Wanna take it outside?
by Julie Alpine-Crabtree
Politically correct? Me?
Still.
If that was my kid on a billboard with “Bigger. Fatter. Gypsier.” stamped across his face, I’d be ready to get in a fight over it.
Politically correct? Me?
Still.
If that was my kid on a billboard with “Bigger. Fatter. Gypsier.” stamped across his face, I’d be ready to get in a fight over it.
I felt very uncomfortable seeing that although I couldn’t really put my finger on why perhaps.
Yeah, the ad seems to be taking the ‘so blatantly exploitative that it’s not even exploitative’ approach. But this is not, say, Sacha Baron Cohen being clever, making us examine our prejudices. It’s a child. Feels like finger pointing in the playground to me.
Just blogged about this very thing: http://www.rossmcculloch.com/bigger-fatter-gypsier-wronger
For me it’s the combination of reinforcing a stereotype AND the use of an image of a child that makes it so wrong. I’m sure Channel 4 will claim the ads attempt to challenge views but for me it’s irrelevant – that’s a real child.
Succinctly put. Thanks for the link to your excellent blog.