Some critics have charged that the ad, which debuted Monday
(January 28th), is offensive and culturally insensitive, portraying it as
referencing segregation-era "blackface" depictions of white people
posing as happy-go-lucky blacks.
But in Jamaica, which is predominantly black, but also has
white, Asian, Middle Eastern and mixed-race minorities, they've been puzzled by
the reaction.
The Jamaican government has endorsed the commercial, which
shows the office worker trying to cheer up his colleagues, including by
paraphrasing Bob Marley lyrics by saying, "No worries, mon. Everything will be all right."
Jamaica's tourism minister called the ad, quote, "a
very creative commercial which truly taps into the tremendous appeal that brand
Jamaica and its hospitable people have globally." Volkswagen has no plans
to pull the spot.
No comments:
Post a Comment