# No, you ignoramuses, this \*isn't\* racist (or, "Here we go again..") **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 6, 2010, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886 "2010-01-06T11:09:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/21 "2010-01-06T13:39:48Z")
Say the ad was filmed at a baseball game and everyone **except** the guy with the KFC was dancing around doing the Tomahawk Chop. Do you think regardless of what they were wearing you could work out their allegiance? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/22 "2010-01-06T13:41:53Z")
The Tomahawk Chop is pretty team specific; what are the people around him doing that is team specific? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/23 "2010-01-06T13:47:59Z")
I still think it’s racist, if not intentionally. Why did all the other audience members have to be black, if it’s about cricket? To me, it just looks like the people who made this ad wanted to be provocative or whatever but also wanted to be able to get away with this, so they’re acting as though Americans are the only ones with cultural baggage related to racism. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/24 "2010-01-06T13:50:04Z")
Steel drums, dancing, no-one else in green and gold. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/25 "2010-01-06T13:50:12Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > The Tomahawk Chop is pretty team specific; what are the people around him doing that is team specific? They are acting like W.Indies supports at a international cricket match. Dancing, singing, drums etc. If it was the Brits (The barmy army) they’d be much more in synch and chanting taunts and the Aussies with a band in the banckground playing the music from The Great Escape of The Dam Busters.. If it was the Irish they’d be chanting as well but singing The Fields of Athenry ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2ZpJiNJB-k](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2ZpJiNJB-k)) ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/26 "2010-01-06T13:52:58Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Why did all the other audience members have to be black, if it’s about cricket? Because when the ad was airing the West Indian cricket team was touring Australia. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/27 "2010-01-06T13:56:00Z")
By the way as soon as the Windies tour finished the ad stopped playing because it would make no sense while we were playing Pakistan. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/28 "2010-01-06T14:01:26Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Why did all the other audience members have to be black, if it’s about cricket? …what colour would you expect them to be? ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/29 "2010-01-06T14:04:54Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > I still think it’s racist, if not intentionally. Why did all the other audience members have to be black, if it’s about cricket? To me, it just looks like the people who made this ad wanted to be provocative or whatever but also wanted to be able to get away with this, so they’re acting as though Americans are the only ones with cultural baggage related to racism. How were they being provocative? The only reason you’ve seen this advert is because of some student fucks on a shitty Youtube broadcast: it was an Australian advert for Australian audiences. And why the hell wouldn’t they be black? The West Indies is one of the best known cricket teams around, with some of the best players of all time hailing from there, never mind the recent West Indian tour of Australia. Are depictions of West Indian cricket supporters now banned? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/30 "2010-01-06T14:04:58Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > …what colour would you expect them to be? A variety of different colors. Perhaps some black, some white. It may not be intentional, but it does look like, “Let’s calm down the crazy out of control blacks with chicken.” ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/31 "2010-01-06T14:11:46Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Steel drums, dancing, no-one else in green and gold. Others around the white guy are wearing green or green and gold. ---
**Author:** ![KellyCriterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b3f665/32.png) [@KellyCriterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyCriterion)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/32 "2010-01-06T14:16:29Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > A variety of different colors. Perhaps some black, some white. It may not be intentional, but it does look like, “Let’s calm down the crazy out of control blacks with chicken.” An attempt to portray West Indian cricket supporters, using people of a variety of different colours, some white, some black? You think that would accurately represent a typical selection of [West Indian cricket supporters](http://www.barbados.org/activities/cricket_crowd.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/33 "2010-01-06T14:18:40Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > A variety of different colors. Perhaps some black, some white. It may not be intentional, but it does look like, “Let’s calm down the crazy out of control blacks with chicken.” “Fried chicken”, “watermelons”, etc. etc. has no racist overtone in the Commonwealth. Like I said, you needn’t view every international advert through your nation’s own idiosyncratic stereotypes and racist slurs. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/34 "2010-01-06T14:22:25Z")
But I think the problem arises when you realize that we aren’t just producing commercials for one country. The world is so much more globalized–you do anything remotely funny or racist or whatever and it could end up on [youtube.com](http://youtube.com). And it may not be your intent to be racist, but I’m sure KFC would rather not have had an ad like this out because no one wants to look racist. Even if it wasn’t the intent to be racist, you know that people are going to look at the ad and go, “Creepy, racist, etc.” Before the Internet, I think you could have gotten away with this ad–not so much now. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/35 "2010-01-06T14:24:25Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Steel drums, dancing, no-one else in green and gold. And no one on the video has a steel drum. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/36 "2010-01-06T14:24:32Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Others around the white guy are wearing green or green and gold. I wonder if that could have anything to do with the West Indian colors or green and red. Or perhaps the logo over the white t-shirt? ---
**Author:** ![Laudenum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Laudenum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laudenum)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/37 "2010-01-06T14:25:23Z")
The ad is one of a series of ads that feature the same man using delicious KFC chicken to his advantage. AFAIR the other ads feature white people eating the food. > [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > A variety of different colors. Perhaps some black, some white. It may not be intentional, but it does look like, “Let’s calm down the crazy out of control blacks with chicken.” They are West Indies supporters, at a time when the West Indies were touring Australia. Making some of them white would have been patronising, and just made everyone :rolleyes:. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/38 "2010-01-06T14:25:36Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > And no one on the video has a steel drum. Except the guy playing one and the soundtrack that features them. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/39 "2010-01-06T14:26:23Z")
The guy in front has a red jersey, but a green and gold hat. Who is he rooting for? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/40 "2010-01-06T14:27:59Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Except the guy playing one and the soundtrack that features them. He is not playing a steel drum. Looks like a cowbell to me. And the steel drum was obviously added to the soundtrack, so it doesn’t help to determine the team affiliations of those on camera. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886.md?page=3)