Gruen Transfer shock: The Foundry’s ad for The Pitch found to be racist and discriminatory
Julian Lee from the Sydney Morning Herald reports that the ABC in Australia has dumped a segment of its hit television show TheGruen Transfer which joked about the Holocaust, Jews, blackpeople and homosexuals.
Lee reports that the corporation’s lawyers stepped in and canned half of thesegment in which two ad agencies compete to sell the unsellable, inthis case obesity. The part of the segment made by Sydney agency,The Foundry, was found to be racist and discriminatory, and willnot go to air on tonight’s show.
AdamHunt (left), at the time creative director of The Foundry Sydney, whohas since left the agency (see story below) told CB last night: “Thebrief was to ‘END SHAPE DISCRIMINATION’ against fat people.Discrimination is a very ugly thing, and if you want someone to stopdoing something – you need to show just how ugly it is. The propositionmeant that the usual attempts at agency humour were never going to beon brief.
“There’s a history of shock advertising being used forroad safety – so I’m using similar tactics to make people stop andthink about discrimination.
“I understand the ABC’s decision not to air it.”
POSTSCRIPT: After the show, host WilAnderson directed viewers to a website to view the ad, which was directed and produced by The Kamen Brothers, via TVC production company The Guild.
As part of the website the Gruen Transfer panel (including former DDB New Zealand deputy creative director Bridget Taylor) discussed the pros and cons of the ad with Adam Hunt.
THE SCRIPT
How do black women fight crime? They have abortions.
How do you stop a poofter from drowning? You take your foot off his head.
What’s the difference between Santa Claus and a jew? Santa Claus goes down the chimney.
Why did God create alcohol? So fat chicks could get a root.
SUPER: Discrimination comes in all shapes and sizes.
1 Comment
The Gruen Transfer panel discussion about the ad doesn’t define the profound difference between the first three discriminatory ‘jokes’ and the last one, and this is unfortunate, as it’s this profound difference that causes the distress.
The first three ‘jokes’ are each based on the premise that members of the targeted group deserve to be killed/anihilated/wiped out. The final one is referring to this group’s lack of sexual attractiveness. The former premise is highly dangerous. That’s why it disturbs us so profoundly. The latter premise causes loneliness. Feeling alienated/isolated/ignored/undervalued is not as disturbing as feeling that you could be killed because of who you are.
I have to say that I found the ad that DID run extremely disappointing. Essentially it was a very poor discriminatory fat-joke. How sadly ironic.