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Is Volkswagen's new Super Bowl ad racist?

BY Jillian Raftery  on January 29, 2013 @ 2:01 pm (Updated: 3:57 pm - 1/29/13 )


Is this Volkswagen Beetle ad racist? Some commentators on The Today Show say it's the worst they've seen in years, but Dori thinks it's just playing on harmless stereotypes.

The ad walks viewers through a dismal office environment, where one Caucasian man with a Jamaican accent just can't stop smiling - all because of his new VW bug.

"The guy with the Jamaican accent is just a big 30-something white guy," said Dori, "and this ad is being decried as racist now."

Everyone in the office appears to have a serious case of the Mondays - until the man with the Jamaican accent takes them for a ride in his VW Beetle.

"The thing I don't understand - every single commercial on television today is about the mom and teenage kids making fun of the Phil Dunphy-type dad," said Dori. "The white dad is middle-aged and a dope, and the mom and dad are always making fun of him. We can have the most blatant, stereotypical, ridiculous caricatures of 40-year-old white dads in every single commercial on the air. But heaven forbid we have a guy talking in a Jamaican accent."

Guests on The Today Show were adamant. They had a half-hour discussion about the flaws of the commercial, featuring advertising experts.

"I was shocked. Didn't anyone look at this? This is so racist," said Today Show guest Barbara Lippman. "And maybe Jamaicans don't find it offensive, but it's just saying that black people are happy."

One commentator was able to see past some of the well-intentioned stereotypes.

"I see positivity and happiness in this ad. I love it," said Today Show guest Michelle Stalling.

Despite criticism, Volkswagen is defending the commercial. The makers of the ad said they had gone to great lengths to make sure the commercial wasn't offensive. Volkswagen of America Executive Vice President Tim Mahoney said they hired a speaking coach to make sure accents were authentic, and consulted 100 Jamaicans to make sure the ad wasn't offensive.

Jillian Raftery, Social Media Captain
Jillian Raftery is a social media captain for the Dori Monson Show. She loves the neighborly vibe of the Pacific Northwest and spends as much time as possible outdoors.
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Comments (22)


  • Add A Comment

  • PugetSoundRealist wrote...
    VW Ad
    January 29, 2013 3:54 pm
    Much Ado About Nothing....if we can enjoy this YouTube video (10.7M views, 47,600 likes & 581 dislikes) why can't we enjoy this VW ad for what it is? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMIWtMIuLcQ
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • TwoTrees wrote...
    Shame on you, Dori...
    January 29, 2013 4:31 pm
    For not spluttering your indignant rage over this ad, you must prostrate yourself at the alter of 'White Guilt.' The guests of The Today Show will meet you there...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    FYI, at least 10% of Jamaica's population is pure European.
    January 29, 2013 4:31 pm
    And they DO have Jamaican accents.
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  • CH wrote...
    said Dori said Dori said Dori
    January 29, 2013 5:39 pm
    let Dori do his own story. What kind of car do you drive Dori?
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  • daveismenotyou wrote...
    CH
    January 29, 2013 6:04 pm
    He drives a racist Jag. Go back downstairs
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  • dori monson fan wrote...
    if all jamaicans are black
    January 29, 2013 6:47 pm
    are all americans white? and if a black guy in america (he must be african right?) speaks with an american accent he must also be racist?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • irony wrote...
    great ad.
    January 29, 2013 7:41 pm
    everyone should be alright. the accent is not black, it's jamaican and they're not black. The Arawak and Taino indigenous people, originating in South America, settled on the island between 4000 and 1000 BC.[17] When Christopher Columbus arrived in 1494, there were over 200 villages ruled by caciques (chiefs of villages). The south coast of Jamaica was the most populated, especially around the area now known as Old Harbour.[17] The Tainos were still inhabiting Jamaica when the English took control of the island.[17] The Jamaican National Heritage Trust is attempting to locate and document any evidence of the Taino/Arawaks.
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  • CH wrote...
    whats a Jag?
    January 29, 2013 7:41 pm
    American made? I am downstairs dave is me not you. Who is Ha ha?
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  • daveismenotyou wrote...
    Take your meds CH
    January 30, 2013 9:53 am
    You are getting more and more unstable. Tell mommy to make you some soup.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    Anything to get attention
    January 29, 2013 8:13 pm
    Leave it to the pathetic liberal mainstream media try to play the race card.....lighten up people....it's a funny commercial. Only a racist would look for race in a harmless advertisement. I'm waiting for Reverend Al Sharpton to boycott & demand an apology from Volkswagen....or blame it on the Republicans...,
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  • soo purletiv wrote...
    What in the world do these people read and digest
    January 29, 2013 9:14 pm
    to make them conclude this to be a racist ad?

    The car is not fast, so it cannot be a "race-ist".

    The accent is in no way reflecting bad on a people nor a nation so it cannot be a racist.

    How does this ad convey any air of superiority as to culture, color or nationality? It doesn't!

    Just a cute commercial advertising a piece of garbage Germaican car.

    Was that wrong of me for mentioning the Germaiacan thing...

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • tlmbrt wrote...
    Victimhood
    January 29, 2013 10:11 pm
    These people look under every rock to find things they can call racist, because it's the only way they can feel important. Even when they are not of the race they feel is being disrespected. It seems as if they are looking hard for anything they can use to show how NOT racist they are, especially if they are white! Is this some kind of guilt? For example, we have seen all the white commentators on ESPN, lamenting endlessly that no black coaches were hired this year...
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