Black Web 2.0 - Latest Comments in Subway: The $5 Racists?

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

Amina — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 11:52:46 -0000

We can't really say it's racist. It's just the stereotype of what we look like to other people. It's up to us to change that stereotype.

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

free slots — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 04:16:03 -0000

It's just a stereotype. You hear people of all colors use that gangsta slang, and it sounds ridiculous no matter who says it.

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

Jabba — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:39:43 -0000

Racist? Don't be ridiculous, and please remember that there are many other people in this world who speak like that, regardless of race. It's a stereotypical thing, and part of our modern world.

As many people have already pointed out, if it had been a characitured chinaman offering you a Sub with an amusing accent, do you think China would be up in arms about it all? No.

Get over yourself. This is inclusion. We all get little jokes thrown at us by popular media, and you have to be prepared to accept it in good spirits. Subway are clearly not embarking on a campaign of racial hate.. it's a JOKE.

This is exactly the reason that racism and discrimination still happen across the world. Non-black people are afraid to come into contact with a black person (or even mention the colour black around them) for fear of being branded a racist.

I'm going to have to stop reading this blog before I give myself a hernia.

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

Stella — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:46:01 -0000

Subway must have removed the Abe Lincoln e-mail ad. I could not find it after following your link and going through their site.

If they have removed it, it would indicate that they knew it could touch a nerve but just wanted to see how far they could push the envelope.

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

Raulito — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:02:59 -0000

You folks need to stop being so sensitive. It was funny because it is making fun of how ridiculous and artificial the hip hop culture is and how commercialized it has become. You really have to try and speak like that, like a total moron that learned English on the corner next to a 7-eleven.

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

D. — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:58:57 -0000

The one with the asian laundrymat worker was racist as well.

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

Crazy Old Cracker — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:45:34 -0000

I had never seen this ad before. It has nothing to do with race, and is all about hip-hop subculture. There are tons of white kids who dress and talk like this; there have been for years, even in places where there are hardly any black kids, like Idaho. Thanks to the internet and cable, hip-hop culture is ubiquitous. Don't believe me? Visit Spokane, Boise, or Salt Lake, and see for yourself! Hip-hop isn't "black" anymore, it's mainstream and is replacing country/redneck as the subculture of choice for a new generation of white trash. Check out www.grimyglendale.com all about the 623, or www.flatbillers.com all about the 909. Those are the folks Subway is targeting with these ads. Yee-haw! Holla Back!

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

christy — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:32:02 -0000

Thank you Lynne D. Johnson!
You hit the nail on the head...."we" can talk like that to one another but as soon as someone wants to market the "lingo" and sell subs then its racist? I don't think so.

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

Tony Barnes — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 03:49:38 -0000

I agree with Lynne Johnson's apt comment that the widespread teenage (black and white alike) addiction to rap and associated behavior (falling down pants etc) has created a stereotype in the minds of many white people that causes them to avoid contact with African-Americans, and thus lose opportunities to reach across the racial divide. As to solutions, I have no idea. I am confident, however, that our new President will be the standing tall icon that so many of us who voted for him expect him to be, and our chidren may even take notice.

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

Gregg — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:05:00 -0000

It's not racist. It's just what they think is hip hop. Take a chill pill!

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

Miles_Ellison — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:42:19 -0000

There are a lot of black people watching the minstelsy on VH-1 and BET, and there are black people producing it as well. Before black people get up in arms about this kind of thing, they need to reassess what they consider entertainment. If you support offensive cooning in the multiplex and on TV, you have no right to complain.

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

B247 — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:24:46 -0000

After reading many of the preceding comments my belief is reinforced that people who claim that a race card is being played are themselves, more often than not, harboring racial animosity. That said, I my view the subway campaign in question is of the same kind of racial slur that many ethnic jokes are. It like them plays upon disparaging stereotypes of various racial or ethnic groups for the sake of ridicule. Another example of this kind of humor is the PSP "Hells Yeah" commercial http://www.brandinfection.c...
in which mannerisms identified predominantly with one particular group can serve as an alias for that group as with an epithet.

While I'd like to respond to all of the comments there are two that seem most representative of all the others.

"I just don’t get why we always have to resort back to racism, can’t we just get over it already?"

I wish we could get over racism and ignorance and poverty and disease...etc. But while these problems still exist we should continue to oppose them. There are many peer reviewed studies which provide objective evidence that disparities in: longevity; infant mortality; income; morbidity; unemployment; percentage of families which are single parent and many other measures of health and social mobility, are in large part due to various forms of racial discrimination (though you may not define all forms of racial discrimination as "racism.")

"I wonder if the OP considered that it might be the street culture that is derogatory."

The phrase "street culture" is implicitly an oxymoron since the "street" is an environment largely devoid of respected (stereotypically middle class culture and values associated with stable families of productive and socially responsible and literate college bound children.) "culture." we are rarely talking about suburban streets. For me, the combination of "street culture" with ebonics eg. "da" instead of "the", is a tip that this campaign has a racial slant.

I think we should all be more careful about presuming to tell another person or group what they can or should be offended by.

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

Robin — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:58:41 -0000

I did not find the Abe Lincoln ad at either of the links provided.

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

New Age — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 23:22:59 -0000

Sorry, forgot to say, Holla Back

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

New Age — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 23:21:22 -0000

Racist? Seriously? I for one am sick of people pulling the race card so quickly when it comes to campaigns like this one. People who cry ohhh its so offensive to black people. Well I hate to break it to whomever is crying out but the urban community has grown beyond just African Americans. While the influence for the Urban society has spawned from the African community it has not rested there. It seems to me that people who pull the race card so quickly, especially about something that is just to try and create some buzz for a company, can result in such outcry is simply absurd.

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

Diane — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:26:22 -0000

First of all, I would like to comment on Jackass' comment. If a black man came up with that idea, he is feeding into the idea that white people have about black people. There are some black folk that don't get it either, because they have been so indoctrinated into seeing black people as white people do.

We all know that although different races of youths have adapted the hip hop culture, this ad was more than likely aimed @ the black race.
This is a stereotypical depiction of black people (black youths in particular) and it probably came from the image of the black youth that hip hop & rap has portrayed.

So actually, we shouldn't be surprised that businesses appeal to the new generation in this form, this is what the media shows them. Therefore, I don't think they meant to offend anyone, they actually though this was a good idea or they would have not done it. But maybe with the kind of reaction & responses they are getting, they will reconsider their ad & try to come up with an ad that would really accomplish their objective--to sell "more" subway sandwiches.

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

PERCH — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 10:34:55 -0000

Here's my thing. Each and every time a large corporation creates an edgy, new-age ad for campaign, someone is upset. Most of the time, it results in someone crying racism. I just don't get why we always have to resort back to racism, can't we just get over it already? I highly doubt the executives that approved this ad were thinking for one second that it would come off as racist, they are smart enough to believe that the intelligent human being is beyond that. There will always be those that have nothing better to do than find out what they believe to be racist about this country and complain about it. Unfortunately, that is mostly what keeps "racism" around, easily offended minorities talking about it. We are on the verge of electing a black president, not because he is black and deserves a chance, but because he is the best candidate and seems to be on the side of the middle class AMERICAN. I am just so tired of hearing how "this is racist" and "that is offensive to minorities", let's just stop talking about it as if it doesn't exist. It would have a better chance of going away than if we cry racism every time an advertisement, a speech, a music video or song, comes out that is geared toward the rap generation.
I attended high school with 1900 students, and was a HUGE melting pot of all different people from every kind of race, wealth, sex, religion and don't ever remember having any issues with racism accusations. Why is that? WE DIDN'T CARE. WE ALL GOT ALONG AND JUST WANTED TO GRADUATE. That was our parents and grandparents generation. I never cared what color someone was, I judged them on what they stood for. and where I'm from, it's not an issue. It's discussions like this that keep racism alive and well, feeding the public any excuse it can to accuse someone of foul play. Thanks for reading;)

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

LEROY — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:39:49 -0000

YO Dog!! Dis DA BOMB FO' Shizza Mu Nizza!

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

LEROY — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:38:59 -0000

WTF?

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

JACKASS — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:52:08 -0000

why is this racist? it is not. once u find out this was a black mans doing in the advertising dep. it'll be ok.

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

Kenny B — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:03:51 -0000

too funny.

if you don't like the language maybe someone should talk to the kids who speak it all day long all across the country. But no, accuse Subway of being racist. It's not just black kids who speak this way. This type of language and images have permeated throughout the current youth culture. Apparently Subway thought the market segment was important enough to specifically target.

Jade said: For me, at the very least, I am happy that this has provoked some discussion. My real hope though is that, moving forward, Subway and companies like them, just do better ads.

Yes Jade, maybe subway will do some better ads and maybe your feathers won't get rufftled again, but we'll still have millions of kids talking that way. I saw the ad on AOL first and the OP said "...basing its latest sandwich promotion on derogatory stereotypes of urban street culture". I wonder if the OP considered that it might be the street culture that is derogatory.

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

Shannon — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:57:27 -0000

his is Ludicris!(Wait is that racist?) Ya can't win for losing...

I mean if you do something like this, then black folks think your picking on them...when you might just be embracing their culture.

If you don't do something like this, then the black folks are screaming about how it's a white man's world and it's just not right!

You just can't have it both ways...and personally as a young "white" women from generation X....Many people talk this way and dress this way now. Both White and Black, as well as other races. It's the ways of America's Youth!

I personally like the add, and think it's a cool way to reach out to all of our youth (from all racial backgrounds). Get over the whole COLOR THING!

So hush up old folks, cause it's a "youth" thang...you wouldn't understand.

Peace,

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

Jimmy B — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:58:20 -0000

Jees. Complain Complain Complain... If the adds are too white, blacks complain they are left out, but if they do an add targeted toward blacks its racist. Its an advertisement. Probably not the best, but it's not intended to offend it just shows poor judgement on some level. If anyone should be upset its Subway. Im sure they paid good money for that ad and its just not really good. Certain things in life are not even worth fighting over. If something intentionally offends anyone; then everyone can stand up and fight and rest assured they will have a crew of supporters behind them. Lets all stop sweating the petty little things in life and concentrate on our bigger problems.

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

F-Kez — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:22:43 -0000

You fools be trippin'. I suppoze that Kfez is a racist too. Sike.
You got gets all stupid when shit happens. The world dont revolve around you peeps. Now I'm gonna go buy me a $5 footlong sub. You all know subway dont take welfare check anyway.

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

Jade — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 10:03:34 -0000

@ everyone

Thanks for all your comments. I still think this campaign is a bad idea in terms of concept. The execution side is ok. However, cultural appropriation is something that I am always a bit uneasy about, be it negative or positive. I know that the target audience of this campaign was not black people... as Lynne said above, it is a product of some ish I don't want to get in to.

Also, regardless to how much hip hops has permeated pop culture, the fact that for a majority of black people the initial reaction to this advertisement was discomfort to me says there is something wrong. Per Wikipedia, this is modern day blackface:

"Blackface in the broader sense includes similarly stereotyped performances even when they do not involve blackface makeup."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...

For me, at the very least, I am happy that this has provoked some discussion. My real hope though is that, moving forward, Subway and companies like them, just do better ads.

@Angela, it was originally sent in an email blast is my understanding.