PSP "White" ad by Sony...

[Whaaaazuuuuup]

sorry if i'm late, but, you ask me....Sony got exactly what they were asking for...

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6153643.html

[Misfit]

Re: PSP "White" ad by Sony...

That ad is so blatantly offensive that I almost have to believe Sony wanted to create a controversey and get into the news. Either way, dumb ad.

[The GIGGAS]

Re: PSP "White" ad by Sony...

I think Tim from CAD made a good point:

Now at first glance, this stands to be a pretty offensive advertisement. That was my first reaction, definitely. However it's important to keep in mind that this advertisement isn't running in the US. It's a campaign over in Europe (Holland, if I recall correctly?) only. Why is that? Maybe because here in America we have such a history of racial tension, a history of slavery, an issue that divided our country in two in the face of war. So maybe it seems like a pretty harsh image to us, because we're extra sensitive to that sort of thing, perhaps out of shame, due to that part of our nation's history. (I'm not saying racism doesn't exist elsewhere around the world, but I'm not from elsewhere around the world, so I can't vouch for the feelings of different cultures.)

But the advertisement wasn't meant for us (America). It's probably not a mistake that Sony isn't running that particular campaign in the US. They may have felt it was more likely to be misinterpreted here. So I'm not sure I can condemn them as insensitive just because we Americans are so particularly prone to get our hackles up over things like this. It would sort of be like getting offended that a billboard in Japan is in Japanese, and I can't understand it.

It's just skin. Different colors, sure. And Sony has stated that their goal behind the advertisement was to focus on the contrasting colors. So in that regard, using colors, what's the big deal about using a person with black skin and a person with white skin? It's just color.

It would be nice if we lived in a world where anyone looked at that billboard and all they saw was two people.

But, in America especially, you look at that billboard, and you see a white person in an assumed position of dominance over a black person, and immediately alarms go off in your head. Everything we learned in history class about the 1800's comes flooding into our minds, along with a healthy dose of guilt, and we apply our own demons to the image. We attach 150 years of racial tension to the image, and condemn it for our history, not because of any message it's actually delivering.

http://ctrlaltdel-online.com/news.php?i=1153

Sorry for the long quote.

[Misfit]

Re: PSP "White" ad by Sony...

In a lot of ways I agree with that person, but with the way the media is in this day and age it just seems like a bone-headed move by Sony. America is very racially sensitive, overly so in my opinion, but even I can't blame someone for being offended by this ad (even if I personally am not offended). They had to have known such an ad would get the attention of the American media and do bad things for their PR.

[The GIGGAS]

Re: PSP "White" ad by Sony...

I don't get why an ad in Holland pisses us off... I really don't.

But it's scary to see when Jack Thompson gets word of this.

[gschwendt]

Re: PSP "White" ad by Sony...

if you see the other images of the ad, you see it isnt white dominating black but rather a battle between the two. There are 3 images I believe, one of them on equal footing, one with the black model dominating and one with the white model dominating (the one shown in the gamespot article). Seeing all 3 together says a lot more about the ad campaign... ad to that we were "never suppose to see it" and I dont think its as controversial as proposed.

[SoMiss2000]

Re: PSP "White" ad by Sony...

I think Tim from CAD made a good point:

http://ctrlaltdel-online.com/news.php?i=1153

Sorry for the long quote.

well, the Slaves didn't come from the United States, so it still can be offensive. We can rationalize it all we want but at the end of the day, in this politically correct world we live in, this was in poor taste by Sony.

[The GIGGAS]

Re: PSP "White" ad by Sony...

well, the Slaves didn't come from the United States, so it still can be offensive.

I'm not getting what you're saying here...

[Fiddy]

Re: PSP "White" ad by Sony...

this is whats wrong with the world...i mean...i look at the ad and think "hot damn, new psp color, wonder how that will sell?" i see it for what it is, an ad,

i'm a white male, i wouldnt think anything into it if the black lady figure dominated the whole ad by beating down the white lady figure..

its not about race, its about video games!! sheesh!!

[23]

Re: PSP "White" ad by Sony...

I don't get why an ad in Holland pisses us off... I really don't.

Im not going to sit here and lie to myself and say, Sony didnt know what they were doing putting that up.

I dont care what Tim says, it doesnt matter if it wasnt made for the US.If you put anything in public, it can be scrutinized all the same.

The fact of the matter is, its an offensive ad and they knew it would be. Most likely kept it that way for the controversy and attention of course.

[SoMiss2000]

Re: PSP "White" ad by Sony...

I'm not getting what you're saying here...

I was just saying that slaves didn't come from America. So there will be minorities here that would be offended if your point was that since it's not being advertised over here. I guess my point is it doesn't matter that it's not being used over here.

[EaglesFan]

Re: PSP "White" ad by Sony...

This is only a problem in this country.

[Rodster]

Re: PSP "White" ad by Sony...

Im not going to sit here and lie to myself and say, Sony didnt know what they were doing putting that up.

I dont care what Tim says, it doesnt matter if it wasnt made for the US.If you put anything in public, it can be scrutinized all the same.

The fact of the matter is, its an offensive ad and they knew it would be. Most likely kept it that way for the controversy and attention of course.

I asolutely agree 100%. I'm Hispanic born in The Bronx so i've hung out with every type of cat in the streets of NY. My first reaction was you have got to be kidding me, Sony.

First off if you want to disect the ad for what it implies, "it's racist and offensive". The ad dipicts a White Person angrily grabbing a Black Person by the face looking down with what appears to show anger and domination, which translates White is Better Than Black.

Run this by an ad agency and see what conclusion they come up with. Sony had the b@lls pull this stunt which doesn't surprise me lately. Now they have to deal with the bad press.

[jmood88]

Re: PSP "White" ad by Sony...

this is whats wrong with the world...i mean...i look at the ad and think "hot damn, new psp color, wonder how that will sell?" i see it for what it is, an ad,

i'm a white male, i wouldnt think anything into it if the black lady figure dominated the whole ad by beating down the white lady figure..

its not about race, its about video games!! sheesh!!

Sony knew what they were doing by making this ad. All they had to do was put up a picture of a white psp and say that it's coming out, there is no need for what they did.

[The GIGGAS]

Re: PSP "White" ad by Sony...

I was just saying that slaves didn't come from America. So there will be minorities here that would be offended if your point was that since it's not being advertised over here. I guess my point is it doesn't matter that it's not being used over here.

I know this, but they were taken from their homes in other continents and brought against their will here...

I'm still confused on what you're saying.

What about this ad: is it as racist, even though it's in the same campaign?