Camera-punching, high-heel-falling model Naomi Campbell has complained this week that Cadbury have produced a racist ad comparing her to a chocolate bar. Campbell is shocked by the ad and upset to be described as chocolate, and she’s also upset on behalf of all black women and black people.
Apparently the comparison is intended to compare Naomi to the word “diva” rather than the chocolate itself. However they have clearly used her as she is black – the comparison would not work, I suppose, if they had chosen a white diva.
I don’t think the ad is racist but I can’t believe how ill-judged this ad campaign is. Did no-one at Cadburys feel slightly uncomfortable? I guess the new young ad-folk don’t actually realise how hurtful comments can be – Naomi grew up in a more racist Britain and joined an inherently racist industry (YSL threatened to pull out of Vogue if they did not use Naomi as a cover model in the 90s) and so she is sensitive for good reason. One of my black friends was asked if she tasted like chocolate and ‘chocolate face’ is a term that was ok to use in 70s sitcoms. Is it weird that in 2011 we are still considered chocoloate-coloured?
As a side story, perhaps some of you heard about the racist abuse incident at the recent BAFTAs where a celebrity hairdresser repeatedly shouted the N word at a guest then apologized the next day saying he’d had too much to drink. Lame or what? Why is that word even in his vocabulary? His apology seems shallow, intended more as damage control for his career rather than a genuine apology.
Bubbly
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