As a white person do I get to decide what’s racist?
Yeah. I read and re-read that article, but nothing said that this was an ad from 1998 or whenever she was actually famous for her diva-like behaviour. I wouldn’t even have guessed it was referring to Naomi Campbell.
How has the Campbell’s Soup company gotten away with murder for so long?
Top Google results for “naomi diva” are for some WWE bint.
She’s also black, though, so I guess that doesn’t help them out, much.
It’s not racist, but it is stupid.
Naomi hasn’t been the top “diva” of anything for quite a while, so it’s like the ad execs were obviously scrambling for someone “chocolate” to compare their product to, regardless of how relevant that person is to contemporary pop culture.
Also, there are some black women who vocally trumpet their “hot chocolateness.” Not Naomi. Everyone knows you don’t play with crazy-ass Naomi.
Wouldn’t it have been wiser, I dunno, to actually ASK for Naomi’s permission before running with the ad? Unless this is the kind of attention they wanted. And I wouldn’t be least surprised if that’s in fact what they wanted.
So, no. It’s not racist. But the ad is not blameless and I don’t think Naomi, who I personally know nothing about except that she has a hot-temper, is all THAT crazy to get angry to be compared to a piece of candy. Throwing racism in there muddies the waters, but I think her anger is justifiable.
I read it as describing the chocolate as a diva was more prominent than describing Naomi as chocolate. It would have made just as much sense if the product was a high-end fruit salad or the diva was… OK, I can’t think of any white divas off the top of my head. Jacques Cousteau?
By never manufacturing mutton-flavour soup I’d guess.
As a vaguely white-guilt-ridden type, I do feel uncomfortable with the association sometimes made between chocolate and black people in adverts. Also perhaps things like the Sunmaid Raisins ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM2OK_JaJ9I ).
Is this Cadbury’s ad racist?
Can I cast another vote for not racist, but stupid? I don’t think you should refer to living people in ads without their permission, because it might be taken as endorsement of the product.
Not racist by any stretch of the imagination. Naomi Campbell is insane.
As for why they chose her as the “Diva” to refer to in the ad, is she perhaps more famous in the UK (where the ad ran) than in the US these days? I know she still pops up on E! from time to time (when my wife is watching ;)), so she’s not a complete relic yet.
Or maybe the candy bar is shaped like a cell phone.
Sorry to double post but I’ve just remembered something. Many years ago (before her famous “incident”) Campbell actually did a print ad for a cellphone (IIRC). The text of the ad compared the phone to Campbell - it was black, slim and stylish. There was even a joke about it having a tiny brain.
Sadly I can’t find it on the interwebs but I remember the jokes (if not specifically the product details). If that wasn’t racist I’m not sure why this would be.
Of course it is racist! Naomi Campbell says it’s racist! Case closed!
Naomi Campbell needs to STFU. She is a bitch and she is lucky that Cadbury even considered mentioning her name in the same breath as their fine confectioneries.
They make CHOCOLATE. Chocolate is BROWN.
Isn’t her 15 minutes up already? FFS.
Because they don’t make a split pea-brain soup.
Nope - she’s really not very famous over here any more.
Cadbury really isn’t even that good, so that’s the real insult. However, I’d be flattered to be compared to any chocolate at all.
“Te creiste mejor que los chocolates!”
Move over Picard, there’s a new chocolate bald guy in charge now.
Wednesdays at 8:00pm on Channel 34.
If it were for WHITE chocolate and used Paris Hilton, would it still be racist?
Naomi is a hasbeen and a twat. That being said I’m surprised someone here hasn’t popped in with the assertion that “it is ‘racist’ because the main theme concerns race” :rolleyes:.
I’m trying to think who today’s black diva is and I can’t really think of anyone. Maybe they should have referenced Aretha Franklin. Don’t know how she would feel about the chocolate part but she seems to have a good sense of humor aout herself as illustrated by the Snickers ad she did. Actually, that would tie it in all the better.