Nivea’s new ad featuring a model throwing an afro’d version of himself with the tagline “Re-Civilize” yourself is causing some controversy online, we want to know if you think people are blowing this out of proporotion.
Before you weigh in, check out another ad from the campaign after the jump which features a white model.
Images: Nivea
Thoughts?
Spotted
{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
how? we past the racist shit. if you still trying to down people cause they race it just shows YOU have low self esteem. Meh.
@Aleis – you’re crazy if you think we are “post-racism.” you bought some “Naive” thinking you were buying Nivea
@Naive agreed. note the caption also, the white man’s is talkin’ about vegas, but the black man has to “Re-Civilize” himself. smh. Hell yea racism is still alive and no they don’t be concealing it. They just try to convince you that we live in the myth of a “post-Racial” society. But you know what they say, the best trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist. Peace y’all.
that is stupid. its not like they have some light skinned dude with a processed s-curl hold a dark afro head saying civilize yourself. i looks to be the same guy just groomed. the ad is for grooming products. his hair is still natural just cut neatly. Niggas be ready to pop off about everything. smh #mypeople
as for the images…i think Glen is level-headed on this one.
I usually have Brother Sharpton and Brother West on speed-dial in case something pops off…but I won’t be calling them tonight about this. It’s simply an ad comparing a clean shaven man to an “unkept” looking man. Case closed.
Sidebar: it’s 2011…that ungroomed guy could be at least 10 different races. Folks need to get over themselves.
this is not racist…. at all. people are so bored..
nope.
So they finally released the Osama death pictures?
i have to respectfully disagree with all of the comments above. Though it’s great that everyone of all cultures can see the bigger picture in the image, the issue is in the wording. “Look Like you Give a Damn,” “Re-Civilize Yourself” So People with Afros, or long hair and a beard are uncivilized, and don’t give a damn about their appearance? I disagree. What about all the successful people with afros or beards or whatever have you. They may not be in the media but they DO exist. Yes, there are much worse things, but does that mean it shouldn’t be addressed? And is Nivea that desperate for sales that this is the type of advertising that they have to result to? Obviously.
I totally agree, Its not an issue tho. the wording used is a little to direct but you can tell there just trying to catch attention with this marketing piece. Companies have always associated Beards, Afros, Long Hair as not being “clean cut”. Thats the key for their sales
your argument doesn’t support that these ads are racist – merely that a company that sells grooming products is looking to cast long hair and beards in a bad light.
as for that notion – why do you care what nivea thinks about your beard?
ohhh thank you i sooo agreee. i jus feel sometimes dat ppl jus talk shit up in dey ass n agree with the first two ppl n dats dat. its great u decided to think on ur own.
Now i wouldn’t say it is racist at all but i will say it is the standard of this world to say certain hair types are uncivilized. Like when the Anglo Saxons went to different nations and said that they were savages and uncivilized because they did not act in the same manner as them. Just as like today people are brainwashed …like my mom told me i have to cut my hair in order to get a good job or career because they would look at me like I wasn’t professional. just because i had a fro and braids. Well i applied for jobs with my hair and I did without and it all came down to I got more interviews with my hair cut than i did with my hair braided. so go figure….it is just this society at large.
“it dont matter if you’re black or white…” Famous words of the late Michael Jackson. Take a look a some images of people with long hair and beards, and some with afros and a gotti.
http://backseatcuddler.com/category/keanu-reeves/
http://igossip.com/gossip/Christian_bale_beard_long_hair_x/1669256
Racist is such a overrated word now days. People use it without even thinking critically about.
Black people just over react to every thing. If the black man wasn’t in this ad, just the white man with the ‘unshaven’head do you think white people would be over reacting to this? No -_- It’s so shameful.
Black people: Chill the fuck down y’all.
chill the fuck down? lol
people who call this racist = immature and lack sense. A civilized man is one who appears to be well-kept, cleaner cut, wears proper fitting clothing, in decent shape, etc. This is the standard that society has shaped. Nivea is just rolling with something the average person envisions. Take the stick out of your ass and stop finding shit ti nit-pick about.
As a Black person, as an African American male, my issue with this advertisement is although it is borderline racist its the stereotypical image it projects. Out of all the words it could use to describe this Black man they use the word “re-civilize”. Does that mean we used to be civilized and no longer are? Does that mean b/c our hair is naturally nappy that means we don’t look civilized in regards to corporate America standards? This is the main reason why so many African-Americans have lost their identity and don’t know who they are and what they represent.
I respect the comments above b/c everyone is entitled to their opinion. If you don’t feel offended by this advertisement and you’re an African American male then that means one of two things. You are passive and no longer care about how we are perceived by those outside of our culture or you have no self-identity.
Maybe if you stopped thinking very serious about silly shaving ads and just live your life, perhaps things would been better. You guy’s realize you the ones who’s making this an issue and not Nivea.
Notice in the white Ad…. The Key word “HELL” It’s because the white face is in reference to Jesus
while in the black Ad… They are referring to the Javelin. Yeah…. Totally Racist
its the words, and not the words at face value, but the underhanded inference. its the same old story America rejecting the image of black people as a standard of beauty. its ridiculous, any cultured adult with any knowledge of american history could identidy this would ruffle feathers—- i feel like they allowed this to happen purposely
This ad is totally Racist and it is an insult to All Black people whether they realize it or not!.. Civilize and re-civilize are racist cue words from waaayy back!. The implication has been and still is: that we were uncivilized and that nasty white folks civilized us. ~ lol.. The irony is that the head in his hand with the fro is far more handsome!!
There’s even more irony in the fact that so many black people today are so far gone that they don’t know when they’ve been insulted.
We’ve accepted the fact that slavery and racism are “gone” and things of the past when we are still the minority that suffers the most in this free world. Sadly we allow ourselves to be divided with the influence of music videos, movies, and ads like this.
Willy Lynch’s powers is shown in the media everyday, so as we think we’ve taken 1 step forward in theory we’re 3 steps behind because our ignorance is a constant shackle.