Via NESN:
What happens when you mix a thirsty group of cowboys, a bus full of showgirls, maniacal Mad Max characters and an Arab walking camels through a desert?
The folks at Coca-Cola call it a commercial. Arab-American groups, however, call it racist, according to NBCNews.com.
Abed Ayoub, director of legal and policy affairs of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), is unhappy with this particular multimillion-dollar Super Bowl ad, asking: ”What message is Coke sending with this?
“By not including the Arab in the race, it is clear that the Arab is held to a different standard when compared to the other characters in the commercial,” he says.
The ADC, which made headlines back in 1992 when it complained that lyrics in the animated film Aladdin were racist, isn’t alone.
“The Coke commercial for the Super Bowl is racist, portraying Arabs as backward and foolish ‘Camel Jockeys,’ and they have no chance to win in the world,” Imam Ali Siddiqui, president of the Muslim Institute for Interfaith Studies, said in an email to NBCNews.com.
CBS, which is airing the Super Bowl on Sunday, declined to comment on situation.
Coca-Cola spokeswoman Lauren Thompson emailed NBCNews.com, explaining that “Coca-Cola is an inclusive brand enjoyed by all demographics. We illustrate our core values, from fun and refreshment to happiness, inspiration and optimism across all of our marketing communications.”
Original Story:
I think the Camel wont run because it's buthurt from being an Arab sex object
I'm sure Coke thought it was funny and, to a certain extent, it is, certainly. But I can also see where some overly sensitive people might see a slight in the presentation. Twenty years ago, everybody would be rolling at the humor but twenty years ago was before 9/11 and Anglos began looking at everybody who 'might' look like they 'might be' Arabic as a terrorist. This created a certain sense of defensiveness in the Arab-American comunity, and understandably so. I mean, how would you feel if, based on your appearance and/or ethnicity people automatically judged you to be deficient in some way? Oh, wait! If you are Black, you already know. And if you are Asian ... or gay ... or ... Gee. I guess we've really gotten good at being condescending and judgmental.
Ah, well. Thanks to 'political correctness' everybody gets to be offended by something someone says about something.
Hey! I've got an idea! Let's just stop checking to see how 'the other guy' measures up and start worrying more abour our own measure.
the black cloud of islam raises its hideous head again.
If the U.S. can stop buying your oil in a few years, can you leave our western culture alone? If need be move your sorry torso back to the Mid-East where you can once again be treated like a second rate citizen. We would all appreciate it. Thanks!
Git-R-Dun!
comment below viewing threshold
show comment
ra-cism (rasizm)n. 1. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others. 2. Discrimination or prejudice based on race.--rac'ist adj. n.
race (ras)
Biology. A population of organisms differing from others of the same species in the frequency of hereditary traits; a subspecies. A breed or strain, as of domestic animals.
Under the definition, Arabs do not qualify as a race.
BTW the commercial is neither.
I suppose I should start saying that I am Sicilian-American and claim minority status. I am sure that there are less Sicilian decendants than the rest. Should I complain about the Chef Boyardee commercials?
What is wrong with being proud of your heritage but true to the USA.
Americans are of many cultures and they should all be portrayed.
To those who used the "rag head" "camel jockey" and such need to grow up! I don't harbor any hate or predjudice at the for lack of a better term middle eastern people they like us "americans" are all different people. I served in desert storm, lost some friends there. Lost some more the second time around. But I don't hate the Iraqi people for what some of them did. I lost friends in afganistan (sp?) but don't hate the afgani people. We all need to lighten up and see the humor as it was meant to be.
Groups like this pitch a bitch to here themselves.. Don't bow to this BS.
But on flip side the Islamic's have been slowly infiltrating this country and it has been so subtle that there is no way of really knowing the full extent of their influence.
Though we may find out sooner than we suspect if this commerical is scrapped.
This ad does not offend me as being anti-Middle-East any more than it offends me as a woman. Granted, the women driving the pink bus are better looking than the guy on the camel, but I don't think these characters are a particularly flattering portrayal of women, either. In fact, is anyone in this ad supposed to be role model? No! They are supposed to be entertaining!
By the way, I think the guy on the camel is the only one who has a chance to make it through 50 miles of desert to win the bottle of Coke. The bus will run out of gas, so will the motorcycle, and the cowboys and their horses will languish of thirst. Maybe the guy on the camel will get the Coca Cola and bring it back to the others to save them from perishing in the desert. Wouldn't that be a fabulous way for Coke to show the critics what great folks they are?
(fu_K Off)
No one was screaming "ALAH" or whoever. So keep the ad Coca-Cola and make a sequel for next year.
It's time to take a chill pill.
There are people being shot and killed around every corner, young children are being kidnapped and held in bunkers by crazy men, a man that worked in a call center went crazy at a lawsuit mediation and killed a person. Twenty six people, most all VERY young children were killed in what was supposed to be one of the safest places in their little world, school.
Now, the arabs, middle eastern, mediteranian, people are upset that the damn camel wasn't running??
It's time to get our priorties straight.
It's a funny commercial, get over it and move on to more important things!!
As for the commercial COKE do yourself a favor and remove that camel monkey from the commercial and problem solved. Do not apologize to those retards for anything!! They are another example of worthless DNA. Hmm wonder if that sounded racist? Well to any Muslim who hates me because I am not Muslim then HELL YEA I intended it to be racist!! Do not like it then ask me if I give a ratz "PIG" arse!! Trust me I will not apologize!!! =)
They make us out to be dumb rednecks, dirty women, and no good thugs.
On second thought "That's us, America!"