Sony's white PSP ad draws more fire

[wraggster]

Via Gamespot

A Sony PSP ad promoting the new Ceramic White model of the system in the Netherlands is causing an international stir. Gaming Web sites and message boards have lit up with debate over the ad this week after a picture went up on digitalbattle.com, and now California Assemblyman Leland Yee and the San Jose/Silicon Valley chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) have made their feelings on the issue known.

In a statement titled "Sony stoops to new low with racially charged ad," Yee said he was "deeply disappointed" in the publisher's decision to run the ad, which features a white woman holding a black woman by the jaw in a threatening manner. Sony has said the ad, one in a series that features the white woman promoting the system in a variety of ways, was designed to show the contrast between the colors of the new and old PSPs, and has "no other message or purpose."

"Whether in the US or abroad, using differences in skin color to articulate the fact that your video game console now comes in white can be interpreted as insensitive at best and racist at worst," Yee said.

Rick Callender, president of the San Jose/Silicon Valley chapter of the NAACP, echoed Yee's displeasure.

"The days of blacks being portrayed in minstrel shows are long gone, and with good reason," Callender said. "The minstrel show was an awful chapter in history and this ad smacks of that age and time. It is even further unacceptable that some corporations still think it is ok to use racially charged media images. The latest Sony ad conjures up bad memories of when stereotypical and offensive images of people of color were accepted means of selling a product. Sony should immediately apologize and discontinue these archaic advertising tactics."

This is not the first time Yee has taken exception to actions in the gaming industry. He authored California's violent game restriction law (currently being challenged in the courts), and was among the first to call for a rerating of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas as a result of the Hot Coffee scandal.

[Voltron]

Clever Sony has done it again. This add was created to purposely stir up controversy and create attention to the PSP. The add is somewhat controversial but that is what was intended. Sony has achieved their goal of mass media attention to the PSP and their ad. The media fell right into Sony's trap.

I happen to like the ad and don't see anything wrong with it. I admire Sony for having the ball$ to use this type of marketing.

Black people have BROWN skin. Not Black like the PSP is colored. This ad simply demonstrates the contrast between the Black & White PSP.

[migsgiz]

yhea i agree with voltron
there nothing wrong with this ad

[ACID]

Here here i agree with voltron too.

[GeEkPiE]

some people in this world are sooo anoying, why cant they just stop tryin to get money all the time by sueing

some people are greedy and selfish in this world

[xsimmonsx]

Yawn! This topic is boring the crap out of me now. If it had been vice versa (black on white) they'd be no complaints.

[samidgley]

I think there would have been the same complaint sI"m sure... plus if Sony are only doing it as an attempt to be controversial it's still shockingly ridiculous

[F9zDark]

Black people have BROWN skin. Not Black like the PSP is colored. This ad simply demonstrates the contrast between the Black & White PSP.

Then why is Sony using a brown skinned person then?

This statement makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Aside from that, your other opinions are spot on; I do feel Sony is doing this to draw attention to itself. And apparently its working.

[gotmilk0112]

stupid ass $ony. any person would say that it is racism because what the ad LOOKS like it is saying is "white psp is better than black psp". stupid sony keeps making racial ads, they're gona get BANNED AND PWND!!!!

[DimensionT]

I made this comment in the last topic about this (I moved it here because the last topic ran it's course):

If both of the people in this ad were viewed the way they should be (disregarding race) no one would see anything wrong with it. It would just be one person grabbing another... But sence everyone has preconceived notions of what's right and wrong, they tend look right past the medium and directly at the controversy.

Upsets like this just draw a thicker line between races.

More pictures from the same ad campaign:
http://pspupdates.qj.net/uploads/art...7882/pic-3.jpg
http://pspupdates.qj.net/uploads/art...7882/pic-2.jpg
http://pspupdates.qj.net/uploads/art...7882/pic-1.jpg