by Suraya Kazzuz
The racist backlash in response to a SainsburyÔÇÖs advert that was recently released has become the topic of conversation around Britain for the past few weeks. The advert, which is the first of three parts, focuses on a Black family and their Christmas traditions ÔÇô displaying photos and home videos of the familyÔÇÖs Christmas dinner while a phone call plays over the scenes of a man and his daughter talking about the ÔÇÿGravy SongÔÇÖ he sings each Christmas.
The advert has become the target of racist comments as some people have claimed that they feel they are not represented in the advert. It seems redundant and unnecessary to have to say or write about these topics in 2020. But it is important that we recognise how people of colour and particularly Black people have had to (and still have to) navigate life as underrepresented people. People of colour do not see themselves represented on TV in the same ways that white people do. The advert was posted on SainsburyÔÇÖs social media, and while the comments have currently been turned off on YouTube, there was an endless dredge of racist remarks about it.
We live in a country which often attempts to undermine the deeply-entrenched racism which permeates some of its people. It is an often heard phrase that ÔÇÿThe UK isnÔÇÖt racistÔÇÖ or that ÔÇÿWe are nowhere near as bad as AmericaÔÇÖ. But if 2020 has taught us anything, itÔÇÖs that people in the UK are no more advanced than any other country when it comes to racism. Lockdown has provided many people with the opportunity to protest and stand up against racism in a string of Black Lives Matter protests. In June this year the statue of a slave trader was recently toppled and thrown into the harbour in Bristol, a protest against a long-standing statue which represented a lot of the bigotry that still exists in this country today. However, members of parliament like Priti Patel claimed it to be ÔÇÿutterly disgracefulÔÇÖ. A commonly raised question following the toppling of the statue was why it had been up for so long in the first place. This is just one example of the way in which racism in the UK eludes certain citizensÔÇÖ viewpoints, while it stands front and centre for others.
When it comes to the response to the SainsburyÔÇÖs advert, it is an unfortunately unsurprising response for many people. When watching TV, it is hard not to notice that many companies, in an attempt to ÔÇÿappease both sidesÔÇÖ, often employ mixed-race families so as to allow for there to always be a white perspective. This would be fine if it wasnÔÇÖt also a fact that most people represented on TV are white. Therefore, when we see an advert like the first part in the SainsburyÔÇÖs trilogy, which employed only Black people, it feels as though it validates POC existence.
Many other Supermarket companies have represented families which are not white (or Black) such as AldiÔÇÖs use of carrots or ArgosÔÇÖ use of Aliens. What we should take note of here, is that there were no complaints made by white people feeling like they werenÔÇÖt represented. It seems that the only adverts which have made certain people feel that they have been belittled, are the adverts which do represent Black people. Why is this?
It feels easy to dismiss these comments as foolish and not worth our time. While the point of the racist remarks is and will always be redundant, untrue and unimportant, it is not unimportant that they have a wider impact on and implications for the lives of POC people in Britain. SainsburyÔÇÖs themselves made a statement saying, ÔÇÿAt Sainsbury’s, we want to be the most inclusive retailer. That’s why, throughout all our advertising we aim to represent a modern Britain, which has a diverse range of communitiesÔÇÖ.
It is important that everybody should be able to see themselves represented on TV, in film and in adverts. This is why SainsburyÔÇÖsÔÇÖ choice to illustrate a loving and caring Black family should not be seen as an affront to people of other races, but an example of different races being properly represented in the media.
Image credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqtcpLywgRU via YouTube