Cultural differences. Racism.
I've come across lists of "racist" pictures, and I have to admit that I don't always understand it. From what I gather, in America it's just as racist to portray a black person, as it is to not do it.
That a look at this picture:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/08/accidentally-racist_n_780184.html#s175013
I'ts from a childs' book about Barney, and in this picture there is a black man on a bus. I don't get it.
This one I do understand.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/08/accidentally-racist_n_780184.html#s175005
It's a store celebrating Black History Month, with a display of cotton balls.
We also have this list of more photos.
http://www.funnyordie.com/stories/8dae3d0b4c/7-unintentionally-racist-products-that-hopefully-led-to-major-firings
The list that I originally found was yet another one, showing for example boxes of cereal, where one box had a jumping white child and the other a jumping black child. Since the prices were the same, I don't understand how it was racial. I regret that I didn't bookmark it, as I'm now unable to find back to it.
Sure, we have racism in Sweden, but in a whole different way.
We had this drama in the press a couple of years ago, though, about an icecream. Since "forever" we've had the icecream "Nogger", nougat-flavored, hence the name. The icecream company did a liqorice-flavor, and decided to call it "Nogger Black", and the ads showed the icecream against a background of white chalk on asphalt. Made sense, since it was liqorice and vanilla in it.
But, there was this group of white people called "Centre against racism", who got really upset, claiming that it was stereotypical and portrayed black people negatively.
If you want to read more about it, this is a wikipedia-article in English.
I've been trying to find a picture of the actual ad, but failed.
I'm an asatrúar, as such a wear a Thors Hammer. This hammer is often misused by racists, and I sometimes get strange questions about it. The organization I'm affiliated with is against racism and for religious freedom, but people in general don't know that.
I was on a meeting for a project I might get to participate in. They grow things and it's a lot about nature. I said that since I have a nature-religion it would suit me perfectly, and I got to explain a little bit about my religion. Then came the question.
_ In this project, there are people from... eh, different.... "backgrounds"... And it's important that everybody feels comfortable in the group....
I had to stop the woman speaking, I smiled and told her where we stand, and that I do know there is a lot of prejudice against us who wear this hammer, that racist groups have stolen our symbol and we try to take it back.
What I'm saying is, here in Sweden, stuff's gotta be blatantly obviously portraying black people in a negative manner, while in America all it takes is the mention that people do have different skin color.
That a look at this picture:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/08/accidentally-racist_n_780184.html#s175013
I'ts from a childs' book about Barney, and in this picture there is a black man on a bus. I don't get it.
This one I do understand.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/08/accidentally-racist_n_780184.html#s175005
It's a store celebrating Black History Month, with a display of cotton balls.
We also have this list of more photos.
http://www.funnyordie.com/stories/8dae3d0b4c/7-unintentionally-racist-products-that-hopefully-led-to-major-firings
The list that I originally found was yet another one, showing for example boxes of cereal, where one box had a jumping white child and the other a jumping black child. Since the prices were the same, I don't understand how it was racial. I regret that I didn't bookmark it, as I'm now unable to find back to it.
Sure, we have racism in Sweden, but in a whole different way.
We had this drama in the press a couple of years ago, though, about an icecream. Since "forever" we've had the icecream "Nogger", nougat-flavored, hence the name. The icecream company did a liqorice-flavor, and decided to call it "Nogger Black", and the ads showed the icecream against a background of white chalk on asphalt. Made sense, since it was liqorice and vanilla in it.
But, there was this group of white people called "Centre against racism", who got really upset, claiming that it was stereotypical and portrayed black people negatively.
If you want to read more about it, this is a wikipedia-article in English.
I've been trying to find a picture of the actual ad, but failed.
I'm an asatrúar, as such a wear a Thors Hammer. This hammer is often misused by racists, and I sometimes get strange questions about it. The organization I'm affiliated with is against racism and for religious freedom, but people in general don't know that.
I was on a meeting for a project I might get to participate in. They grow things and it's a lot about nature. I said that since I have a nature-religion it would suit me perfectly, and I got to explain a little bit about my religion. Then came the question.
_ In this project, there are people from... eh, different.... "backgrounds"... And it's important that everybody feels comfortable in the group....
I had to stop the woman speaking, I smiled and told her where we stand, and that I do know there is a lot of prejudice against us who wear this hammer, that racist groups have stolen our symbol and we try to take it back.
What I'm saying is, here in Sweden, stuff's gotta be blatantly obviously portraying black people in a negative manner, while in America all it takes is the mention that people do have different skin color.
Kommentarer
Postat av: embla
I think the problem with the black man in the back of the bus is that historically there were regulations prohibiting black people from sitting in the front, they were forced to sit in the back.. So the image could (probably unintentional though, but can be considered an unfortunate mistake) be interpreted as showing "a black man in his right place" or something like "a bus as it should be (with black people in the back)".
If thats the explaination, I can agree that it is a little.. petigt, if you know what I mean ;)
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