‘Don’t be a dickhead or a redhead will get his wings’ road safety ads are cleared
Vic Roads’ controversial “Don’t Be A Dickhead” road safety campaign has been cleared by the Advertising Standards Board despite an avalanche of complaints.
Many of the complaints focused on the fact that redheads were made figures of fun in the series of ads.
Happened in Canberra already?
HI Guys
Thanks for reporting on this decision. Just wanted to let you know however that this case report has been on our website and publicly available since about 8 May. The link to case reports for all decisions since April are on the front page of our website under ‘News’….www.adstandards.com.au…cases before April can be located using the ‘search cases’ button. Thanks, Fiona
It seems over the last 24 months it has become quite cool to denigrate reheads for a physical feature… their redhair. Almost overnight, “ranga” has come out of nowhere to be an acceptable term for redheads. Is nigger due for a come back soon care of the Ad industry?
I’ve got red hair. In kindergarten you got teased, along with the wogs, the asians, and if we had any, i’m sure black kids too. Our teacher said it wasn’t nice to do.
Now we are all grown ups.
But it’s still ok to denigrate people with red hair. I don’t get it ASB. Is it so hard to work this out?
I guess I can’t take a joke. Much like indigenious Australians who don’t appreciate the hilarity of black jokes and jewish Australians who don’t get a cracker jew joke… I guess… Not a perfectly comparable analogy I’d agree, but you get the point. It’s funny for some, just not the targeted group.
So in case the ASB and the grown up world hasn’t got it yet – it’s still not nice to make fun of how people look. What was that book from a few years ago?? – “Everything i learnt, i learnt in Kindergarten”. I wish.
BTW – i’d prefer to be upwind of Downwind Productions.
andrew
How does an ethnic joke start?
With a look over the shoulder.
An absolute disgrace. I’m not a redhead, but I am a caucasian with Christian beliefs. It seems it’s ok to take the pi$$ out of some minorities or religions, but not others. The Code finds “that having red hair is not a disability”, therefore its ok. Does that mean the Code considers that being a Muslim, black or any of the preferred champions of discrimination IS a disability? Now that IS discrimination.
Old news re-hashed presumably for topical redhead headline – slow news day for Dr Mumbo?
CopperCab would not be happy.
https://www.youtube.com/user/CopperCab
I whole heartedly agree with the above comments by Andrew & Chris. I am a redhead and love the occassional redhead jokes as I am sure blondes enjoy the occassional blonde jokes. I however find it somewhat hypocritical and un-Australian that this case is Ok, while it seems all other groups of various race, sex, creed or other stigma wish to remain protected species. Maybe our current PM might like to bring about a change in such double standards, given she too is a redhead.
The TAC hard hitting campaign in Vic has reduced road fatalities form around 776 deaths a year to around 300.
On the other side of coin VicRoads has turned road safety into a (bad) joke – with a failed attempt to create a viral video. VicRoads, in conjunction with Downwind.Media have instead created an antiviral.. that is a series of awkward advertisements that are so lame most people would be too embarrassed to pass it on!
Downwind.media break the number one rule of interactive media… by disallowing comments on the youtube page it frustrates audiences even more and just makes it look like Vicroads and Downwind.media want the campaign to be screened but not be heard. Like your grandfather on facebook, the whole campaign is just wrong.
Why not perhaps use gooks, chinks, kikes, spooks, pakis, abos, albinos, monobrows, spicks or wogs instead. That would be less offensive now wouldn’t it.
I don’t necessarily get the relevance of the red head link to road safety, but given the flack blondes have copped over the years (not just in dumb blonde jokes, but also in bimbo portrayals in the media and ads too numerous to mention), I think red heads should get over it. The same way Nick Giannopoulos embraces the term Wog Boy, embrace ‘Ranga’.
Blondes aren’t a minority but are still subject to stereotypes, but we generally aren’t going around wasting hot air and being offended by jokes that clearly aren’t targetting us personally (unless we are in fact dumb, and too ‘blonde’ to get the insult). Apparently, we are out there having more fun.
The real discussion point here should be why the advertisers thought it this was the best way of communicating their message and influencing change.
lol – from one blonde to another, we ARE a minority – less than 2% of people are blonde. If we weren’t a minority, and stupid blondes with big tits an even smaller minority – then stupid brunettes with big tits would be the butt of jokes the world over. (And yes, this non-stupid blonde gets very bored with blonde jokes.)
Nobody picks on a majority when wanting to appeal to one. Pick on blondes, redheads, homeless – whoever – just not the majority. In the above case, it seems to be cashing in on the current ‘bash a ranga’ craze. My redheaded partner thinks it’s amusing, by the way, but then he’s big enough that nobody’s going to pick on him. To me, it feels like the population at large ran out of kids with glasses to pick on, or blondes with big tits to call stupid, and decided woot, now let’s give the rangas a kicking.
Humans = afraid of the other, or anyone who can be classed as Them, instead of Us. Fostering that kind of hatred/fear isn’t really conducive to a happy society in my view – it’s not PC to do it to gays, blacks, refugees, the disabled – but it’s ok to foster hatred/distrust of a hair colour? Wtf is the ASB on?
Who let the ranga make a comment?
Sic cat, you’re not funny, you’re offensive.
But you know that, and that’s why you hide behind an anonymous post.
Where are your cahones? -be brave – say it in person, tell us your name – i guarantee it will be funnier.
If the best people can do is make a crack at the colour of your hair then they are really clutching at straws!
The best line I ever retorted with was:
Dick – “You’ve got ginger hair – hahahahaha!”
TonyMacaroni – “But I can dye my hair, you’ll always be a dick.”
Definitely got the desired response :o)
Sic cat? More like scaredy cat. You were probably bullied by a redhead at school. get a life your comment is not valued!
WTF what’s next an anti whaling campaign with a “save a whale harpoon a fat chick” slogan. The ASB have shown that they are a bit out of step with the general consensus in society of what is and isn’t off limits in different contexts. Singling out a segment of society and degrading them based on their appearance = not good. The double standards they have applied in coming to this decision (as mentioned in some of the above comments) is also baffling.
It looks like Vic roads and Downwind have gone with a very cynical strategy ie. We need this campaign to be viral. Let’s do something shocking and contraversial.
The end result is not very inspiring stuff. In their attempt to be funny I’m sure they’ve got a few chuckles. But as a viral road safety campaign, I’d honestly be a ashamed of it.
unbelievable!!!!
most of us redheads have grown up with ridicule some cruel and some just stupid. Im sure its the same with all minoritys. if you can get thru it during the most impressional time of your schooling than you grow in to a very strong individual. well some of us do. but what about the few who never get over it and worse yet the ones who end their own lives because of the ignorance of some.
Before something as stupid as this ad campaign is launched, why not check in with the people who will suffer – the children at school. The bullies really dont need any more help to find things to pick on.
This world is full of small thinkers. and i pity the people who not only approved the ad but came up with such a small minded angle. I am sure the pay is not too bad and a little more thought would not go astray.
For all the rangas out there check out http://www.rangapride.com.au. register and i will send you a free sticker to show and grow the support for rangas and show the red head kids outhere that it really is cool to be red. It really is about the kids. we survived.
Be well and think big
Absolutely DISGUSTING! Not offensive? Are you kidding? It is true that some may snigger or find the add funny but it’s unlikely to be the minority group targeted. I doubt it will have the desired effect.I am most definitely going to write and complain. It is hard to believe in this era of ‘tolerance’ that something so offensive has been allowed to go ahead.
As Andrew (above) pointed out, does this mean that other derogatory words used to target minorities are also back ‘in’- words like nigger, paki, chink, leb etc I very much doubt it. That would be racist. However, it IS OK to make fun of red-hair. They are minority after all and just don’t have the numbers to make a difference with complaints. Wrong! I will be doing my rallying from now on. If anyone mentions the term ranga when I am around WATCH OUT!!
Signed: A VERY attractive redhead (actually more attractive than alot of brunettes, blondes and black headed people I know)
I totally agree with Chris, Andrew and Gregory Molina on this ISSUE – i am a long suffering member of the red army.
It’s absolute HYPOCRISY to target one group of individuals and not class it as as such when its clear as day, but to add a more worrying layer to this – its ok to dismiss the blatant attack on PEOPLE with strawberry blonde hair as it wasn’t meant for mainstream media use – but as acceptable use for online/ viral marketing – are they saying redheads don’t get online and wont be offended ??? Maybe that is why Gillard is pushing so hard on the broadband network for Australia …
Also the man featured is an exaggerated representation of a ginger haired INDIVIDUAL- with pastier than average skin and awful dress sense – i can imagine fellow redheads Andrew and Greg on this thread wouldn’t dare sport a vest t-shirt under a polo shirt – its just not cricket.
Ginger people have also been DISMISSED as the subtext in the ad – concluding with the tag line DONT BE A DICKHEAD which is think isnt a bad sentiment if not symbiotically linked to a redhead.
The ad is a real dichotomy in a FAIR GO country like Australia which has a pretty good take on what is funny and how far to push things – but this really doesnt sit right.
As if its not hard enough for us kids to grow into mentally and physically confident MEMBERS OF SOCIETY – what with not being able to look at the sun without getting burnt. Not to mention if facial hair was popular (like in the 80-late 90’s) growing in it acts like a neon sign framed by a white canvass.
Maybe the red headed community will get the last laugh on August 21st – when Gillard will win what looks like a majority government.
VIVA LA REVOLUTION