Rioter W poses this question:
Check out this advertisement from the Tradies (similar language appears in their other advertising). Is there any way to interpret this other than as racist?
Good question W!
While the most obvious way to interpret this would be to assume that these ladies are looking for a club with only white people in it, there are ways to in which we can look at this ad where it does not appear quite so racist. Let’s have a look at them.
Sexist:
While the most obvious trait shared by most of the women in 90’s rap videos is the colour of their skin, one could look past then to some other obvious physical attributes. Perhaps the two ladies above are simply looking for a place where nobody has big butts and itty bitty waists? Perhaps these two fair women of discerning taste simply don’t like it when other women dress or dance provocatively. Imagine the two women in the above picture saying the lines in the intro to “Baby Got Back”, it works right?
This may not be racism, it may be simple sexist slut-shaming!
Classist:
Rap music thematically is often associated with low income! Maybe these two women of fine breeding simply want to find a place where they won’t have to deal with anyone from a lower economic or social class from themselves!
Why deal with some nasty girls from the ghetto when you can spend time with the quality refined ladies of the Dickson Tradies club?
Ageist:
Can’t Touch This came out in 1990. Assuming the women dancing in the film clip were 20 or older, those dancers are now in their 40’s, and who wants to go to a club with old people in it?
Not these girls, that’s not who. Only young booty shakers may party with them!
So short answer: YES!
Long answer: YES! But none of them are any better, probably it’s a combo of all these things!
I just feel bad for the poor models who have had their faces used for this.
Loading ...
What’s Your opinion?
Ask RiotACT: Is the Tradies new advertising racist?
Oldest to Newst
ausbradr said :
I hear that all the time. Steer clear of my house and if I’m out it will be in Manuka. We are a difficult breed but it’s mostly frustration from our blonde friends dragging us to the Tradies when all we wanted was a break from all the poorly synchronised dancing.
No issue with it. It’s a bit cheeky, but I think it’s harmless.
Personally, I want a place that isn’t filled with sanctimonious judgemental redheads. 😀
Pork Hunt said :
Me too!
Pork Hunt said :
Mainly due to me spending 8 weeks back in Blighty just after posting about it. (England, Wales and Ireland.) 🙂 All sorted, used the guys in Belco mall $300.00 good job done.
Ben_Dover said :
Now that I would like to see. Perhaps Swift and Shift Couriers would have the balls to make it happen.
What was the outcome of the mobile phone repair Ben? One or have asked but you remain stone faced…
La_Tour_Maubourg said :
Perhaps you could detail what they mean by “90s rap video extras”. Perhaps an “international” view could shed some light on this conundrum.
La_Tour_Maubourg said :
It would be ok if only it had a lesbian mixed race person, transgender appearance, of indeterminate age, sharing a vegan non-alcoholic beverage with a gay Iranian transvestite, while listening to Sufi music and kitting swaddling clothes for disabled orphan whales.
Whoever thinks this is racist needs to grow up. My family is not Australian and copped the odd joke here and there and guess what? We don’t complain about it, we find it quite funny and have a laugh…
What do you expect in this video? An old Bangladeshi woman enjoying rap?
HiddenDragon said :
R..E..S..T..E..P..C everyone, especially bitches
But how serious is this chick? Does she really have to be home early to Big Daddy, or is she just copping a bit? Get hip you cool cats, and check out this Tradies scene, has the crazy weather got you ready to flip? Don’t get all hung up man, the Tradies is ready to turn you on to all sorts of cool vibes man. Dig it, it really is a great scene down here, so get with it. It’s Friday and the eagle flies tonight, let’s go get Tradie fried. Tradies, for the sad, boring and over 60’smaaan, Like. . . .wow daddio
In the good old days, Petula was a regular at the Tradies:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws-dbq0CDtc
And for maxblues’ benefit, I was actually thinking of the tour-de-force opening sequence of the very first Ali G show – da West Staines Massiv would luv da Tradies, man.
PBO said :
I think you’ll find it was Collette who was ringing her bell. Melissa, god bless her, wanted you to read her lips, so long as you kept your hands off her detonator.
Barcham said :
It says to me,
“Awww yeah, Come down to the Tradies and pump up the jam because it isnt gonna pump itself, Yo!
Free entry if you have your fluro bike pants bomber jacket combo and can name the lead singer of “Ace of Base”.
Come on down for our Urban R & B spectacular hosted by Ashley Paske’ & featuring E Street’s Melissa Tkautz ringing her bell for all of you.
Tradies got back!”
20 somethings go to the Tradies now?
CraigT said :
Any self-respecting intelligent person knows that this so-called hip hop music is just a passing fad. Which, one: is not creative; two: inspires violence; and three: encourages thievery in the form of sampling.
It’s true!
I saw it on the internet.
CraigT said :
And winner of the most ignorant post on the Riot Act goes to…
mabinogi said :
I want a place that isn’t filled with incoherently speaking, weapon toting, arm waving f@$&tards with an attitude problem.
HiddenDragon said :
For real, what about Ali G?
I think Borat and Bruno need to look into this.
Rap sucks, and so does the culture that embraces it.
The Beastie Boys were brilliant, but the kind of idiots who like rap are too dim to have understood that the joke was on them.
Maybe they are nervous about rap extras’ tendency to crowd into tight corners, elevators and so on. It could be a bit weird trying to make it to the toilet only to find a tight crowd in the hallway raising the roof.