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Original poster

Trident chewing gum advert for being 'deeply offensive'!!

43 replies

zephyrcat · 28/03/2007 17:17

Aparently it is deeply offensive to black and caribbean people.

Eh? How?

It's a bloody annoying ad but I never saw it as being offensive?!

OP posts:
HoppyDaddy · 28/03/2007 17:18

I did, the moment I saw it. I found it offensive and patronising and am glad it was taken off.

No, I'm not joking.

mrsjohnsim · 28/03/2007 17:24

i have never seen the advert myself- get a freeview box with a pause feature and you will never have to watch another advert again!
but i do believe that it is offensive and know somebody who complained, who may well come on later and enjoy the thread here

OrvilleRedenbacher · 28/03/2007 17:25

is htat mastication for the nation?
why>

HoppyDaddy · 28/03/2007 17:26

I thought it was extremely bad taste to use a West Indian accent. It instantly brought the connection with Operation Trident to my mind.

Made me and my in laws very very angry.

OrvilleRedenbacher · 28/03/2007 17:26

really?
lordy
wthast quite a tenuous link

Original poster
zephyrcat · 28/03/2007 17:27

Yes that's the one. It says this about it:

More than 500 people complained about the television commercials for Trident gum which featured a black man speaking with a strong Caribbean accent shouting the slogan "mastication for the nation".

The Advertising Standards Authority agreed that the commercials breached advertising rules and caused "deep offence" to a significant minority of viewers.

Viewers complained the adverts showed offensive stereotypes and ridiculed black or Caribbean people.

Responding to the commercials, one viewer commented: "This near 'Driving Miss Daisy' degradation of singing songs for the whites sickens me."

The ASA said some viewers saw the white characters' imitation of the Caribbean accent as "insulting, derogatory and demeaning to people of black or Caribbean heritage."

I'm not saying I agree or disagree - just that it never struck me as coming across that way. In fact I said to dp when we fiorst saw it that my xp and his mum would love it!

OP posts:
OrvilleRedenbacher · 28/03/2007 17:27

but west indina peopel do somteims speak wiht accents

HoppyDaddy · 28/03/2007 17:27

I found the whole thing distasteful.

HoppyDaddy · 28/03/2007 17:28

Wasn't just black people though. There is at least one other advert with a WI type white lady "shocking" her fellow WIers with her new found accent that she got from eating Trident.

You may not agree, I found it offensive.

OrvilleRedenbacher · 28/03/2007 17:29

if it was a welsh accent woudl it be bad?
nto trying to wind up
jsut am trying to understand

MarsLady · 28/03/2007 17:29

You may have not seen it as offensive with it's "Jim Davidson-esq Chalkie accents" but I certainly did. I was one of the complainers and I'm glad it was taken off.

MarsLady · 28/03/2007 17:33

codliver.... it was the parodying of the accent that got to me... and my sisters. One of my sisters phoned me and insisted I turn over and watch it she was so appalled. The third ad contained a man in his business suit addressing a meeting.

Also... Operation Trident is high in my mind because of the murders of young black boys by other black boys.

The ASA upheld the stereotypical portrayal but didn't uphold the Op Trident link.

rowan1971 · 28/03/2007 17:33

But nobody would have complained had it been a regional British accent, presumably (or at least, nothing like as many complaints). Should we treat black British/Caribbean people with more sensitivity because of the day-to-day prejudice they have to deal with? Is this it?

rowan1971 · 28/03/2007 17:34

Can see how the Operation Trident link would have been offensive.

Aero · 28/03/2007 17:34

I have to say I'm not surprised it's been taken off. Thought that as soon as I saw it. Have to say I agree with HD and Marsy and can see why it can be seen as offensive.

Greenleeves · 28/03/2007 17:34

Oh, good. I was hoping it would be banned. It's appalling.

PeachyClair · 28/03/2007 17:37

I didnt think it would go down well, somehow.Though the amount of people (including the school in the Christmas play, ds2's lines- oooar ooar ooar) who think its OK to laugh at MY somerset accent is incredible and deeply, deeply annoying.

ESp. the chap who said to me' If I want to rsta t work, I mimic your accent and then they think I'm a stupid yokel'

Original poster
zephyrcat · 28/03/2007 17:37

Ah right. I can see and understand your points... I've only seen the first ad (didn't realise there were others) and didn't really think about the portrayal of the accent, nor make the Trident connection. Obviously my pg brain has gone to complete mush or I just wasn't paying attention!

OP posts:
Carmenere · 28/03/2007 17:37

It is deeply offensive and idotically badly timed given Operation Trident and whilst I am glad it has been taken off, I am sorry it got through what must be lots and lots of different stages of pre and post production without anyone thinking it may be just a little bit tasteless.

MarsLady · 28/03/2007 17:39

I don't think it's about treating black people more sensitively because of prejudice. It's reponding to complaints by black people who found it offensive. I agree that the way people parody accents can be offensive and if it happens and it offends you... say so! I did, as did many others and the ad was pulled.

Here's the letter that I got from them (after the first to say my complaint was being investigated)

Thank you for your recent complaint.

The ASA Council has concluded that the ads did breach the Code and had caused serious offence by containing what some people saw as a stereotype that ridiculed black or Caribbean people, their culture and accent.

The ASA Council has also adjudicated that the TV ads did not breach the Code in regards to the issue of the chewing gum sharing the same name as the Metropolitan Police's "black-on-black" gun crime initiative "Trident". Council concluded that the use of the name Trident was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence.

The report will be published on the ASA website, www.asa.org.uk, on Wednesday 28th March and we ask you to treat it as confidential until then. We thank you for respecting this request.

MarsLady · 28/03/2007 17:41

clearly I meant responding

OrvilleRedenbacher · 28/03/2007 17:41

ah i onl saw it feletingly once
odnt watch adverty telly much

Greenleeves · 28/03/2007 17:45

Also it wasn't just using an accent, it was the whole awful stereotype to massively caricatured proportions - exaggerated body language, manic eye-rolling - it's taken decades to get that sort of racist crap stamped out in the media and I would have thought anyone working in advertising would have known it was off limits. I was speechless the first time I saw it and wondered how on earth anyone thought that sort of racial stereotyping was OK in the first place. It referenced the whole sorry culture of racism in a couple of minutes IMO - couldn't have been ruder if it had tried! It really shocked me. And dh. We just sat with our mouths open.

And I hope they didn't sell any of their horrible chewing gum before it was taken off

PeachyClair · 28/03/2007 17:48

Thing is Marsy, if I say so, then I'm a whinger / no SOH / etc etc etc

I genuinely feel the Somerseta ccent (and a few others) are the ones that it is socially acceptable to mimic now. I even remember (although I admit its a few years back) going to a kids camp and every time my sisters or I got up, the staff would sing @i am a cider drinkr' in unison (about 1985?).

Now, can you imagine if someone started singing Mammy or something equally offensive?

I'm glad Black people are finally geting their say- and good on them for enforcing it- just wonder when its my turn.

MarsLady · 28/03/2007 17:51

Peachy I get asked if I want ketchup with it (the "chip" on my shoulder). Pathetic huh?

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