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''They say that black people don't read...''

14 Oct 2004 18:0244 commentsBizLike
The most offensive radio ad I've heard in a very long time is currently being aired on Cape Talk, and probably other stations too.
It begins with a guy saying something like: "They say that black people don't read - so what if you put a black person in a book?" It is for, of all things, a Financial Mail publication on who's who in black business.

Firstly, I just don't get it. Is it meant to be funny? Cynical? Ironic? Clever? What does it actually mean? But mainly, how on earth can you start an advert with such a ghastly blanket racial stereotype? Anyway, who is "they" that say this?

The copywriter should be suspended. I can't believe the Financial Mail approved the ad. And the guy who did the voiceover should be ashamed of himself that he agreed to read it.
 
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Arthur
Attention, attention-
Well..
from where i stand the ad obviously worked..
they wanted to grab your attention from the getgo, and they did !!!!! Posted on 15 Oct 2004 08:15
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Njabs
very stupid-
You cannot use such statements to draw attention to your product.It is pure racism, remember that these words were said by oppressors;why reusing them now? Posted on 5 Nov 2004 11:04
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Nothing to it...-
Wether or not anyone thinks it is Racist, or an eye opener. You can argu until the cows come home... But the ones that are arguing are not the ones wit the problem. The ones wit the problem are the ones who didnt hear the article being read on the radio because they were out spending money etc. or what ever else those statistics said in the article read. Now statistics are facts and facts come from years of research and analysis. People didnt just come up and say black people dont read. Most of our people do not read... and thats part of the problem, I my self was guilty of not reading enough. My own eyes were opened because I was not ignorant and closed minded to teh idea of sitting down and reading soemthing enlightening. I will not read fluff as the call it, or any useless book. I read for knowledge, and information, wisdom, and the use of fine literature or poetry. One of my favorites and I personally think one every one should read not just blacks is the Holy Bible. Why not, the wisdom in Probverbs is very enlightening, thats what opened my eyes to see what I know to be true no matter who says it. Because this is not teh first time something like that has been said about black ppl. It was in a movie called Animal, now that it was read on a radio station by a white man it all of asudden takes on offence...as the other respons said OH PLEASE. It came out from our own ppls mouth on a movie like come on thats how the world diguises the turth now a days, cause they cant get it across in literature cause what... Most people dont read and it;s not just blacks.. ITS EVERYBODY... bottom line, aint ntohing more to argu about, take action... READ SOMETHING Posted on 7 Feb 2007 06:45
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yabbat
But some still think it's true!-
I would reckon the ad is aimed at the 'white businessman' (I mean - look at who the client is).

In that case, the copywriter & client probably both recognise that perhaps this market still has some misconceptions about their black peers, and are doing their bit to try and raise awareness of the black business community within this market.

This would clearly be an attempt to break preconcieved notions, which would (hopefully) ultimately lead to a better working relationship between all members of the business community, regardless of race.

Whoever came up with the concept should be applauded. Posted on 15 Oct 2004 08:33
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Dave
oh please-
You know, I think sometimes that people's brains go on vacation the moment advertising requires some thought...
This advert is an obvious and clever example of myth busting... it sets out to explode a commonly held misconception. And it succeeds admirably at that. If you didn't get that, I don't understand how you managed to operate your keybaord, as you're obviously terminally stupid! Posted on 15 Oct 2004 12:08
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Caroline
Who are They?-
My keyboard skills are fine, thanks. As are my conceptual skills.

Who says that it's "a commonly held misconception"?

About two million South Africans are illiterate, 94% of those are black and the rest aren't. Some black people can't read, some white people can't read, but the vast majority can. These are the facts.

That is totally different to saying "They say that black people can't read". Who is this "they" that "commonly" holds this misconception? Certainly not me, my colleagues, my family or my friends. Posted on 15 Oct 2004 12:42
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Marmite
All in the execution-
Actually, the ad goes, "They say, if you want to hide something from a black person, put it in a book."
This ad would have worked a whole lot better if they'd hired a different guy to do the voice-over. He's overused (particularly for SAA) and his voice didn't carry the kind of subversive edge that this script needed. Posted on 15 Oct 2004 13:47
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Bob D
How does it feel?-
"They say, if you want to hide something from a white person, put it in a book." Posted on 18 Oct 2004 10:29
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Bleeeeep
Open your mind-
Caroline - you need to listen to the advert properly!

Maybe you just don't get it - but it is interesting that you feel so strongly about it.

In dealing with issues of this nature one is expected to feel uncomfortable and then deal with it. South Africans seem to think that sweeping things under a carpet and not talking about it works - well, here's some news - it doesn't!!!! And until we do deal with it - we will never move forward.

Good luck - the steps forward are actually really simple - TAKE THEM! Posted on 15 Oct 2004 14:52
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yabbat
the reality is...-
I know plenty of people who (albeit VERY quietly) think most black people are stupid, despite the 'facts'. Perhaps the writer/clients of the ad in question do too?

The reality is that there are still many people in top positions - in fact, in all walks SA life - who have not 'moved with the times' & who still have misconceptions.

Of course to THEM, these are not misconceptions, but their reality. Perhaps they have had a son or daughter lose out to affirmative action, or have had bad luck with domestics or other staff... I don't know, but they ARE out there - in their droves!

A kid once asked me if all "baddies" in SA were black. I said no, all countries have "baddies" - there's just more black people than white people in SA, so that's just how it seems... perhaps these people think like children too? Posted on 16 Oct 2004 14:40
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Pressed your buttons-
Hi Dave

Caroline may not have an inkling about the nuances in that ad, but she sure managed to punch your buttons. Enjoy your weekend.

OFD Posted on 15 Oct 2004 18:25
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el duderino
presto!-
you hit straight on dave... Posted on 5 Nov 2004 16:30
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Observer
There's no excuse for dumb, naked racism.-
I thought I was the only one out there to be seriously offended by this pathetic excuse for an ad. It's not funny, and nor is it smart. It's just plain crude and dumb. To understand why, simply substitute "Jew" for "black person", and fill in the appropriate characteristic to fit the ethnic stereotype. Then imagine trying to sell a serious magazine supplement about Jewish business people using that ad as your pitch. It's astounding that a concept this gratuitously offensive, this politically naive, this rooted in age-old Apartheid attitudes, could actually make it past the client. The fact that it did says something about the rapid decline of a once-great magazine. Posted on 15 Oct 2004 23:43
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WAYNE
HEY CAROLINE IS THAT YOU?-
sounds like caroline is getting her own back. they say revenge is a pill best taken ironic Posted on 16 Oct 2004 07:47
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Mosokobuns
Lets take these racists creatives to the BCCSA-
I demand that the ad be removedd with immediate effect. I first listened to it on KAYA FM. Can you believe it ... the station meant for b lack people in gauteng allowed that to be played out to black consumers and those blacks who can afford consuming that product are still buying it.

I urge black people to refrain from buying the product. Posted on 18 Oct 2004 09:41
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Marmite
What about irony?-
Surely the ad, even if not particularly clever, is meant to be ironic. This debate is ample proof that South Africans don't get irony. Posted on 18 Oct 2004 11:13
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JP
You call that irony?-
Irony requires subtlety, sharpness, and a sly sense of mutual awareness - of being "in" on the gag and its multiple layers of meaning - to succeed in any medium.
If it doesn't have these things, it falls embarrassingly flat on its face, and no amount of explaining or analysis will get it back up and running.
Sorry, but this particular ad is utterly devoid of the saving grace of irony in either its concept or its delivery.
The only thing it conceivably has in its "favour" is plain and simple shock value.
And once that has worn off, all you are left with is a feeling of astonishment that ads as crap as this can still somehow find their way to a public medium. Posted on 18 Oct 2004 11:57
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Mamokgadi
Attention catching-
Hello

I love the ad.
I am a black person,it is not offensive at all.
Got the message across.
I would love to buy the book.
Cheers!!! Posted on 20 Oct 2004 10:34
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Black
Get over it. -
Anyone with an ounce of intelligence would not be huffing and puffing about this ad.
It's a brilliant ad. Posted on 20 Oct 2004 15:50
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bm
disrepect...-
it's just like kill the boer kill the farmer slogan.some blacks (& whites)found it offensive & some blacks didn't.yes it's a racist, hatred speech,which was desrespectfull to whites & other positive citizens of this country.this statement (they say blacks don't read)is no exception.no matter how much logic or intellectuallity you use to justify it. Posted on 13 Dec 2004 15:16
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DEE
DISGUSTING-
It's pure poppycock! Such racist planks have no place in a democratic SA. The fact that blacks have forgiven and forgotten does mean meekness. It is such racist bigots who give rise to the likes of Idi Amin Dada and Robert Gabriel Mugabe. Posted on 18 Oct 2004 16:43
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DEE
DISGUSTING-
It's pure poppycock! Such racist planks have no place in a democratic SA. The fact that blacks have forgiven and forgotten does not mean meekness. These are the same racist bigots who give rise to the likes of Idi Amin Dada and Robert Gabriel Mugabe. Posted on 18 Oct 2004 16:58
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Good grief. Catch a wake up.-
Interesting that callers to radio shows on this ad have been pretty racially split. Black callers are generally not offended, find the ad ironic, and enjoy it.

The vociferous cries of racism all come from white callers.

Is this the white liberal plague, again? Think blacks need you to defend us?

I think its white paranoid guilt that is really offended by this ad. Posted on 18 Oct 2004 17:13
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What has happened to the great ads-
Is this white guilt or is it white ignorance - maybe it is both. The ad in question has clearly worked or gained an enourmous amount of attention - positive or negative is not realy the issue.
I do not live in SA anymore but try and stay in touch with what is going on in the industry via this site and others. It is sad to see what has happened to and industry that I grew up in and loved passionately, I believe you should be racialy aware, but then that applies to culture, religion, laugauge, color, rich, poor etc etc and the list go's on. I believe that we have lost the ability to laugh at ourselves, we tend to be overtly sensitive to all issues and are terrified of making a mistake that can be misconstrued as being a bigot or racist or whatever you choose to call it that day. It works both ways - Look at the original Castrol ads - we laughed at Afrikaaners being a bit stupid, look at thye Vodacom ad where the Yuppie from JHB was made to look a fool by a simple black guy on the side of the road, look at all the great Nando ads, the original MTN radio ads - and 1000's more these knocked - religion, color, etc etc - the difference was they were clever and non offensive.
South Africa has a rich heritage of creating great advertising and exporting great talent as well. Rise above this continued slagging and get on with developing great advertising again. Posted on 19 Oct 2004 10:46
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z-man
they get killed just lilke this one..-
... Posted on 5 Nov 2004 16:36
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themba t
then who the hell is buying BONA folks?-
BONA has got 2.6 million readers and you're talking about black folks who don't read.Or maybe to be counted amongst readers my peeps have to be converted to ....NUTS and start reading beeld to impress BASS.Then,that's not gonna happen here on earth,maybe in MARS.Those who read ZULU books and newspapers should keep it up,and having said that,I'm not promoting illiteracy. Posted on 6 Nov 2004 12:07
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Bona has 2.6-million black readers-
Bona Magazine is nearly 50 years old and enjoys a readership of 2.6-million black readers, so there! Posted on 19 Oct 2004 09:18
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mkenya
something in common-
in kenya the 'consensus' amongst publishers is that we are not a nation of readers. seems that we finally have something in common with y'all down south, though there are no minerals buried under our soil. Posted on 19 Oct 2004 10:38
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Dave
listen!-
If any of you crying "Racist" over this advert, you would hear that the advert starts off quite clearly saying "Some People say..."
Now, if I was to say "Some People say all whites are bigots..." that is not neccesarily a racist comment, it is merely directly reported speech. Why should this advert differ?
Well, because it is provocative, and touches on sensitive issues. Why most people don't just take the time to think about the ad before opening their mouths instead of behaving like reactionary do gooders is beyond me.
The fact that most of the comments crying Racism come from white people is interesting. What does that mean? I think perhaps the country would be better served if it is these things we were more worried about than whether a book recognising black excellence has a racist advert or not. Posted on 19 Oct 2004 11:22
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JJ
The Little White Book of Top White Business People-
If someone advertised the "little white book of white business people," can you imagine the negative response the ad would get from the ad industry etc? The ad really isn't all that bad, tasteless or racist! Why is it that EVERYONE always turns EVERYTHING into a racial issue in this place??? Posted on 19 Oct 2004 14:55
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Zola
Okay so we do read....-
Glen Lewis (the Metro FM dj) has a segment on his show that is called "Blacks Do Read". The reality of this radio segment and the ad in question is to highlight a misconception that as black people, we don't read. Personally, as a Black person, I find neither offensive, nor racist. It's a statement about what other people think, and both the ad and segment go out of their way (albeit in different ways) to dismiss this notion. Posted on 19 Oct 2004 15:06
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Kb
too sensitive-
having have had the opportunities, and not been much of the suffer of the apartheid syndrome -i have noticed that,we blacks are no different from any other race, we do have them smarter kids, as we have them bimbos,just like any other race(ie:whites, afrikaaners, indian etc.bcoz open opportunities are recent, so is the scale of succses among us blacks, precise scale will be determined by the length of the democracy itself !on the WHOLE BLACKS DO READ NOW, STOP BEING SO EVER SENSITIVE !-) Posted on 19 Oct 2004 16:09
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lebo
the z generation-
the z generation or the y generation, cant remember which it is, actually doesnt read. these are all the future adults of the world. they rely on the internet and tv for all information. but they dont read. in south africa tho' we have to admit a lot of black people dont really read. but i think this is because a lot of people - the majority - were not raised in a culture of reading but one of The Struggle. the objective was survival. maybe it can be changed and there are efforts to change this... see bookeish and others Posted on 19 Oct 2004 16:32
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martin
Spot on-
I couldnt agree more. I almost swerved off the road when I first heard it. It is neither clever nor funny.

Weak thinking always plays to stereotypes Posted on 19 Oct 2004 17:06
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White Liberals-
Come on white liberals get over yourselves why are you always sensitive about something that really does not need sensitivity.

I'm black and i find it vey funny that "whites",who subconciously think blacks are stupid anyway think that this ad is offensive. Posted on 20 Oct 2004 15:33
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Proud
Proud to be grey-
I am a proud white South African who really loves this place and all its problems.

I would like to say to all the open minded black people who have commented on this radio advert - YOU ROCK. I am extremely proud of you and there are many times I really wish I was black because of the way some white people behave.

To the white people of South Africa - GET A LIFE - the black people have and they really enjoy it. Maybe if we stopped worrying so much about being politically correct we would be able to enjoy our lives as well. LET'S LEARN A GOOD LESSON FROM OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN AFRICA!! Posted on 22 Oct 2004 15:03
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om
bigger picture-
a nation that does not laugh at itself is not a healthy nation.tho' i'm not suggesting that we go on a rampage & insult one another.let's acknowledge each other's (race) strenghts & weaknesses. Posted on 13 Dec 2004 16:09
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el duderino
are "they lying" -
i'm not talking about the daily sun, sowetan, bona, drum or pace magazine here (i know, there's a lot of content there), but honestly - do "black people read? we need to stop being so sensitive but try to understand where the question comes from (brief, research -whatever) and where it's getting to. why would an ad start like that? well, dear fellow, to grab attention - it got yours did it not? you sound to me like those people who have nothing better to do other than calling the ASA everytime you see an ad that is meant to make people think and react. give racism a break for goodness sake. I wouldn't be surprised if you thoroughly enjoyed the "doom power" ad. peole like you are the real reason why marketers constantly undermine the target market. about suspending the copywriter...get a life.by the way, you never really said what's so offensive about the ad, i'm guessing it's because you don't understand it. Posted on 5 Nov 2004 16:23
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Tebogo
Enough-
Come on Caroline, don't you think that you are making a mountain out of a molehill? One thing South Africans need to put into practice is the art of listening and thereafter understanding the context of what is being said. I do not think that you understood that ad. As a black person who reads immensely, I don't find that advert offensive at all, instead I am more than pleased that finally the dynamism of black people is being highlighted in one whole book. I don't see what could be wrong with celebrating that. Furthermore, the line "Some say black people don't read" is meant to show how narrow-minded some people still are...and it seems you have proved them right. Enough with the racism allegations now. Posted on 22 Nov 2004 15:10
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Tuwi
Maybe we should be asking other questions-
We should be checking what it is that is "meant for Black peole to read" and also question those in positions to make such decisions. Very recently the Sowetan was "revamped" more like "dumbed down" and the very public have not made any meaningful objections. It si the very same "readers" who do not demand the respect they should be getting and allow others to determine and define their interests. Consumers have a very unique way of expressing their dissatisfaction. We have not seen this.
Blaming Apartheid is old-hat.
ends/// Posted on 25 Nov 2004 12:14
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Tika
Feelings From A Young Girl-
I'm a sophmore in highschool and our club for african-american girls trying to achieve(Daughters of Distinction)and we read it at a pass meeting. We were very disturbed because we thought it could be flipped around. They are saying that we don't read because we don't read all the books they read. Someone might choose to read books written by someone of their culture because they can relate to it alot more. Alot of the white students at my school choose to slack offf and they don't read the books assigned. They might read the cliff notes but not the book. Also we could say the same about a white person because they don't read books by our african-american writers or ones written about african-americans. I wonder how they would feel if I took the time to write one saying "Whites Don't Read Either" and read it on a live broadcast. Posted on 20 Dec 2005 23:27
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maj
get over it-
its just an ad get over it , how does it affect u , i mean u can read and write , so whtas the problem Posted on 17 Aug 2006 12:22
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donny
black people dont read-
I must say this a brilliant ad, and if you do not grasp it then maybe you should start reading more. I am black and tired of black people always taking offence at everything with the colour black, who cares if white people say we cant read, must we always define ourselves through what they say, where are your self esteems. And whities just chill about racism , some of us don't care whether you defend us or not , live your lives and get over the guilt of apartheid. There's more to you than oppressor and there is more to us than oppressed, life is too short people. Posted on 27 Oct 2007 17:17
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Levi
IS IT NOT TRUE-
Im a proudly black South African male, and I think this statement is true nomatter how racial or stupid you might think it is. Yes some of us do read, but most of our people are ignorant and lazy to read. Instead of buying our children some books to read, we would rather buy them latest nike sneaker or a PS2. They say where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise, of which I completely dont coincide with. Lets motivate our children to read and stop despising other people for their opinion. Posted on 16 Apr 2009 08:40
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