Demented Arby's Commercial?

Daniel_Bingamon · Post by **Daniel_Bingamon** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 5:07 pm

So what does everyone think of the Arby's Commerical with the Monkeys doing Irish line dancing?

Does anyone think it's racist or is just outright hillarious.

In case you missed it, here's an extended version on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44Y-_JAjAwE

Steamwalker · Post by **Steamwalker** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 5:11 pm

Not sure how it could be interpreted as racist unless some paranoid person thinks it implies that the Irish are akin to chimpanzees which I doubt anyone would find the commercial to mean. I, on the other hand, found the commercial more freaky and bizarre than anything else, the legs don't seem to mesh up with the rest of the bodies!

djm · Post by **djm** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 5:20 pm

How can it be racist when those are apes, just like us, not monkees? Now, if you wanted to address the question about whether or not apes have rhythm, that would be another topic altogether.

THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER TOPIC.

Thx, everyone.

djm

KatieBell · Post by **KatieBell** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 5:39 pm

Is it racist to make fun of Riverdance?

djm · Post by **djm** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 5:42 pm

Or "Lard" of the Dance?

djm

WyoBadger · Post by **WyoBadger** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 6:14 pm

I haven't been able to work at RB's since working there around 15 years ago, but those sandwiches actually look good. Must be time to raid the fridge...

Tom

WyoBadger · Post by **WyoBadger** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 6:15 pm

djm wrote:How can it be racist when those are apes, just like us, not monkees?

But do they have souls?

T

missy · Post by **missy** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 6:16 pm

well, all I can say is Tom and I were rolling on the floor we were laughing so hard when we saw this for the first time last night!
(or it could have been the wine......)

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 6:34 pm

djm · Post by **djm** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 6:41 pm

WyoBadger wrote:But do they have souls?

It's been done.

djm

alurker · Post by **alurker** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 6:44 pm

Steamwalker wrote:Not sure how it could be interpreted as racist unless some paranoid person thinks it implies that the Irish are akin to chimpanzees.....

In the middle of the 19th century English newspaper cartoons often depicted the Irish as chimpanzees in their attempt to portray the country as being made up of savages.

I don't think that was the intention here. I found the river-dancing chimpanzees to be amusing in the same vein as the old Mac dancing baby.

FJohnSharp · Post by **FJohnSharp** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 8:13 pm

I have not made a conscious effort to dislike any commercials where animals are made to act like people, especially those where computers make them 'talk, but that hasn't stopped me from having an extreme bias toward them nonetheless.

I also hate commercials/movies/shows where they make old people do things like cartwheels and breakdancing after sipping a Pepsi or something.

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 9:27 pm

I agree with alurker. I came across a reference to the Irish as monkeys in something from 19th c. England I read---can't remember what it was. I believe the person really thought the Irish were monkeys---the person did not think they were human beings.

I have not come across racial slurs in my lifetime in the US, or in American literature I've read that refered to the Irish as monkeys or simian beings---just my experience. The slurs against the Irish I've come across have taken other forms.

I think it is reasonable to wonder if the video is racist because of the history of refering to the Irish as being some sort of simian beings in Britain in the 19th c. (I really don't know much about it, maybe other centuries too), but since the video is, presumably, for an American audience I don't think it is. I don't think many Americans are familiar at all with how the Irish were refered to in England in the 19th c. I think it is just capitalizing on the popularity of that Riverdance stuff.

It didn't really tickle my funny bone, but the Youtube video wasn't very clear. I don't know, you might just have to be in the mood.

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 10:09 pm

I guess I took it as saying that even the chimps want to get in on the River Dance rollercoaster... I didn't think it was commenting on the Irish, but on the American propensity for bastardizing... er... I mean... adopting anything that seems cool.

hmmm... so... is 'Bush' an Irish name?

Wait... no... I didn't say that... not on this board... nope.

swizzlestick · Post by **swizzlestick** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 10:10 pm

This particular link is to a remix and that's why the music is not in sync with the steps and kicks. It's not the original music. Kinda fuzzy too. Wonder why they bothered since the original is much better.

My daughter has been step dancing for years, so, as you can imagine, I have been indirectly involved for years too. We have yet to find any dancer, young or old, that did not find this ad at least a little funny.

As for racism, I can't imagine there was any malicious intent. I just don't understand this hypersensitivity when it come to race. I have a multicultural, multiracial background and I grew up in the south when racism was commonplace. There's plenty of racism in the world without looking for it.