AIBU to find this Boden ad offensive

[SkinnyNorris]

I live in Germany and received the latest Mini Boden catalog. Granted I am an English speaker and come from a country where minorites have a long history of having negative connotations attached to them.
The German word for fist bump is Fauststoß, yet Boden chooses to use the term Ghettofaust, literal translation ghetto fist in this ad. “Ghettofaust für maschinenwaschbares Gewebe”
Please tell me, slang or not, AIBU to feel a way that Boden should have thought twice about using this term.
I wish I could post the picture but mumsnet doesn’t give me this option. This is pg 93 for anyone with the catalog.

I remember I once complained to Maggi as they had a truly awful ad featuring "Asian" cartoon people with bright yellow skin, sticking-out teeth and lines for eyes. They just wrote back and said they didn't find it offensive. I think most companies react that way, as it's subjective and they are not just going to admit their guilt as soon as one person complains. They'd probably be opening themselves up to lawsuits or something.

I disagree that German speakers would particularly think of black areas in the US when using the word ghetto.

Any German who grew up with an acquaintance with contemporary music - hiphop, R&B etc and film will get the US connotation.

HeyNotInMyName

Or that it makes t ok to use that word because 'its just Germany being sensitive due to their history'

You haven’t read my posts properly.

Any German who grew up with an acquaintance with contemporary music - hiphop, R&B etc and film will get the US connotation.
I'm 50 and have lived half my life in the UK and half in Germany. I had no idea until today that people might consider the term "ghetto" offensive in every possible context, even in the term "ghetto blaster" as described above - or here, in the context of a friendly, approving fist bump given to a product which is conveniently machine washable.

My peers here in Germany, who grew up under a socialist regime, are not generally familiar with US culture.

Personally, I find the OP's airly dismissive claim that the term ghetto these days has nothing to do with Jewish ghettos is far, far more offensive than anything else in this thread.

Yep, super offensive, especially for a company like Boden (which aims itself squarely at white middle class people!)

I translate from (Austrian) German to English and some of the stuff I get to translate makes my skin crawl. Very offensive actually - racist and sexist - but they don't see a problem with it. I've had to have several conversations with clients saying that this sort of thing is just not acceptable in the countries at which the translation is aimed at (ie. UK, America etc). Sometimes they'll take this on board and change both the German and the translation. Sometimes they say it's fine and that's what they want and I should keep the translation as near to the original as possible while replacing some of the more offensive words (but the offensive words remain in the German text)

I've just had an article absolutely crammed full of gender stereotypes of the worst kind. They aren't going to change it though!
The worst one I had was to do with "Red Indians" - won't go into the details as I could end up outing myself. Spent quite a while on the phone about that - they said I could remove "Red Indian" from the translation but then when it was published on the website "Red Indian" was back in the text.

I've not had Ghettofaust before though!

@Pitterpatterpettysteps - the term "ghetto" in this context or other pop culture contexts isn't a reference to Jewish ghettoes though.

I was pretty amazed by that too, Pitter - but I put it down to her not being familiar with German culture yet.

I agree with Pitterpatter. Talk about insensitive OP .

The word ‘ghetto’ was coined to mean a Jewish ghetto - so no-one can reasonably claim it doesn’t refer to Jewish ghettos.

sorry @PurbeckStone "ein bisschen Ghetto" is massively offensive, just as saying something is "a bit ghetto" is offensive in English. Not because its a reference to Jewish ghettoes (obviously it isn't) but because it's suggesting that an association with poor and/or black/minority ethnic neighbourhoods is a synonym for trashy. It's a racist and classist expression, no less in German than in English.

I’m 50 and have lived half my life in the UK and half in Germany. I had no idea until today that people might consider the term "ghetto" offensive in every possible context, even in the term "ghetto blaster"

And?

Not disputing that anyone who grew up behind the iron curtain wouldn’t have those cultural references, but even so they’ve had 20 years go get up to speed.

even so they’ve had 20 years go get up to speed
Sure, if they wanted to
Most people think it's a load of nonsense tbh.

Most people think it's a load of nonsense tbh.

Think what is?

**I disagree that German speakers would particularly think of black areas in the US when using the word ghetto. The more likely association might be Berlin Marzahn, Duisburg Marxloh, Plattenbau, 'white trash / chavy' types, Turks and Arabs with blingy cars and outfits.

Having grown up near to Duisburg Marxloh I can confirm that this is definitely what we used to consider the term ghetto to refer to.

I've also never heard of the term fauststoß apart from in a fighting sense. I've always known this to be a Ghettofaust.

That said, I can see how someone may find this offensive. However it is a very widespread term for a friendly greeting. Germans still have a lot to learn when it comes to being more pc. I remember playing a game called 'who's scared of the black man' in the 90s. We never thought anything of it and I never associated the game with a person of colour. I can now as an adult see how offensive it is. I'm pretty sure that game has been confined to history together with the term negerküsse.

Apologies to anyone offended by my remark on this term not referencing Jewish ghettos. That was not my intent at all, but in this context ghetto is a reference to black minorites and hip hop culture.

Lots of people (especially over-40s) in these parts don't listen to hiphop, or watch US films as they think they are rubbish modern nonsense.

If I went round doing a poll of my neighbours I doubt many of them would even know that "Ghetto" had any other meaning than the Jewish one. They'll have heard of "Slums" in the context of the Americas, but "Ghetto" would definitely mean something different to them than it does to you.

YABU

(Just imagining myself trying to talk about hiphop to my neighbour, who thinks that "Peggy" and "Becky" are the same name 😂)

Hair splitting about whether Germans would think of the US in ref to ghetto is slightly missing the point.

It’s current usage as a word derives in part from its use in the US via black culture - cf terms I gave above - ghetto superstar, Princess, booty etc.

That’s why Boden are using it in this context. A cringey, hamfisted attempt to be with the kids.

Boden is v brexity. I avoid. Can't be doing with all the flags.

Hair splitting about whether Germans would think of the US in ref to ghetto is slightly missing the point.
Not at all. This thread is about how different words have different connotations in different contexts and places. That's the subject of this thread.

Lots of people (especially over-40s) in these parts don't listen to hiphop, or watch US films as they think they are rubbish modern nonsense.

I don’t dispute there are a lot of insular provincial Germans, but your claims don’t apply to any German I know, and are not typical of city dwelling Germans used to multiculturalism ime.

This thread is about how different words have different connotations in different contexts and places.

Exactly so you have to factor in the US aspect.