Racist? Controversial? Or is everyone just making a big deal?

[mzcelaneous]

So, I saw this ad while watching the news a few nights ago. It's a Sony Ceramic White PSP ad that's displayed in Holland I believe and my local news did a little segment on it.

The newscaster showed a print of this ad to 3 people, all of Black/African-American descent, and each one cringed in disgust at the fact that the caucasian woman "man-handling" the black woman. This is of course, prior to knowing it was an ad for a portable gaming system. Apparently some type of organization (don't remember the name) is trying to stop the ad from reaching the United States by starting petitions and such because of the "obvious" racism.

I did do some research

and found another photo from the same photoshoot that the news never brought up.

Is the media (the news, not Sony) trying to point out irrelevent racism that "portrayed" in the first photo?

I honestly don't know what to think. I'm on the fence about it all together.

 

[pumpkincat210]

It doesn't bother me. The first thing I thought.. he is smiling in the first picture.. so I have to assume he is enjoying it.
White is beautiful too. There are plenty of adds highlighting other skin, all skin color is beautiful and needs to be displayed.

 

[Hawkeye]

NAACP is the one your probably thinking of or ACLU

I dont like it personally it doesnt make me want to rush out and buy a play station-not because its racist or controversal but it doesnt have a damn thing to do with a playstation.

 

[DropDeadDarling]

I do think it is a little racist.

Btw, I'm not African American. (If that matters.)

 

[M.A.C*Attack]

its just a hand held game system by SONY....
my take on this ad is the black psp is the old one and white is the new one big deal ....
I own the black one and im sure ill buy the white one just because its different ,its like nintendo's DS they made a white one they just called it "nintendo Ds Lite" and its WHITE and i bought it does that make nintendo racist???.... just because an ad has a white and black person dont make it racist,well at least not to me but thats my opinion...

I THINK ALL THE ADS LOOK GOOD I SHOWED IT TO MY BROTHER AND HIS WIFE AND SHES AFRICAN AMERICAN AND THINKS ITS A COOL AD!

SHE JUST SAID LETS SEE WHICH PSP SELLS MORE...LOL(shes and my bro are sony freaks)

 

[bebs]

heres one more of them.

its just skin people we all bleed red and are people to. no body in this life time was ever a slave nobody in this time has ever been a slave i'm sorry I dont get what the problem is, this is a great add. it gets people talking.

and its a sony add by the way

 

[mzcelaneous]

Quote:

Originally Posted by M.A.C*Attack ...and its WHITE and i bought it does that make nintendo racist???

Oh no, no, no. It's just like how Apple created a black iPod also. Just from the ad, does it convey racism?

I understand both sides of the issue. I can view it as art but I can also see it as being controversial. The ad definitely won't sway me into buying a white psp because I've seen photos of them from Japan months ago hehe.

A lot of my friends from my hometown think it's totally racist but my friends from up here (where I live now) don't see it as a problem at all. I guess from city to city, town to town, society to society it just differs.

 

[Hawkeye]

Babs-ITA!!!

I mean seriously people get offended over the dumbest stuff sometimes. Here in ATL not too long ago we had a lady get offended that a white officer was hungry and peeling a banana and dropping it in the garbage can while she was getting off the bus!

It's just nitpicking and people dont seem to realize how detrimentle it is to society(s).

I guess I just dont see it either.

I think you have to really see the backgrounds of people too. Like here in the South people would probably see it a lot more racist where as in NYC they would be like-whats so racist about it? I just dont see the argument that is very strong for it being racist-i can see its there and why I just dont see it as strong yet.

 

[dmolinet]

When we have to start thinking of art as being racist, blasphmeous, obscene, etc.---we're thinking way too much!!!

 

[Hawkeye]

dmolinet-i know we have had our differences on many issues but I totally agree with you here!!!

 

[bebs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by M.A.C*Attack its just a hand held game system by SONY.... my take on this ad is the black psp is the old one and white is the new one big deal .... I own the black one and im sure ill buy the white one just because its different ,its like nintendo's DS they made a white one they just called it "nintendo Ds Lite" and its WHITE and i bought it does that make nintendo racist???.... just because an ad has a white and black person dont make it racist,well at least not to me but thats my opinion... I THINK ALL THE ADS LOOK GOOD I SHOWED IT TO MY BROTHER AND HIS WIFE AND SHES AFRICAN AMERICAN AND THINKS ITS A COOL AD! SHE JUST SAID LETS SEE WHICH PSP SELLS MORE...LOL(shes and my bro are sony freaks)

I happen to have the add for that one too same place, like I said before I think its all to get people talking. and they do it and do it well.

go sony and go nintendo keep it up
I wish these would come up over here people need to stop taking offence to everything and every one. its an add for a game system.

 

[mzcelaneous]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bebs I wish these would come up over here people need to stop taking offence to everything and every one.

I wish so too. BTW, that is hilarious mock ad by Nintendo

 

[Lady_MAC]

I don't like it... at all. It is highly offensive to me, and although I am not overweight, the other one is unsettling as well.

Do I feel like elaborating at 5AM while doing Economic and World Issues?...not really.

 

[Vicky88]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lady_MAC I don't like it... at all. It is highly offensive to me, and although I am not overweight, the other one is unsettling as well. Do I feel like elaborating at 5AM while doing Economic and World Issues?...not really.

What other one?

 

[Lady_MAC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vicky88 What other one?

In bebs post.

 

[quandolak]

.........

 

[Shimmer]

Oh sweet Jesus. I can find so much more to be offended about.

 

[litlaur]

All of this, debate about whether or not it is racist/controversial, was probably intentional for publicity. Sony knew some people would interpret the ad as being racist.

 

[mzcelaneous]

Quote:

Originally Posted by youbeabitch I think you have to really see the backgrounds of people too. Like here in the South people would probably see it a lot more racist where as in NYC they would be like-whats so racist about it? I just dont see the argument that is very strong for it being racist-i can see its there and why I just dont see it as strong yet.

Although I can see why people can get offended by it, I too agree that there is no strong vibe of the ad being racist.

What I don't understand is why the ad is ok in Europe and why Americans here are trying to ban it from advertising here in the US. We're both well-developed countries with a good education system and all. I just don't get that!

 

[Pascal]

that is so not racist, the ad is about white and black, what beter way to advertise then to use people of diffrent skin colors it's beautiful, not racist.