Volkswagen Advertisement- Jamaican Style

-
Yes, we all had an option about the Volkswagen Super Bowl advertisement featuring a white male American office worker with a Jamaican accent.  In viewing the advertisement one was immediately reminded of the Jamaican proverb which says “wi lickle but wi tallawah”. For a major automobile manufacturer such as the German carmaker Volkswagen to use our dialect in a major advertisement it speaks volume of Jamaica’s greatness and influence despite her relatively small size on the map.  Like any controversial topic there are arguments for both sides of the debate. Those who object to the advertisement argue that the advertisement is racist and offensive to Jamaica and Jamaicans. However, we tend to forget that although the majority of Jamaicans are black and are from an African heritage Jamaica is a pluralistic society with many ethnic groups represented. There are Chinese Jamaicans; Jamaicans of Indian descent and of course white Jamaicans.  Additionally, there are also Jews in Jamaica and Muslims all in keeping with Jamaica’s motto “Out Of Many One People”.
What if Volkswagen had used a white Jamaican to play the main character in the advertisement would we be having this discussion about the ad being racist, clearly we would not.
Racism is the belief that races have distinctive cultural characteristics determined by hereditary factors and this and this endows some races with an intrinsic superiority over others.  We clearly need to answer the question when did Jamaica become a race?
I found it rather interesting and disturbing to have watched the Today Show on NBC last week during which a white female American advertising expert was asked by Matt Lauer to comment on the Volkswagen advertisement. This so called expert said the advertisement was offensive to Jamaicans. How can someone who is not Jamaican speak so about what offends us as a people?  Clearly she spoke in ignorance like all those who are of the view the advertisement is racist.  Those who speak in without the required knowledge clearly need to do their research and get their facts correct, Jamaica is more diverse and complex than many of us would like to believe.
The Super Bowl has become a main staple for the American culture and landscape and within the last few years the Super Bowl has had a viewership of over one hundred million persons in the United States of America alone.  In fact according to the well respected and leader in market research The Nielson Company reported that the 2011 Super Bowl had over 111 million persons making it the most watched programme ever. I urge the Jamaica Tourist Board to capitalize on this moment and the exposure that no doubt brand Jamaica will get from this Volkswagen advertisement. Hundreds of millions of individuals watched Super Bowl 2013 and no doubt this advertisement showcased Jamaica in a humorous and positive way that no local advertising campaign could have conceptualized.

waykam@yahoo.com

wayaine.blogspot.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Promoting Literacy For A World In Transition

-
Image
Oftentimes we speak about literacy yet, the practicality regarding targeted interventions to support literacy in many educational institutions is hijacked in the politics of education. In the long term both the students and indeed the society suffer the consequences. Literacy ignities creativity and desire. Literacy is that springboard that must propel all students in order for them to navigate their educational journey successfully. Regrettably, without acquiring the tools of literacy one is imprisoned and those around also are serving this sentence. Literacy is a potent tool to eradicate generational poverty. Literacy also serves as a vehicle for social progress and sustainable development. Unfortunately, many societies do not invest as much in literacy skills as they ought to. The Global South oftentimes is burdened by debt repayment to multi-national lending agencies that cut into the budget that should be set aside as an investment in education. The statistic paints a damning pic
Read more

The Psychology Of Dunce

-
Image
The word ‘dunce’ has always had a fixed address in our local lexicon. The summer holidays are now over, yet the narrative associated with the ‘dunce’ labeled knapsacks has carried over into the new academic year. We often underestimate the power and force of our popular culture to our detriment. Gone are the days when teachers were seen as role models for students; there has been a tsunami-like shift in our values and attitudes over the years and this has given rise to a number of sub-cultures many of which are toxic. Many of the social ills of the society are grounded in our painful past of enslavement and colonialization. Unfortunately, the State has been complicit in the promulgation of some of these social problems. Sadly, as a society we have internalized this trauma and as a result generation after generation have had to deal with social problems of various forms in our post-slavery society. Over the decades we have inherited and we have continued to nurture an elitist educati
Read more

Israel Hamas War

-
Image
“Indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”- Psalm 121:4. It appears we have been hearing about the Arab/Israeli conflict from time immemorial. However, it is important that some historical and Biblical context be interjected into the narrative in order for a better understanding of this current war. In the Bible, the phrase ‘Promised Land’ refers to a specific region of land that God promised to his chosen people of Israel. God first gave this pledge of land to Abraham saying, “I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the desert to the Euphrates River.” This pledge was reiterated to Abraham’s descendants until the time came for His people to claim their inheritance. Abraham knew that he would not see God’s Promised Land with his own eyes. In fact, God made it clear to him that the land would not be given until four generations had passed, and that his descendants would face the hardship of slavery in Egypt before the
Read more