Possible contentious poster launched by the Remain Campaign to galvanise the black vote

Great post and spot on, jingl.

Nobody will know whether it's failed in its main purpose until anybody has any idea whether it increased the number of BAME voters.

I would say it's at least partially succeeded, because it's made people think and talk, which is the aim of this kind of advertising.

But nn elderly white women don't get harangued by beefy black men. Not in the way any Muslim women are likely to be insulted by National Front type white yobs.

It's not racist, simply because the intent to be racist is very plainly not there. The illustration is being used for a purpos. A good purpose at that.

In fact, an elderly Asian lady could look at the poster and think 'if I go out to vote I may be harassed by a white thug like that' and decide not to go.

As I said previously, I think the poster is a mistake and does not portray its message with any clarity, whatever the message is - it seems to be different things to different people, so it has failed in its purpose.

Indeed they might be, but there IS evidence Asians are bullied by aggressive whites.

This is an example:

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/03/04/britain-first-mosque-protest-video_n_9382658.html

In any case, Saatchi and Saatchi claim the poster isn't about race, but democracy. Personally, I don't think knuckle dragging thugs should have a vote, but they do and tend to exercise their right to vote, even if Paul Golding, Britain First's leader, turned his back on Sadiq Khan during the declaration of Khan's win in the London Mayor election. So much for believing in democracy - ha!

So maybe the poster is about everybody having a vote, even the lowest common denominators in society.

There is some evidence, particularly regarding the controversy surrounding the ousted Mayor of Tower Hamlets, that some Asian voters are coerced into voting in a certain way.

Of course not, but is there any evidence that asian ladys don't vote because of aggressive white skinheads? They're more likely to be intimidated by their own menfolk.

Who's assuming that all white guys are violent and aggressive?

Why only make a distinction on race/skin colour?

Why not assume the poster is saying all males are violent or all elderly females are serene?

The poster is aimed at those members of ethnic minorities groups who aren't registered to vote. Anybody who followed the London Mayor election will have seen many racist slurs. Presumably Saatchi and Saatchi did some research before designing the poster, so they will have taken into account the perceptions of those who don't register to vote. It would be interesting to hear their rationale.

Is there any evidence that white people don't vote, because they're intimidated by big, beefy black men?

Of course it would be racist the other way round - no doubt about it. The portrayal of an elderly white lady being harangued by a tough beefy black man, would be perceived as racist provoking an outcry. Actually both are racist if we're honest, on the assumption that all people who look like the white guy are violent and aggressive, and a similarly portrayed black man would be the same. Not necessarily as you should never judge a book by its cover.

Actually, I think a picture showing a little old lady aggressively jabbing a finger at a National Front-ite, would be roundly applauded.

Yeah, but you shouldn't confine everything to technicalities. There should be room for actual thinking.

I don't think so, jingls

I see a sweet old Asian lady, too, not representative of all Asians. The ones I know are savvy enough to vote.

All I was saying was that to find out if a situation such as this is racist would be to reverse the situation and ask yourself if it would offend and be against the law; purely a technical exercise, not an emotional one.

Good point Daphnedill.

jalima isn't that taking PC-ness too far?

Do you identify with the skinhead?

I see an aggressive, intimidating thug, not a representative of all white people.

I think it is racist
You have to apply the same rules as if the advert was reversed
So would the converse be deemed racist? If the answer is 'yes' then this advert is racist.

many. Not 'meant'

It's realistic. It's the situation meant ethnic minority people face in their everyday lives. You have to make the shirt to fit the man. (I've just made up a proverb)

It's anti racist if anything.

So what would an advert look like if it was saying 'Operation White Vote' given the characteristic format of the advert in question?

Would it be acceptable to have a white grandma being shouted at by say a rastafarian? No it wouldn't in my opinion because it is obviously racially motivated, as is the advert.

What would be the cry if there was even an advert even asking for 'Operation White Vote'?

The advert is calling for 'black' people to register to vote in the EU referendum. The advert is giving the impression that the ' black' voter is being suppressed by racism and should use a vote in the EU referendum to stop racism.

The advert is not harmless , it is only getting away with it's content because it is seen as being a message to the 'black' voter . It is not being viewed in the context of the ' white' person being characterized, identified as a racist yet it clearly is.

This advert makes me angry because it subliminally creates
yet another them and us message that feeds negatively into the psyche of both black and white people. It sets out to be confrontational and it has achieved it's goal for many but that is dependeant on your perceptional of the underlying tone in the message.

It's been many years since I knocked on doors canvessing for votes. That was in the 70s for the Liberals. We have many Asian people in Southend. Many of us found that if you had the chance to ask the wife ( because often you couldn't) she would say that she would vote which way her Husband told her.

Poster aside (or perhaps it is relevant?), did anyone see the youngish mother asked on tv how she was going to vote in the EU rferendum?
She had never heard of any referendum, and possibly not heard of the EU either
She was white British
She must wear a paper bag on her head.

They might have done it free

So my vote (elderly white British woman) counts just as much as the vote of rosesarered's foul-mouthed aggressive Asian yob then?
That's a relief.
However, if S&S had portrayed it like that they would probably be charged under the race laws.

Looking at it again, the fact that the seesaw is level probably has a bearing on the message. Elderly ethnic minority ladies' votes count as much as that of a National Front yob.

I suppose that's the kind of thing you pay for with firms like Saatchi. I wonder if they did it for them on the cheap. Just to be helpful.

Agreed. This is probably the most important vote that people will make for decades. It's important that no group feels that its vote doesn't count - as it,unfortunately, doesn't count for most most people in general elections.

That's the 'bit more' that jingl was talking about I think.