Reply #95: I wouldn't use the word "offensive" ... but ... [View All]

[TahitiNut]

I don't regard them as humorous, either. While I'm not a fan of taking offense where none is intended, I'm also not in favor of reducing the whole notion of ethnically demeaning characterizations to a joke. It's my view that those ads are, in some part, indicative of an advertising industry wishing to give itself license to exploit ethnic stereotypes in service to profit. The ads have absolutely nothing to do with GEICO and everything to do with a "public disservice" commercial saying "stop busting our chops for making fun of minorities."

So, I see them as a form of meta-exploitation - anything in service to corporatism.