http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyid=2006-07-11T210212Z_01_N7B181998_RTRUKOC_0_US-MEDIA-VIDEOGAMES-AD.xml&src=rss

The USA is clearly out of touch with reality. Now THAT’s a problem worth putting your energy in!

Hans, Netherlands.

Crap ad really. A picture of the real thing would have been far better.

I own a Ceramic White PSP.

The argument is about the question if Sony has put out a racist ad or not.

Let’s try to see this then from a legal point of view: is the ad racist in nature from a legal viewpoint? In other words: if someone would take Sony to court in Holland, would a judge cancel the add campaign?

Well let’s argue that a bit:

The European Union has a law against disrimination: Article 21 of the charter prohibits “discrimination on any ground such as sex, race, color, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation and also discrimination on the grounds of nationality.”

Now, ‘Racism’ refers to various belief systems maintaining that humans can be separated into various groups based on physical attributes and that these groupings determine or influence cultural or individual achievement or the essential value of human beings.

Just by that definition this ad can not be ‘racist’ as it is an object. So one will have to look at the people behind it (Sony) and prove they are racist.

Now, if you see racism more narrowly as “a system of oppression, based on ideas that one race is superior to other races”, you still have to ask yourself: is that what Sony is trying to do here? Can you prove this?

I still do not buy that. I think no one can prove that Sony is an oganization that practices racism and is discriminating against and marginalizing a class of people who share a common racial designation.

I mean: besides this ad: do you have any other examples from Sony?

In other words: once again I remain at my point of view that people try to create a hype out of this (just like with those cartoons).

Oh, and about the riots in Paris: after the initial riot that came from police oppression the others had nothing to do with what was going on: it attracted just a bunch of hooligans out for a fight.

@caethes:

I agree: equality between men and women as far as being paid equaly etc. is still not how it should be, and that’s a real issue! Not this ad.

So let’s save the “racism” remarks for the cases where it really applies, like racism in South Africa where members of the black African majority are discriminating against the white European minority (and not so long ago it was the other way around and there is even racism between Africans themselves).

“No matter where Blacks go they are often seen as LESS than the others.”

Hang out with a white guy in the middle of Kenya or Zimbabwe etc and see who gets stared at the most dude.

Black people aren’t a minority everywhere.

And if I were to go to work in Japan I would be thought of by some as ignorant and less than human because I was white so stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

But I’m not worried about it. It makes me determined to prove to those around me that being female doesnt make me incompetent.

And don’t for a second think that being black makes you unique or special in terms of discrimination.