Bad Advertising in Stereotype-ville

Quote: "When you walk down Sydney streets you see so many different cultures and so many different people. Our TV's haven't reflected that yet."
                              -Firass Dirani, Australian actor 

The Old Days: Use of  Stereotype-ville	2010:Still lazy  lovers of stereotyping	2011:Banned for Racial Connotation

Subliminal Matters: Australian image on screen, multicultural society on the streets but not on television, ethnic tokenism on tv, more integration required to reflect mix.


Location: Australian tv advertisements.


Ad Review: All three ads reflect a very unique part of Australian culture. Australians seem to address racism through stereotypes and comedy. After all, in truth, stereotypes can be funny. However, I have had a difficult time laughing about it in Australia given all the inconsistencies around me. I suppose I don't find it funny when I feel that stereotypes are taken as truth.  


At the same time, I don't think these ads were done maliciously. I think for example, that the KFC ad with the jovial West Indians could have been great. But the sad truth is, it focuses entirely on the wrong thing. As a Trinidadian, I can safely say there's no reason for a white visitor to be sweating bullets in a crowd of West Indians...Unless of course, he or she has a fear of black non-white people!? The commercial doesn't even remember the fact that the Caribbean is an extremely multicultural place...aye! Fact: Australia was playing cricket in the West Indies before I was born, Aussie cricketers know what the people there look like and are like.


 I think maybe the Aussies in the ad industry literally are lazy when it comes to multicultural ads. They constantly overdraw on the stereotype card to make these commercials. Perhaps a more progressive step would involve figuring out how to make ads that have a genuine connection to the group of Aussies that were not born Australians. I have to agree with Mumbrella, throwing a chopstick in an advert doesn't make the commercial multicultural. C'mon Australia, get it together already, I know you can do better! It's okay to come out of the closet and embrace your love for adopted Australians...on tv!