Tombola.co.uk advert banned

The racist raises it's ugly head again, or does it? The latest racists row has finally hit the iGaming world with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) blocking an advert for the online Bingo giant tombola.co.uk. The Standards authority have stated that the ad projects a ‘negative racial stereotype’.

Not sure what that is? Well it is when a person or persons are portrayed as a symbol or standard of their race, colour or religion. Example would be showing a Scotsman in a kilt or a Bavarian in Lederhose. This sets an image or culture that we associate with that area or persons. In the case of tombola.co.uk, that has been done by portraying a black man wearing a hoola shirt playing the ukulele.

Two complainants challenged the ad, branding it racist liable to cause possible widespread offence due to it projecting a ‘negative racial stereotype’. Tombola stated that it did not occur to them that the advert might be interpreted as presenting as being racist, but understood that it could, so do not intend to use the commercial again in future.

Here is a description of the ad:
The commercial is showing a white man wearing a tux sitting next to a fire on a beach alongside a black man in a hoola shirt. The actual advert is based on the black man playing a ukulele and repeating in song everything that is said by the tux wearing white man.

Racist?, this is what they said it stood for;

A statement from the ASA reads; “We considered, however, the relationship between the two characters was defined as the power of the white man over the black man in which the white man was wearing a suit whereas the black man was casually dressed and was portrayed as less intelligent in that he repeated everything the white man said...”

“We noted that he seemed to look to the white man for reassurance or instruction suggesting that he lacked the confidence or intellect to behave otherwise. We considered that the ad could be interpreted as humiliating, stigmatising or undermining the standing of the black character and was, therefore, likely to cause serious offence.”

Has the ASA gone too far?? The fact that the scene was set on a beach and not central UK, means that the intention was to look tropical. If it had been DJ Talent repeating what someone had said, would that have been him rapping badly? Or him stereotyping all whites as rappers? (all be it bad ones).

Racism is something that should be stamped out at every level in our society without exception, but I think that the do-gooders in the ASA really are pushing it too far. We no longer have the freedom to show posters of white business men, Asian bus drivers or suggest that Afghan males have beards , even if that is what they do or how they are.

Portraying a false image just so a political spin can be added isn't a better way of dealing with any form of racism, but logic and common sense are. So my final message to the ASA is this "Get a grip on reality and wise up fast".

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