Report: Sony pulls controversial PSP ads

[wraggster]

News from Gamespot

Debate over a recent Sony billboard in the Netherlands advertising the release of the Ceramic White PSP in the region was fittingly white-hot last week. That's when an ad featuring a Caucasian woman holding a black woman by the jaw in a threatening manner was decried as racially insensitive.

Today, one of those who criticized the ad and condemned Sony for running it, California Assemblyman Leland Yee, instead commended the publisher. According to a statement from Yee, Sony has pulled the advertising campaign and apologized to anyone offended by it.

"I am pleased to see Sony taking responsibility for their racially-charged ad and appropriately pulling it from the marketplace," Yee said. "Sony did the right thing by recognizing their insensitive mistake and apologizing for offending many of their customers."

Yee was backed in his condemnation of Sony by representatives from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the civil rights education group Sojourn to the Past. Sony originally defended the ad, saying its only intent was to contrast the colors of its two models of PSP. It still didn't sit well for Rick Callender, president of the San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP.

"Their attempt to contrast colors clearly created controversy and sparked painful feelings in the global community," Callender said. "Hopefully in the future, Sony will employ a better litmus test to their ad campaigns to determine if they will be sour to the taste of worldwide consumers."

[The_It]

Is this saying white psps are racist?! Or is it just the add?

[bm4n]

this is retarded, it was a harmless add showing the differences between two colors...once white and ones black. people will find offense to anything. this is like saying im being racially offensive because i am white. i hope nobody notices...

[acn010]

lol, oh god, why in this world, why

[Voltron]

Yeah, I'd have more respect for Sony if they did NOT buckle under pressure. They did not make the ad with a racist agenda in mind so if they just stuck to their guns and for what they believe in I would admire that.

However, the whole thing could have been one cleverly devised marketing scheme. They could have known it was going to draw attention and were prepared to remove the ad after the controversy when enough attention would have been brought to the ad and the PSP.

Clever Sony!

[The_It]

only racists would see this as being racist, a non racist would not pay attention to what color they are.

[MicroNut]

hey Yee!
Imagine your black bits here...
?

[idapimp]

i think it's funny that the ads were only in the netherlands and IT'S ALL THE REST OF THE WORLD THAT GETS PISSED. kinda humorous.

[ACID]

People just need to get a grip.

[Athlonman74]

So let me get this straight. The ad featured, "a Caucasian woman holding a black woman by the jaw in a threatening manner" so if the black woman was holding the Caucasian woman in a threating manner that would have been ok most likely...