Willie should have taken lessons from Lucky - it's damn tough being a pitchleprechaun in the modern world. Willie, the cantankerous and diminutive green-clad hawker for 7up's dnL, has been reemed by oversensitive folks with bad hearing. In a commercial with a cop, Willie says "I'm a myth" before getting jiggy with it. A few folks heard it as "I'm a Mick," which is a bit of a derogatory thing for Irish types. So.... back to the recording studio to makes things clear as clover.
The Belfast Telegraph has the story here, and superadgrunts can view the misunderstood commercial here.
i swear. some people work awfully hard in order to be offended - anyone who honestly believes that they'd use a racial slur to promote a new drink is a mentally deficiant troglodyte who needs to get out a little bit more.
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PermalinkThis is how I learn what words are offensive to whom. See I've always thought "Mick" was a name. As in "I'ma Mick Jagger, yaknow."
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PermalinkWhat a shame - probably too young to know any better. It's easy to say people "work awfully hard to be offended." In reality, companies work awfully hard to be offensive. There are many ways to sell a product, why use a mythical character, mocking all things Irish, to peddle a product? Now that the word is out, Dr.Pepper/7up is doing all they can to clean up the ad. It's one thing to sue over dropping coffee in your lap, it's another to not have the sense and understanding of what that ad may mean to the viewing audience. If you knew your history Anonymous you wouldn't be so trite. I'm sure you'd be happy to see companies mock all things American by displaying little more than greed - yo quiero Taco Bell.
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PermalinkWow. Exclusively anonymous comments here. Interesting.
Well, don't wanna rock the boat, so I'll be anon as well.
After viewing these spots, I still like Irish folk. And, I heard "myth." "Mick" never crossed my mind.
Language only has the power to be offensive when people allow themselves to be offended.
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