I think so. My evidence: http://www.buzzfeed.com/samir/did-nbc-just-air-an-extremely-racist-commercial
Does anyone really think NBC meant to insult Gabby Douglas?
If it was done deliberately and consciously set against her victory, it was absolutely racist. Show some evidence whether or not this is the case, and I’ll give an opinion.
My evidence that this country is filled with racists: Racist, Homophobic Responses To A Black Hockey Player's Goal
Now, I don’t really believe that but you can find retarded Twitter comments to support just about any position.
NBC probably wasn’t being racist but it was extremely clueless of them.
Probably this is correct in the most literal sense. I doubt they have anyone tasked with keeping an eye on what just happened in their programming stream and comparing it to upcoming commercial messages to decide whether some embarrassing juxtaposition might occur.
To a degree; remember David Howard losing his job for using the term “niggardly”? Perhaps a better way of putting it would be "mis-sensitive’, if that’s a word. We are often sensitive about the wrong things. There’s plenty of real racism, much of it subtle and underhanded so I can’t say we are just plain “too sensitive”; but we are sometimes “racially sensitive” over things that have nothing to do with race.
I don’t think it was racism on the part of NBC; that would basically require them to have had psychic powers to know well ahead of time that Gabby Douglas would win so they could make a commercial and schedule it just to insult her.
I haven’t been watching the Games at all, and didn’t see this event or the ads.
But I’ve been seeing tons of complaints about the delayed coverage because of the time differential between London and here, and I assume this event was delayed as well. So it is possible that someone though up some kind of racist “prank” during the several hour delay. But I rather doubt it.
It takes time to make an ad. If the ad ran right after Douglas won the gold, then it has to have been made some time before anyone knew she’d win. Is she the first black woman to compete in Olympic gymnastics? The first to be considered to have a serious chance?
Also, how does this fit into the context of the rest of NBC’s ads? Do they show other animals competing in other sports? Because if you want to show an animal doing gymnastics, then a monkey really is the natural choice.
How about NBC’s apology
This for the win. Very well-put.
The ad has been played over and over throughout the Olympics, and is an ad for some new “zany” veterinarian show they’re promoting. I’ve seen at least one other commercial with the same premise and a different animal.
This outrage is stupid. For once I agree with Der Tris (!!!)
I doubt it was done on purpose; but as mentioned upthread, the fact that NBC’s insanely delayed coverage gives them all sorts of time to edit anything they air, there’s at least one assshole/moron/racist in their staff. Heck, perhaps all three of them at once.
Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
The country is losing its mind. I was watching the Olympics and I was thrilled that Douglas one. She was my favorite. I also saw the ad and remember thinking, “that not very funny and it looks like that show is going to suck”. I never associated the two until I heard about this newest flap. COMPLETELY asinine. When it came to NBC’s attention they should have just rolled their eyes. And if anyone specific tried to hold their feet to the fire they should have told them to see a psychiatrist. They never should “apologize”, because they did nothing wrong. An apology, in essence says, "Oh, now that you bring that to your attention we can see how that was insensitive, because little Gaby Douglas does look like a monkey.
Sheezus. People are losing their minds.