Um, there are white Jamaicans. I'm not Jamaican or of Jamaican ancestry, but I'm not seeing the fuss. The Jamaican government supports the controversial Super Bowl ad: "The predominantly black country of Jamaica is embracing a
controversial Super Bowl ad that depicts a white office worker from the
U.S. Midwest feigning the Caribbean island’s lilting patois accent to
display a cheerful, upbeat outlook. Some U.S. critics have described the pregame Super Bowl ad from
Volkswagen of America as offensive and culturally insensitive,
apparently seeing the commercial that hit the web on Monday as an echo
of segregation-era depictions of white people posing as happy-go-lucky
black folk."
Let the foolishness begin: "On NBC’s 'The Today Show,' Barbara Lippert, editor-at-large at
mediapost.com, said she believed the commercial was racist because it
was 'just saying that black people are happy.' New York Times columnist
Charles M. Blow said during an appearance on CNN that the advertisement
was like 'blackface with voices.'"
Like me, Jamaicans are wondering what's all the fuss over the commercial: "But the charged reaction has met with puzzlement in Jamaica, which
has very visible white, Asian, Middle Eastern and mixed-race minorities
that also often speak with the local accent. The island’s government has endorsed the commercial, which shows an
ebullient white worker from the U.S. state of Minnesota trying to cheer
up glum colleagues with a Jamaican patois accent because he is so happy
with his Volkswagen. At the start of the commercial, he paraphrases the
lyrics to late reggae icon Bob Marley’s 'Three Little Birds' as he tells
his co-workers: 'No worries, mon. Everyting will be all right.' The company’s website continues the theme, offering a clip of Jamaica’s Jimmy Cliff singing 'C’mon, get happy.'"
For its part, Volkswagen claims that it talked to 100 Jamaicans during market research for the ad. It also had a speech coach on site when it filmed the commercial.
A Bookerista Responds
Sandra Rose, a British-born blogger of Jamaican ancestry who lives in Georgia, writes: "The only people who take offense at this commercial are the ones who
don’t know that Caucasian Jamaicans exist, or miserable people who are
constantly on the lookout for an axe to grind. Such as New York Times writer Charles Blow who calls the ad 'blackface with voices.' Come on, lighten up Mr. Blow."
Jamaican Government/Folks Of Jamaican Ancestry: "What's The Big Deal About The Volkswagen Ad?"
