sarahlouise45

Black nor White are 'colours' actually......

Depends - are you talking perception or physics?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_(color)
White is a color, (more accurately it contains all the colors of the visible spectrum and is sometimes described as an achromatic colorââ‚ƚ¬Ã¢â‚¬ÂÂÂ�black is the absence of color) that has high brightness but zero hue. The impression of white light can be created by mixing (via a process called "additive mixing") appropriate intensities of the primary colorspectrum: red, green and blue, but it must be noted that the illumination provided by this technique has significant differences from that produced by incandescence (see below).

http://www.city.ac.uk/colourgroup/faq.html#faq3
In terms of Perception, Black like Greys and White, is an achromatic colour: a colour without hue and saturation (or "strength").
If the term is intended to be Physical (physical and psychophysical concepts are often confused) and Black refers to a total absence of visible radiation (light) then, if there is no physical stimulus, there can be no physiological response: no response-> no perception-> no colour.