Hindu Guy + Gay Elf = Hilarity

Ok, everyone. I know I’m probably going to be going over old ground here at the start of this post, so I’ll be as brief as possible. I do have a fresh point to make, I promise.

Basically, my views on political correctness are as follows:

Political Correctness was thought up by a bunch of insulated middle class do-gooders, who have no grip on real life, have never been within 50 feet of an actual ‘minority’, and manage to be a hundred times more racist that someone who is deliberately trying to be so.

(Deep breath)…got that?

You see, it’s like the viral marketing internet phenomenon “Black people love us”. This was a fake ‘home page’, supposedly set up by a white couple to show just how much black people like them. Of course, it was racist as hell in a passive sense…but the point was it was meant to be so, designed to provoke a reaction, and was making an ironic comment about racism and political correctness…IE Stating that ‘Black People like you’ is just as racist and objectifying as wearing a swastika tattoo.

However, the most recent ‘Target’ advertising campaign manages to do this, but without a hint of irony.

Basically, Target’s latest thing is a shallow marketing ploy to make sure that people who don’t celebrate Christmas buy from them. Apparently, they’re not celebrating Christmas, they’re celebrating “Christmahannukwanzakah”…and amalgamation on Christmas, Hanukah and Kwanza.

Now this in itself isn’t bad at all. Yeah, it’s a cheap marketing ploy, but a clever one.

Once you see the ad, you change your mind.

You see, the Jewish contingent is the stereotypical old guys with the beards, hats and curly sideburns. Oh, and don’t forget the comic ‘Jewish’ speech style/ The Hindu looks like the picture on bag of curry powder, and talks like Apu on speed…but my favourite is the ‘Gay Elf’, who yes, has a mustache, and is as camp as a row of tents…pink tents…with gay men in them.

This isn’t ‘include everyone’ thinking. This is “pull up the worst stereotype you can think of, and splash it on the screen.

This ad proves my point entirely.

If this was on the internet, I’d think it was the latest anti-racism irony-filled piece of viral marketing.

However, it’s a television ad, put on at Christmas by a major corporation. It’s pure “What you See is what you Get”.

These idiots think that by being all ‘pro-minority’, and putting these people on TV, they’re gonna have the Jewish people, the Hindus and the gay community just gagging to buy shit from them.

Now, I went to school and college with nearly every one of those minorities, and in fact, my best friend was gay. They bore very little resemblance to those stereotypes on the Target Ads.

Now this is where usually, someone would demand that everyone they know boycott Target. I’m not going to do that. It’s not worth the bother.

All I’m going to say is have a bloody good laugh at them, and realize that this ad is at the pinnacle of corporate ‘Politically Correct’ thinking. Imagine that meeting:

“We need to target the minorities. If we make out that we’re multicultural, all the Jews, gays and Blacks will shop with us.”

“Yeah, but the Jews are all misers, but the gays love to shop like crazy!”

“So what do we need here?”

“Well, we’ll have one of each on the advert.”

“Yeah, maybe we should do some research.”

“Nah, it’s easy. Gay’s lisp, have high pitched voices and mince around rather than walk. The Hindus all wear turbans and talk like Apu, and the Jews wear those hats, have the funny hairstyles and talk funny!”

“By god, you’re right! To the studio!”

…Assholes