Who thought this was a good idea?

[Hazir]

Hazir, you ratfucker, the problem with the video isn't the appearance of non-European ethnicities, but what they're doing. The way the woman reacts is really non-relevant. She knows her magic powers will protect her. The the video depicts a Chinaman, an Indian and a huge black dude jumping out to attack this one white woman. That is a very, very provocative, dangerous bit of imaginary and it shouldn't be played around with lightly. We all know what the intended meaning was (and Randblade has covered some of the problems with what it was actually trying to say), but it doesn't change how problematic the basic image is. It's like, you can do a picture of a black guy with a bone through his nose eating a watermelon and say the water melon actually represents institutional racism and the bone is the history of slavery or something, but it's still a picture of a black guy with a bone through his nose, eating a watermelon.

Also, only three of the four BRICs countries are represented here. One is missing. Why do we think that is?

We think that would be because Russians have never brought forward anything distinctive enough to be recognized at one glance. It took you quite a while to figure that one out, or did you just happen to read about it in some third rate article?

Now, since you forced me to watch the ad again; how do you come to the conclusion that these men attack the woman at all? All they do is make some hostile gestures indicative of some more violent ways of conflict solving but they never even come within striking distance of her.

The very obvious reason why those men were aggressive was to make the point that Europe is not aggressive in its dealings with other nations. It's a weebit arrogant maybe, but it's the consistent message the EU gives off about being a soft-power superpower.

[RandBlade]

Now, since you forced me to watch the ad again; how do you come to the conclusion that these men attack the woman at all? All they do is make some hostile gestures indicative of some more violent ways of conflict solving but they never even come within striking distance of her.

Ah right, its perfectly normal to do no aggressive and hostile gestures indicative of violence against unknown women in the subway. I'll keep that in mind.

consistent message the EU gives off about being a soft-power superpower

[Hazir]

Gosh, you white racism obsessives don't give up easily do you? Is not belonging to a minority such a pain for you that you have to carry the burden of every group you think is oppressed?

[Wraith]

Ooh, are we playing that game again where we see who can get Hazir to say the wackiest thing?

[CitizenCain]

Not exactly a challenging game, but a fun one, nonetheless.

[Aimless]

I like this ad even if it is a little cheesy. I was totally expecting a lame-ass swordfight, but got something surprising and fairly clear, (albeit weird). Good use of stereotypes and metaphor. I don't associate the Bride with being a helpless potential rape-victim when she's in yellow and sword-equipped, but I can see how some people might be upset about the woman-abuse link.

[Wraith]

I didn't see her as defenseless, but the whites under assault by the other races thing did stick out to me.

[Aimless]

Yeah, but it's really hard to find a decent Portuguese woman with vitiligo these days

(that was the one thing that made me go, "Hang on a sex..." but I somehow forgot it by the time the ad was done. Maybe some of her clones should have been different people. It's a little disconcerting this idealisation of homogeneity)

[RandBlade]

Yeah, but it's really hard to find a decent Portuguese woman with vitiligo these days

(that was the one thing that made me go, "Hang on a sex..." but I somehow forgot it by the time the ad was done. Maybe some of her clones should have been different people. It's a little disconcerting this idealisation of homogeneity)

You know what, if she'd been multiplied into a variety of women of different ethnicities then perhaps it wouldn't have looked so introverted?

[Steely Glint]

Yeah, and instead of doing kung-fu, the Chinese guy could have worked a 12 hour shift in some kind of really regimented, dehumanizing factory for a couple of quid an hour so the woman could have an iPad.