I appreciate that this is primarily a football forum, so I'll keep this succinct. Here is a quote from the BBC, regarding what they call the 'race storm' over Reina's TV advert. Now, let's consider a few things: - Reina himself did not have any input into the production/planning. He is merely a face. - The group is called 'Operation Black Vote'. - They assume automatically that it is racist to depict a black person in a jungle. - Anyone in a jungle is, apparently, automatically 'stupid, backward, animalistic' and homosexual. So don't book your holiday just yet. First of all, let's consider their name. 'Operation Black Vote'. They are a British political aid, or essentially, pressure group set up in the 1990s to address racial inequality in politics. Their views, then, we can consider to be slighted, or at least with a clear agenda. There are several hypocrisies in what they have said and done. Whilst it is true that the British parliament is mostly male and white, that is decreasing - and we should not ever begin to vote on racial or religious lines. Yes, encourage young black men and women to vote and represent their communities, but understand that in a truly modern society, politics should transcend race entirely. If a black man is better for the job than a white woman, vote for the man. Relating to the advert, we can smell the stench of political correctness mixed with the over-eager sweat of activism. Does this organisation really think that one of Spain's largest insurance firms purposefully, or even by chance, created a racist advert? These companies will have their own, or hire a professional advertisement firm to create their campaigns. These are people who know what they are doing. Why is it suddenly racist to depict a black man in a forest? I can understand the stereotype - the tribal man with a banana in his hand, but that is clearly not intended. So what? That is what I would say; so what, that the actors are black? They themselves obviously didn't feel discriminated against. If the actors were white, blue, yellow, whatever, they're simply actors. I hold that it only highlights a racial divide to adhere to a policy of 'positive discrimination' - by saying 'that's so racist, you can't possibly make a black actor do that' you consciously notice a difference between the white and the black actors. In a utopian (impossible) society, again, we would transcend such boundaries. Turn on your television - how many adverts have you seen over the last number of years that doesn't include a token Asian, woman, coloured man and so on. Companies try so very hard to appear as if they are equal, like they see no difference. But really, these companies are cowering in fear of organisations like 'Operation Black Vote', who will pounce at every opportunity upon them. Political correctness is a sham - it encourages only deceit, not real change. If no-one was racist, or considered race an issue, then we could happily watch Groupama Seguras advert and not see a problem. They're just actors. They're doing their job. They're in a jungle. These are facts, nothing more. In life it is very hard not to offend someone - and what a boring world it would be otherwise. The claims - 'animalistic' and so on, are so laughable that I don't think they credit discussion. This, I remind you, is not about football players. This is our culture. This is the sycophantic world which we live in. George Orwell famously, through the mouth of O'Brien, said 'If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot - stomping on the human face, forever'. Well, the boot is lined with a thin layer of offence and is struck downwards with the might of the politically correct press, too terrified to raise their heads above the parapets and realise how ridiculous they sound. The bloodied face, then, is true equality. Race, like so many issues of the past, must reach a stage at which everyone - black, white etc. can joke and jibe without fear. Our grandparents, or their grandparents, for example, would not have joked about sex as openly and crudely as contemporary comedians. Race too must evolve to create a truly equal society. So, ignore this group and their petty claims. They have won several awards, so obviously they have done some good work in the past, but they are wrong here. Too keen by far to uphold their perceived world view. I fear for a world in which chess pieces are all white, because black pieces suggest that black people are warlike and aggressive. I fear for a world in which brown bread is outlawed, because it portrays coloured people as natives, tribal people, in comparison to the refined, clean white bread of oppression. If you have laboured to read this [rant], thank you.
According to the bbc article, the advert was pulled... how come that didn't factor into your considerable considerations? Have you even seen the discussed advert, if not what is the point in ranting about it? That would be beyong ignorant, immature and wreckless. I have not seen it, so I would not hazard to say what I think on the matter, but I'm worried about all the scandal liverpool is involving itself in, and supporters' lax attitude towards it. Also, I'm not sure if Liverpool has a decent BNP support, but I'm worrying, as while the article here is not racist, it shows similar tendencies towards malicious hate with no proof.
Good article but has it got the stage where we actually have to dignify this news with a response? It's such a non event, at best the ad is distasteful but even if it was full blown racist then how Liverpool are at fault is beyond me. Reina and his agent would have lined up the add and the company who made the add are ultimately at fault
I'm a massive Liverpool fan and I'm black and don't consider the advert to be racist at all, I just think at the moment we're at such a sensitive stage with the racism issue, that the media and leaders of certain groups are jumping on bandwagons to prove they're actually doing something for the black communities. Whereas they'd be better off tackling issues that actually matter, when I woke up and saw this article then watch the video I was amazed that such suggestions could be made from this advert. The concept of the whole advert is a comical theme so I understand it. However if I missed some deeper meaning, I willing to put my hands up but to me the advert is not racist. On a lighter note I do wish Liverpool kept Ryan Babel, I know its old news but I do feel he had bags of potential.
Thank you Franky and AFD you have both put your points very succinctly. A supporters of Liverpool and their players, it appears that we now have to waste our time in an effort to develop a reasoned response to claims of racism against them and us from people and organisations who wish to use us for either their own ends or for mischief without regard to the consequences. It is just so sad. As a port, Liverpool has had a longer history than most in the UK in coming to terms with different racial groups. We may not always have got it right but, in general we have managed to both co-exist and coalesce. Why can't people like Simon Woolley concentrate upon the good that is being achieved rather than sensationalising non-stories?
Mornin' Eric. It's a non-story, but I come on here this morning and there are at least four threads on it. I don't read papers any more but no doubt they'll be all over it, so the people who stir this **** up get what they wanted.
no body will hear when this little splash of publicity they've done gets the short sharp shcok i nspain if they even did complain. this group are clearly racist against panish speaking people and the thought police ought to be informed.
I live in Spain (speak Spanish too) and have a seen the advert many times and don't think its racist. Stupid yes, racist no. It is only one of series of adverts where he is in a few "dangerous situations" but he's not worried because he has insurance. I don't see the OBV complaining that Hells angels were stereotyped in a prejudiced way. OBV seem to one of these "black empowerment movements" who actually do more harm to race relations than good. This whole complaint is like the KFC one where a harmless advert in Australia showing Australian and West Indies Cricket fans sharing a KFC got pulled because a black rights activists group in America showed their ignorance by applying what makes a racist stereotype of a black man in America to the rest of the world. As for pulling the advert I saw it last night on TV and I can guarantee you the Spanish attitude will be "WTF I can't see the problem?" and put the complaint in the bin. Pepe Reina has a reputation in Spain as a bit of a comedian so him doing these kind of adverts isn't unusual. Spain does have a racism problem for example a popular satire program showed a white choir with blackened faces sing "when the saints go marching in" as a tribute to Barack Obama, a TV show called "Yellow Humour" showing an old Japanese TV program and they call them Chinese, black immigrants are harassed on the Madrid underground for no reason by security guards and if you are japanese, chinese, vietnamese, korean etc you are all Chinese. It is changing slowing for the better but it has a way to go before race relations in Spain reach the 21st century. I hate all kinds of racism but what Reina did wasn't racist. Good luck for the rest of the season.
Just saw the ad. Not the way it's being descibed in the media though.(Was I watching the wrong thing?!).Found it pretty funny actually. Worlds gone mad.Complete non story.
Yeah, I've lived on the spanish Islands, the regularly rounded them up, once one thay jumped on one of my visiting mates while he was sitting at a resturant and tried to hauled him off for EWB (eating whilst black). I think if we hadn't been a few metres away working he'd been banged up for it.
Positive discrimination is just as much an issue as discrimination but very few realise it. Just like the FA looking for a female board member because they only had blokes on it. They'd have turned down a (maybe better) male applicant in favour of a female because of gender. I hate society sometimes...****ing clueless PC idiots. People are people, stop looking for issues in everything.
Yes, I saw the advert, of course I did. They're hardly that new. As far as political orientation goes, I would currently saw Alliance Party (in Northern Ireland) and... well, Labour, for the sake of nothing better. I was careful to deal with Reina and Liverpool quickly as this isn't really about them. This is an article from a person, not just a supporter. I don't think anything I've said even borders on tendencies toward 'malicious hate' and there is nothing nationalistic about it either.
Havent seen the ad so have no opinion in it or the article. Just wanted to correct one thing about operation black vote in the original post. They are an organisation who campaign to get as many black and non white people to vote as so few used to. They do a lot of work to get people on the voter register etc. It is not set up to get black and non white people to vote for black and non white candidates just sumply to vote.
