30 August, 2011

Qantas forced to issue apology after 'blackface' stunt on Twitter is branded 'appalling' racism

 

Australian airline Qantas has been forced to issue a grovelling apology after one of its attempts at social media advertising was branded racist.

The airline had offered two tickets to the deciding game of the Bledisloe Cup between Australia and New Zealand national rugby teams in Brisbane on Saturday night.

Set up earlier in the month, the Qantas Twitter giveaway promised two exclusive tickets to the game, at Suncorp Stadium, to the two fans who could best show their support for the Australian team.

'Blacked up': The competition winners in their costume of blacked up faces, arms and legs, and 'afro' wigs. This picture was later removed from Twitter

'Blacked up': The competition winners in their costume of blacked up faces, arms and legs, and 'afro' wigs. This picture was later removed from Twitter

The tickets were awarded to two Wallabies fans who dressed up in 'afro' wigs, daubed black paint on their faces and wore the Australian rugby green-and-gold uniform.

The pair said they were copying their 'favourite player', Fijian-born flanker Wallabies flanker Radike Samo, by blacking up their faces, arms and legs.

Qantas awarded the tickets to the pair, but only if they promised to wear their costume to the game. The airline posted pictures of the two fans on Twitter after the game, saying they had ‘lived up to their promise! Good work’.

Unconcerned: Wallabies player Radike Samo said he was not offended by the unnamed pair's 'tribute' to his image

Unconcerned: Wallabies player Radike Samo said he was not offended by the unnamed pair's 'tribute' to his image

In one picture the pair were seen smiling either side of Samo himself.

However, after Twitter uses slammed the 'blacked up' pictures as 'appalling', the posting it was hastily withdrawn.

Qantas originally tweeted: 'We understand it caused offense to some people, which is why it was removed. We are really sorry if it has upset anyone.'

But that only served to anger offended Twitter users more, with one typical response reading: 'Cut it out with the faux pologies. Say you're sorry for posting the photo that DID offend people (not if). What that image represents to most people is appalling.'

Another wrote: 'For company like @Qantasairways [which claims] to represent our nation, this is completely unacceptable.'

Qantas finally issued a longer apology, in which it said: 'We apologise that the photo of two Radike fans offended some of our followers.'

Ironically, Samo could not understand what all the fuss was about.

He said: 'These guys were actually paying me a tribute. It was a bit of fun, and I think its great they regarded me as their favourite Wallaby. I didn't have an issue with it at all. I was glad to be in a photo with them. So I don't know why anyone's getting worked up. That (sort of reaction) is just silly.'

But Stephen Ryan, the chairman of the NSW Aboriginal Land Council, said he was shocked by the behaviour of the men, but more stunned that Qantas ‘wouldn't have known such a stunt could backfire’.

Previous controversy: Channel 9 host Daryl Somers was forced to apologise in 2009 after a viewer skit saw six men in 'blackface', mimicking the Jackson Five

Previous controversy: Channel 9 host Daryl Somers was forced to apologise in 2009 after a viewer skit saw six men in 'blackface', mimicking the Jackson Five

Furious: Guest judge Harry Connick Jnr gave the act zero, saying: 'If I knew that was going to be part of the show I definitely wouldn't have done it'

Furious: Guest judge Harry Connick Jnr gave the act zero, saying: 'If I knew that was going to be part of the show I definitely wouldn't have done it'

It's not the first time Australia's dubious sense of humour regarding racism has caused controversy.

In 2009, U.S. singer Harry Connick Jnr was outraged after an Australian TV show he was a guest on featured a comedy skit of singers with 'blacked up' faces and wigs mimicking the Jackson Five.

Connick Jnr was acting as a judge on a viewer talent segment of Channel 9 show Hey Hey It's Saturday when the skit was performed.

Giving the performers - who had done a similar act on the show 20 years earlier - a mark of zero, a visibly shaken Connick Jnr said: 'If I knew that was going to be part of the show I definitely wouldn't have done it.'

He later received an on-air apology from the show's host, Daryl Somers.

Qantas forced to issue apology after 'blackface' stunt on Twitter is branded 'appalling' racism | Mail Online

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