Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Genius loci.... albeit a bit lopsided!


Photo credit: Costa Costi

Lately, there has been a stream of campaigns for the imporvement of the conditons of domestic maids and migrant workers. One such campaign uses brilliantly the back of the bus, pictuing a person of African nationality wearing the usual apron that domestics wear. But it is the line that reveals the genius of the ad: "She works wherever she goes." In direct allusion to the fact that these workers go not get any respite or day off. And what is she doing? She is plastered on the back of the bus but it is as if she is cleaning the window of the bus from inside - yes, even when she is riding the bus she is working...
The ad could have been a masterpiece had it not been for the selling line of the campaingn: "A human being is a human being no matter who he is." Which in itself, is akin to saying: "We have nothing against inferior species." Already, speaking in those "pacifist" terms that fake-egaletarian people use to mask their real thoughts... Usually the sentence goes: "Oh, don't get me wrong, I am not a racist, but... (insert racist statement here)." A pity indeed as the mere use of the back of the bus was a stroke of genius!

1 comment:

Diane said...

So true. People do not realize that they are being racist even when trying not to be racist... out of ignorance, mainly.