Poll: Mountain Dew goat

[MarsProbe]

I didn't notice whether the ad was racist or not, I did notice that it was terrible and chronically unfunny however. I wonder why they went for a goat, if it wasn't for any other reason than "aren't goats kind of popular on the internet right now? Let's use a goat in our ad".

 

[Ebonrul]

I actually don't think it's racism as much as it is the very worst of the corporate marketing mindset. In fact, that same argument works for both Dave Chappele and Tyler Perry.

Without Tyler Perry, New Line wouldn't exist...period. His new millenium minstrel show stays on the air. He couldn't stop making them if he wanted to.

Dave Chappele was all but trying to get away with as much as the network would let him and said as much up front. When he was racist, it was hardly by accident. When no one 'got the joke' he said "fuck it" and walked away.

Pepsi was counting on something like this, made sure that they were well-insulated against any backlash, and let 'er rip.

If you want to call it racism anyway, then this isn't 'somebody said a bad word' racism. This is 'organ grinder' racism. This is putting blood in the water to draw sharks. This is playing a tune while the puppets dance.

It's so much worse, I don't think the word applies either.

 

[pandorum]

Im sick to death of these arguments, i did not see the ads as sexist, i saw it as stupid as shit, and i did not realize goats where a race. For fucks sake people, there are bigger things to worry about in the world then retarded looking goats.

Uh, she fails to identify a goat in a line up of black people. It's not racist against goats, it's racist against blacks.

No, Racist and Sexist imply that there is hate involved, its obviously not the case.

Since when? Besides, you don't think that a woman getting beaten up by an animal being played for laughs to has elements of hate?

There was no hate involved thus it was not racist.

 

[Happiness Assassin]

I am more offended that somebody thought that the ad was funny. That was so stupid.

It may technically be racist or plays to negative stereotypes, but then I am no expert on these sort of things and I have no right to really render judgement.

 

[Jordi]

A server at a restaurant gets beaten up because she does something wrong in the goat's eyes. How does gender even come into that? I often think that the people screaming "SEXISM!" at everything are the most sexist people themselves.

I can understand the accusations of racism though. Why are all the other men in the lineup black? Maybe the server can see the difference between the goat and the black men (but she doesn't because she's scared), but at some point someone saw fit to fill the lineup with exclusively black men. What was his assignment? Get people that look like goats? Or thugs? It's hard to imagine a scenario that's not racist here. In the "story" I guess a cop would be doing that, but in reality it was probably a writer or casting agency that thought "thug = black person".

Also, I cannot believe how douchy that Tyler guy is. "I came up with this idea five minutes before the meeting and I can't believe they went with it." Just own up to it.

I can understand the claims of racism[footnote]Though it really isn't truly racist in my opinion.[/footnote], but how the hell is this supposed to be sexist? Honestly, people will call anything involving a woman sexist.

Don't forget anything that doesn't involve a woman. That's clearly excluding women. Everything's sexist now.

 

[Something Amyss]

Racism Definition [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/racism]

Just a hint: it's a bad idea to link to a dictionary where definition 1 undercuts your initial statement.

 

[Subscriptism]

I think it's racist, not sexist. Primarily because if you put a man in the position of the woman it would work exactly the same.

 

[Something Amyss]

There was no hate involved thus it was not racist.

Except racism doesn't require hate in the first place, so that argument doesn't work. That was MD's point in the first place.

 

[ZeroMachine]

Sexist? No.

Racist? Yes.

So stupid it shouldn't even be a thing to argue over? Definitely.

 

[manic_depressive13]

Wait, that's how it's sexist? Women getting beaten up is sexist? Also, "fails to identify a goat in a line of black people"? Nah mate, she doesn't do it because the goat's threatening her, not because Mt. Dew is saying black people look like goats.

OT: I don't really see it being particularly racist, if all those guys had been white then nobody would give a shit. But there's a racist stereotype surrounding it and that's enough to sound alarm bells.

Actually, mate, that's exactly what Mt. Dew appears to be saying. The line up consists of only black people, implying that they fit an animal's description. Furthermore, yes, presenting a woman being beaten and being too afraid to identify her attacker as though it's a joke is sexist, tasteless, and disgusting. In fact, I fail to see why anyone would have difficulty seeing how this ad is offensive.

Incidentally, you struck the nail on the head when it comes to what makes things racist. You just failed to actually identify as racist, which is baffling.

 

[Stryc9]

I didn't find it racist or sexist at all, just incredibly stupid, so stupid that if I'd seen it on TV instead of seeking it out to see what all the fuss was about I'd probably stop drinking Mountain Dew all together because that advertisement made me hate the product because it was so damn stupid. That ad could be for any product if they didn't show the cop holding a bottle of Mountain Dew a couple of times that's how little it does to advertise the product.

 

[Aramis Night]

If there is anything to be offended by here, it is that Pepsi co. is trying to give goats a bad name. Associating goats with human behaviour is the most insulting thing you can do to a goat.

 

[Union Jack]

Not sure who the bigger idiot is here: Tyler the Creator or the Pepsi suits that green-lit the advert. I would say it's on par with the Dr. Pepper 10 'it's just for Men' commercials though in terms of sexism but the "Just for Men" ads didn't have a continuity about a traumatized woman who was just violently beaten. As for the racism...it was pretty thick. The line-up didn't need to be a Burger King Kid's Club of diversity but it needed some diversity: it showed white cops (seemed like all of the people in authority were anyway), white victim and an all-black line up after all. Hell, making the goat a white-stereotype would have been...helpful. Yeah, it still would have been in a line-up with stereotypical 'thugs' but if it was an Irish Goat or, a Southern/Redneck goat it would have added in some sorely needed diversity. The Goat would have still been a flat, racist caricature but it would have been something.

Have you considered that Tyler is black and that perhaps the commercial was not racist, but was instead about racism? I think it is a common stereotype that black people are criminals and all look the same. I think it is also probably true that when cops don't have enough suspects they just arrest black people because of said stereotype (which I don't believe is true, by the way). I think the sexism is probably more along the lines of playing into stereotypes for satiric value. It's comedy, and it might not be Lincoln, but it's about racism in America; which, like it or not, is still prevalent.

 

[direkiller]

Seems like they're making a mountain out of a molehill.

dewd this is a serious problem

 

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

Actually, mate, that's exactly what Mt. Dew appears to be saying. The line up consists of only black people, implying that they fit an animal's description. Furthermore, yes, presenting a woman being beaten and being too afraid to identify her attacker as though it's a joke is sexist, tasteless, and disgusting. In fact, I fail to see why anyone would have difficulty seeing how this ad is offensive.

Incidentally, you struck the nail on the head when it comes to what makes things racist. You just failed to actually identify as racist, which is baffling.

1)The racism comes from it being an all black line up, running from the stereotype of blacks being criminals and gangsters. If the advert was racist because it was trying to say black people look like fucking goats nobody would care in the slightest. Would you like to know why? Everybody would realise how fucking ridiculous that idea is and would laugh whoever created the advert out of the country for being so inconceivably idiotic. Fucking goats, you have to be on ket or something.

2)Women being beaten up is not sexist. People being scared of their former assailant who is currently threatening them is not sexist. Why, when you combine the two and throw a goat in the mix, is it sexist?

I don't fail to see how it isn't offensive, it's clearly quite offensive. It's not sexist, unless showing women on TV in any way that doesn't make you want to worship a brass statue of them is sexist now, it's obviously racist but in a way that if the stereotype didn't already exist nobody would care. Yeah, the advert needed pulled, you don't put that in an advert but it's casual racism at worst; there's no real need for a mob amassing outside Dew HQ.

 

[manic_depressive13]

1)The racism comes from it being an all black line up, running from the stereotype of blacks being criminals and gangsters. If the advert was racist because it was trying to say black people look like fucking goats nobody would care in the slightest. Would you like to know why? Everybody would realise how fucking ridiculous that idea is and would laugh whoever created the advert out of the country for being so inconceivably idiotic. Fucking goats, you have to be on ket or something.

2)Women being beaten up is not sexist. People being scared of their former assailant who is currently threatening them is not sexist. Why, when you combine the two and throw a goat in the mix, is it sexist?

I don't fail to see how it isn't offensive, it's clearly quite offensive. It's not sexist, unless showing women on TV in any way that doesn't make you want to worship a brass statue of them is sexist now, it's obviously racist but in a way that if the stereotype didn't already exist nobody would care. Yeah, the advert needed pulled, you don't put that in an advert but it's casual racism at worst; there's no real need for a mob amassing outside Dew HQ.

1) If the assailant had been black it wouldn't be racist to have an all black line up. The attacker was a goat however, which changes the context to something even more disgusting.

2) No, neither of those two things are sexist in themselves. Acting as though it's a joke and playing a woman who has clearly been beaten for laughs is sexist.

Finally yes, this would be considered casually racist and sexist. No one is claiming the creator actively hates women and blacks. No one is forming a mob outside Mt. Dew. No one gives a shit. We were shown a questionable ad on the internet and asked whether we considered it to be racist and sexist, and I believe it is. You are the one employing hyperbole.

 

[BishopofAges]

I can honestly say that I view this as what it is.... a bad idea run amok

Why a goat? Why a fancy-ish restaurant? Why a female server? Why a 'drug-like' reaction? Why a scuffle? Why a sequal to a bad idea?

If you haven't figured it out yet, you should probably know that this leave my head overflowing with "Why"

 

[xPixelatedx]

And skittles promotes bestiality. If only people knew how truly evil our snack foods are; they are actively trying to destroy all of America.

But in all seriousness I am getting pretty peeved at this notion that women can never, ever... EVER be depicted in any act of violence, even in a comedic sense. No, they should be protected, by us who know better, who can handle such things better. They should be placed on a shelf and admired for their beauty and their helplessness.

Now THAT is fucking sexist, and just like those people who think all acts of violence involving minorities are hate crimes, it takes a truly disturbed mind to see these things. A mind actively looking between layers that don't exist, all for the sake of finding validation in fear.

 

[manic_depressive13]

But in all seriousness I am getting pretty peeved at this notion that women can never, ever... EVER be depicted in any act of violence, even in a comedic sense. No, they should be protected, by us who know better, who can handle such things better. They should be placed on a shelf and admired for their beauty and their helplessness.

Now THAT is fucking sexist, and just like those people who think all acts of violence involving minorities are hate crimes, it takes a truly disturbed mind to see these things. A mind actively looking between layers that don't exist, all for the sake of finding validation in fear.

What is your basis for this? Plenty of acclaimed movies depict violence against women. Most video games show women being attacked and killed. In open world games and MMOs you will inevitably end up killing random NPCs who are female and no one cares. In God of War 3 Kratos kills Hera, even though she's in no position to pose a threat to him. No one cared about that either. In Dark Souls and Diablo you kill female bosses, and if you picked a female player character you see them getting attacked. Hell, I am genuinely struggling to think of a game that doesn't depict violence towards women in some way, whether it be towards a female avatar, random NPC or as a means to forward the plot. There have been only a few instances where the violence and the context in which it occured was offensive and tasteless, such as in the Hitman fetish nuns trailer, or in this stupid ad. By no means does this suggest that women can NEVER be depicted in any act of violence. You are the one picking at straws to validate your paranoia.

 

[Colour Scientist]

It's sexist because it shows a woman who's been the victim of violent behaviour.
It's racist because the line-up is made up by black people.

Replace the waitress with a white male and the line-up with white males and people would only complain about how bad the ad is. Yeah, I'm going to go ahead and say it's neither.

That's because it plays on black racial stereotypes. Being arrested and put in a line up is not a racial stereotype of white men so the video wouldn't be racist.
Are you really that blinkered that you can't see that?
There're so many people on this site who are so paranoid by the discrimination against the white man that they refuse to see any other, legitimate discrimination.

To be honest, the ad is stupid and I'm not going to pick up my pitchfork anytime soon but the ad does play on racial stereotypes. There's no point in pretending that it doesn't.