In the weeks leading up to the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia (BC), Tourism British Columbia released a new commercial it spent millions of dollars on in order to promote tourism in the province. The fact that most of the world already knew the 2010 winter Olympics were being held there apparently was not enough. The commercial features notable Canadians Michael J. Fox, Sarah McLachlan, Ryan Reynolds, Kim Cattrall, Steve Nash, and Eric McCormack; what it doesn't feature is much ethnic diversity.
There are two versions: the 90-second and the 30-second version. The version most are likely familiar with is the 30-second version. I say that because it is the only version I have personally seen aired on Canadian TV; I wasn't aware the 90-second version even existed until I came across it while searching for the commercial on YouTube. In either case, it is clear the intended target amongst potential tourists are only those as white as the snow featured in the many expensive aerial shots.
Never mind the fact that all the celebrities featured are white, in this version of the commercial there is not a single tourist with a discernible race other than white to be found. There is a token nod to Aboriginal culture for literally a second towards the end, but that's about the only thing "ethnic" you're going to see in this version of the promo.
I think I spot a people of color (PoC) tourist at 00:01:07 (not the Asian chef, but the "tourist") but I have to admit, it could just be the lighting that makes his skin tone appear darker. Oh, look... there's an Asian child at 00:01:22. So other than a few flashes of Pacific Asian and Aboriginal culture, we have what could be two PoC amongst a sea of White faces.
What is Tourism British Columbia thinking? Is it that there are aren't PoC out there with money that are worth marketing to as well? Surely, they're not thinking that the only good tourist dollar is a White tourist's dollar, are they? We can't really know what their intention--conscious or subconscious--was in making obviously Caucasian-centric tourism ads, but the result is promo that exclusively targets Whites. Perhaps they didn't feel the need to tout BC's multiculturalism because they didn't feel it was in their interest to do so.
Canada is fairly well known for its multiculturalism; in fact, multiculturalism is protected in section 27 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which states "This Charter shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with the preservation and enhancement of the multicultural heritage of Canadians." And while Canada does often do well by this declaration, it often has moments where it fails to truly live up to its reputation.
Despite the cultural diversity in urban centers such as Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, it is still a country where White is considered the norm and this attitude is systematically reflected in our institutions, our culture, our history, and our national self-image. In other words, we like to think of ourselves as a country that is very diverse and multicultural, but the truth is we are more ethnocentric than we want to admit. Canada usually jumps at the chance to put our multiculturalism on parade when the world is looking, but the rest of the time -- as this Tourism British Columbia ad exemplifies -- it's "white as usual."
Crossposted from Race-Talk.
Follow Mike Barber on Twitter: www.twitter.com/apastdenied
| 1 | United States | 46 | 29 | 29 |
| 2 | China | 38 | 27 | 23 |
| 3 | Russia | 24 | 26 | 32 |
| 4 | Great Britain | 29 | 17 | 19 |
| 5 | Germany | 11 | 19 | 14 |
| 6 | Japan | 7 | 14 | 17 |
And I don't suppose it even half-occurred to you that the cowboys riding in front of Chilko Lake might actually be Tsilhqot'in First Nations people huh? Because it occurred to ME (the vast majority of cowboys in BC are, ahem, Indians.....). I'm pretty sure that was - maybe - the only
I'm pretty sure that was - maybe - the only sequence that wasn't greenscreen...and I wonder what it cost them to fly a crew into that remote location.....(and union stuntmen to ride those horses, IF that was a union commercial, which maybe it wasn't, despite all the ACTRA/SAG members featured in it....that's probably OK with you though right?)
They're tacky commercials. But having too many white people in them is not why they're tacky. That there weren't any PoC's of note to use as celeb shills is an unfortunate problem but "not our fault". That most segments don't have anyone in the background AT ALL (not even white ones) underscores their impersonality; complaining that more extras of non-white extractions are needed is just plain......pretentious, and silly.....
Name me a PoC equivalent, an A-lister from BC who has the "market reach" of these famous names. I dare you. (Christopher Judge is not quite an A-lister but he's also not from BC like other "AoC's" - actors of colour - who live and work in BC).
What's really schlocky in the ads is the use of green screen on the landscapes. Given all the fancy filmtech talent in BC they should look a lot better; Stargate landscapes come off better - the digi work on these is cheap-o. And Sarah MacLachlan's boots aren't even dirty though she's on a rocky, mossy coastline (or is supposed to be); ditto with Ryan Reynold's boots on whatever wooden sundeck it is that has a mountain like that for a view. Cattrall's gown and wine glass complement the "sophistication" implied by the vinyards in the background; but that clothing would be really out of place in the Okanagan heat.......and overdone according to fashion standards in the Okanagan (golf wear is much more the norm for the money crowd). Looks like Eric McCormack didn't even shave for his spot, which like the others was done in studio and they seemed to have scrimped on both wardrobe and makeup departments....
There's Cantopop and Bollywood A-listers from BC, and presumably if there's Tourism BC commercials in Hong Kong and India they'd be featured in them; but famous as they are, they have no relevance to US or European travel marketing. Michael J. Fox, Kim Cattrall and Ryan Reynolds DO. There's some recognizable BCers of First Nation descent, again mostly in film, but none of them A-listers.
Complaining about this is like complaining that Pamela Anderson is blonde and has big breasts, and that's unfair to Asians and blacks and Latinas. Not incidentally, she's from Vancouver Island....if Tourism BC had gotten to using her (her protest-oriented side suggests reasons why she probably wasn't even asked) you'd be complaining that no person of First Nations ancestry was chosen to represent the Island instead of her. she's just too damned white for you huh? She's of Scandinavian ancestry though, so shoudl qualify under "multicultural" (except if you're someone who only sees colour/race as "culture").
Michael J. Fox's white-bread Burnaby upbringing is no doubt "not representative of Burnaby's growing Asian community". But do US tourists or those from the UK really CARE if Burnaby has Chinese-themed shopping malls? This is marketing, not national/ethnic image-breastbeating, though apparently there's lots of people would like it to be.
The Winter Olympics is a multicultural event where people from ALL over the world compete in games. They used only whites to advertise BC to a multicultural audience.
They had a perfect opportunity to advertise their multicultural province to a multicultural audience. They could have even gloated or showed it off. But they didn’t, why? (TO BE CONTINUED)
Then my wife and I had a conversation about your article; and race and advertising. My wife is a doctoral student at The Ohio State University studying Multicultural Education and Equity, she studies race and multiculturalism. Coincidentally, we’re watching the Winter Olympics during our discussion.
I was holding strong to my convictions about that there was nothing explicitly racist about these Ads. Implicitly, I thought one could make a good argument. Then she made the point that BC is using the Winter Olympics as a back drop to attract tourism to BC, why wouldn’t they want expose their multiculturalism to a multicultural audience that is watching a multicultural event? (TO BE CONTINUED)
Perhaps the ad was simply over done with celebrities from the area and the majority of those folks seem of the background that upsets some and does not nec. reflect the population but wd. not let that stop you from going there if that is your intent.
The entire region from Portland, Seattle, Victoria, Vancouver, the islands, ferries, San Jaun Islands, is stunning. I am spent a lot of time around the multi-cultural/diversity crown and you know as well as I that they can be over sensitive in a lot of ways.
Don't let stupid articles and commercials stop you from visting the area, been through Ohio, spent a lot of time in NW and will return but no plans for Ohio. Buy good boots, dry ones, a fleece, good rain jacket, and have a good time.
Some obviously feel I am being oversensitive, but I disagree. When this ad was conceived and executed, I believe it was indeed done so with an intent to market to an exclusively white target group. This speaks to an implicit racial bias in who they want to come visit and by exclusion speaks to who they don't want to come visit.
On its own I have a problem with it, but what is more troubling is how it fits in a pattern of behaviour, which is what my article is really speaking to. Canada is in a cultural denial about many things, a great one being it attitudes towards racial issues. It tries hard to pretend it has none, but when you peel back the layers of Canadian history -- layers which somehow escape Canadian history classrooms -- you will find that Canada is a far ways away from living up to the all-inclusive, multicultural community it dresses itself up to be.
Still, by and large, Canadians are Caucasians, and they have zero reasons to be ashamed of it.
Go, Canada!
I wonder what the author who apparently thrives on this type of controversy would say if there was a commercial with all black faces? I saw a commercial for South Africa, and there was no caucasians there at all, so what? I never even thought of that until now. What are we supposed to do? Demand that all portrayals include all races represented? Let people live, guy! You are the one that has the race problem if that is all you look for!