Right Gwynnie. And I'm Martian.
Paging through the "Fashion Rocks" supplement to the September issue of Vanity Fair, I first came across a David Bowie version of the keepachildalive.org ad at left. OK. Married to Iman. Probably has had Mick Jagger's lips around his cock once or thrice. I sort of bought it. Then, a few pages later, this. (big sigh) You are the whitest white girl in the entire white world, Paltrow. Cheers to you that you support a very worthy cause. But, allow someone else to do the ads. You'd survive about 10 minutes in African bush. And, you just look completely and utterly ridiculous.
posted by copyranter @ 9:40 AM
81 Comments:
Would you believe, South African?
Maybe the hyphenate got cut off. She's African-AMERICAN.
and hot!
I wish I could get my hair to get that blowing in the breeze look ...
ROFLMAO! Now THAT was funny.
i blame angelina jolie for this.
Jesus H. Christ. Jesus H. Christ. Jesus H. Christ. Isn't this the same heifer who made her husband and band cancel some tour to save the chilluns in Africa cuz she was preggo. omg, swallowing my tongue whole...faaack!
they could at least have used Charlize Theron, since she actually is African.
I hear she also has AIDS.
Oh wait, actually we ALL have AIDS. I forgot.
ummm...okay the comment above "jamie" is just plain stupidity and ignorance. i think they should have used someone of substance for the ad. not "dear ol "gwen". why didn't they use maya angelou?
She is the most overrated actress in the universe. I'm so sick of seeing here face.
She's actually had Mick Jagger's lips around her cock once or twice too.
In Africa.
Actually, doesn't the concept (solidarity with the African AIDS crisis regardless of where you're from) require anti-african images? That's why Gwen works well. IMHO.
Commence flaming.
:)
Oh...(long pause interrupted by longer pause)...now I get it!
Thanks, b!
And in a completely different vein, my verification is "ahdrzojq." Which can only mean "Ah, Dr. Z, official Jewish questioner?"
She sure is pretty enough, but does anyone else get the impression that she'd be a cold fish in the sack?
hey, in shakespeare in love she played a woman playing a man; so i guess she can play an african too. now, if she tried to play an african woman playing an african man...
'You'd survive about 10 minutes in African bush'?
Some of us have discovered cities, you know. I mean, you still have to watch out for the lions and giraffes an' all and I had to type this on a kalabash but a family down the road has running water.
I was referring to her get-up here. She is emulating a tribeswoman. no? Not really a "city" look.
Nope, she doesn't make the list...
http://freshnotes.com/TextRover/TextRover?search=african
I've never seen an African looking like that. Injuns in John Wayne movies, yes, but not Africans.
so is she trying to convince white people to do something about aids in africa?
i think the ad wouldve been better if it said, "i am NOT REALLY african. neither are any of the white people there, so they should give the land back to the natives and support them rebuilding their homeland. and while theyre at it, give them the aids vaccine that theyve been stockpiling since the eighties."
it's all about challenging stereotypes, and I think the ads do a good job of that. Not all Africans are black and live in the bush. Just an example, South Africa has 11 official languages, and many muslims. you can find halal chicken at KFC in South Africa. Go Gauteng and see for yourself!
http://www.keepachildalive.org/projects_psa.php
I didn't know you had to:
1. be African
2. married to one
3. survive in wilderness
...to support Africans. Guess Angelina is screwed then?
keep the ignorance flowing people!! your comments are so funny.
HIV is a huge issue here in Africa. Yay to anyone who creates a positive awereness.
Why let fact stand in the way of your meaningless opinions??
The concept is so obscure that it fails to communicate the message, which should be far more important than the image.
It is not emotive in any way. It does not motivate any reaction out of me, other than skepticism.
In my opinion, the money they spent getting Gwen to pose could have been far better invested in a much more powerful campaign.
Chris Martin (Paltrow's hubby) actually has African heritage, since his mother is from Zimbabwe and he spent quite a bit of his childhood there. Guess that makes Paltrow about as qualified as Mick Jagger...
Yeah, she's African. I saw her up on 125th street sitting under the scaffolding airing her thighs. She braided my hair for $60. It doesn't look right though; I don't think I'm going back.
"i am NOT REALLY african. neither are any of the white people there..."
I’m white and I was born here in Africa. How fucking dare you tell me I’m “not really African.”
If I’m not African, then what am I?
Should I just leave the country? Ok, sure, do a google on “brain drain South Africa” and tells me what that turns up. I’m staying here and doing what I can instead of turning tail and running like so many other white people. Give the land back to the “natives” as you call what I’m assuming are black people? Do a google on “Zimbabwe land invasions.” Then come back here and post what you find.
“Aids vaccines”… are you on crack?
I AM African and I AM white, the two are not mutually exclusive you closed minded, ignorant fuck-wit.
And copyranter, once again, we don't all live in the "bush". Come to Cape Town, have a drink at one our fancy pants resteraunts, then talk to me about how we won this year's Cannes Grand Prix from the bush.
did I say "you all live in the bush?" did I? read my comment, Mister/Miss Sensitive anon person.
This is getting bizarre, folks. It’s real display of passive bias and social ignorance. Why would being married to a Black person and/or person with African heritage make you more African? Why do we think she is emulating a tribeswoman (whatever that is)? African-inspired styles and jewelry have been popular for decades. I think y’all should move onto the next topic before someone posts something really stupid.
That's a good last word. I'm done. The rest of you keep bringing it, if you want.
I AM African and I say the David Bowie version of the ad is much better. Poor Gwyneth. She just wants to change the world like her hubby and look at the flack she gets.
Am I the only one who thinks that this would actually work if they used a series of photos of "famous" people of different races (not just white and not just white-married-to-black) looking like they "normally" do? In a sort of 9-11 sympathy/empathy "we are all Americans now" way, not that I'm comparing the two, only the usage. It just seems ridiculous to use a white woman with some sort of fake "tribal" face paint (or whatever it is) and jewelry that suggests "African."
Or you can tell me why I'm wrong.
Adam Ant called, and he wants his outfit back. I was only following this comment thread in hopes of more Fashion Rocks bashing.
Not so much about getting in the fight of "african vs white" and all the other bull, but I also so this in a magazine recently with Seal & Heidi Klum - was a good shot & bridges the gap well
God! This is what you use your energy for? Instead of just getting the message and try to do something, you try to see something else! Just help, anyone, and start having a life!
i'm tired of the saying "bring it" already.
it's just so exhausting how charities use celebrities and celebrities use charities to pimp Africa and its problems (poverty, war, famine, AIDS).
i'd prefer that there be no ads and we
fellow human beings just gave our support quietly in the hopes of actually changing the world.
wistful thinking I know but what can i do -- still got some hope in me!
a few thoughts: I dont know which part of Africa they believe wear that type of Red Indian type of make-up, but I've never seen that. Yip, there is African warpaint, but sure as hell doesn't look like that, and definitely not that fake paintbrushed stuff either.
Secondly, I do think the ad agency missed the point all together. They are making the same classical mistake.... although the majority is Black, yes you do get white Africans. Im white (not that I really care about colour) living in South Africa with Africa running strongly in my blood. But that aside...
Should they use celebrities if it helps the cause - DEFINITELY. And it's great that they try and do something about Africa's challenges. But I dont think the message is very clear... I get the feeling the copywriter does not really know what AIDS is about. There is no such thing as lifesaving Aids drugs. Only drugs that can prolong life and improve the quality fo life! Drugs alone will also not address the AIDS pandemic.
I think some good intentions, really bad and ill-informed execution.
Well, I really hoped to avoid further discussion here. But here’s a final two cents. Don’t mean to sound condescending.
The concept behind this campaign was probably rooted in the recognition that we all tend to segregate problems. That is, poverty is a (fill-in-the-minority) problem, starvation is a (fill-in-the-third-world-nation) problem, flooding is a New Orleans problem, the lack of diversity in the advertising industry is a (fill-in-the-minority) problem, etc. And of course, AIDS is an African problem. In short, we distance ourselves by believing it’s someone else’s problem, and ultimately ignore the issues.
This campaign probably sought to break down these beliefs, inspiring people to realize we’re all part of a single collective. The AIDS problem won’t go away until we believe it’s our problem too — and this notion applies to all other problems too.
Does the Gwyneth ad work? Probably not. Does Gwyneth look silly? Probably. But she’s probably doing more to help solve the true problem than anyone posting here.
okay. I believe in anyone who has the compassion to GIVE, BUT.... what about kids in america. If you are an american (english, whatever) and there are starving kids in your own country who have aids, need adotion, etc... why not help them first? I don't undersatnd why the US donates so much money to these countries. I understand they need it as well, but there is an Aids epidemic here too! cancer, and a variety of other diseases. why help foreign countries that don't appreciate it and burn our flag??
i think it'd be more effective if the ad had a bunch of cute babies dying of aids.
then, some numbers: the daily cost of drug cocktails. the annual earnings of the top 3 big pharma companies that produce those drugs, if possible, broken down by product and added up so to show profit from aids meds. then, the dollar amount the us gvmt provides in tax subsidies to big pharma for their "charitable" work.
finally, the kicker: how much do they actually donate to help aids patients in africa?
you could get all crazy and even include a statistic about how much, say, a fidelity mid-cap mutual fund invests in big pharma and show how much the average american's 401k profits off these companies. that way people feel like they have a part in it, too, not just pointing fingers at "evil companies."
The cost of Gwynnie's hair, makeup and necklace is least 3 times the annual per capita income (about $200) in the poorer African countries. This ad was not meant to make a difference in the lives of Africans, and it won't. It was made to make Gwinnie and other rich white Hollywood liberals feel good about themselves and to make moviegoers feel good about them. After a month or so and the ad has finished its run in the various expensive media outlets, people will forget about the ad, and disease, famine and poverty will continue to ravage Africa just as much as before, yet Gwynnie will sleep well at night knowing she's done her part.
All of the above, as valid and/or funny as it is, is trumped by her naming her child "Apple". She should be taken out and shot just for that move. Oh, that and she has no ass.
Actually she has a very nice ass now.
OY.
I have trained myself to hate nothing. Not nothingness, to which I aspire, but even the following (truncated) list of reprehensible things:
War
Murder
Rape
Slavery
Suicide
Point is: Hate breeds hate. Love breeds love. So, even though I am a peace activist, I recognize that homo sapiens is a territorial species, and, thus, it fights. And subjects its adversaries to cruel and inhuman acts.
But, since 1974 when my girlfriend's mother professed her hatred of me, I have stopped hating. That's 32 years. It ain't easy, there are a lot of things I don't like about people, our country, the world, but I refuse to hate.
Love,
Pete Jameson
Ligonier, PA
pete jameson,
brother, you definitely dropped into the wrong blog...
dear pete jameson,
you know what i hate? i hate double negatives and i hate bad grammar. for example: "i recognize that homo sapiens is...." the plural form of the verb to be is "are."
love,
nina
ps - do you hate fascism?
Ich bin ein Berliner.
I agree with Pete Jameson's girlfriend's mother.
I'd still like to fuck her in the ass! Oh wait! That's how you get AIDS in the first place, better make it a blowjob.
"She sure is pretty enough, but does anyone else get the impression that she'd be a cold fish in the sack?"
I'm glad to see the importance of this message is really getting across.
Congratulations everyone for ripping the piss out of a woman who is trying to do something to raise awareness of the plight of an entire continent.
Kudos to the wonderful comments of 'We ALL have Aids'.
Top marks.
Stupid Fuckers
the purpose of the ad is to get the whitest person...to say that even though they are not African, they are...even if they don't have Aids, they do...even if they don't care, they do OR should.
its a universal statement like we are all african, we should all pay attanetion to the issue.
whatever the angle, it draws your attention and the ad is memorable, i think it beats the norm and i disagree with your critique
but I love your blog in general.
HR
i suppose celebs will always have their causes du jour but i just keep thinking: where is the reaction to AIDS killing so many black folks (particularly women)in this country?!? i don't say ignore other countries but seriously, look up the numbers for people dying in the U.S. - shocking!
king leopold's ghost said...
i think the ad wouldve been better if it said, "i am NOT REALLY african. neither are any of the white people there, so they should give the land back to the natives and support them rebuilding their homeland.
Isn't that the same as saying Americans shoud give the land back to the Indians? I may be a white African, but I am an African nevertheless, you ignorant idiot.
Dear ninaberries,
I hate hypocrites who correct someone else's grammar incorrectly. "Homo sapiens" is the singular name of a species. Thus, it requires the use of a singular verb. There are many mockable things about Pete Jameson's comment, but his grammar in that particular sentence is not one of them.
Love,
Alison
jews are african, not white
Who remembers Live Aid? Who remembers the Brittish and American singers/celebrities going on and on about how the money they were raising was going to save the starving people of Ethiopia? They raised millions of dollars. And whom did that money & publicity profit?
1) Brittish and American singers/celebrities (it was great publicity)
2) Mengistu Haile Mariam, the Marxist thug who ruled the country and who was already blocking internationa aid and kept much of the Live Aid booty for himself and his troups.
3) Oh yeah, it made millions of people in the Western world feel good about themselves.
Did any of those celebrities go and check to see why the people were starving, or wheather the money was actually getting to the people they said they cared so much about? Hint: no.
But it sure did make us all feel warm and fuzzy inside. And the Ethiopians continued to die.
And don't get me started about the Vietnam War protester-celebrities that completely ignored the post-US pullout slaughter of 3/4 million Vietnamese and 2 million Cambodians. They cared so much until the cameras turned off.
Not to mention that AIDS isn't an Africa-wide crisis, it's a (primarily) Sub-Saharan African crisis, as my Eastern and Western African friends like to say(not an "entire continent" like some here seem to believe). They also say that they are sick and tired of Westerners thinking of all Africans a paint wearing/National Geographic special looking/drum pounding/lion fighting/stone age/monolithic race. Africa is a pretty big continent with a large number of different races and cultures, many of which have moral and religious beliefs which have kept them from becoming victims of this plague.
But you can stop worrying about any of them now, the pretty white girl cares about them, she'll save them. Yes, the pretty white girl will take care of the poor black folk.
P.S. pete jameson, it's so great that you've trained yourself not to hate, and we're all so happy that you like to post such wonderful things about yourself. We all want to give you a great big wonderful hug. You're such a wonderful person. Do you also blow trumpets when you give to LiveAid? BTW, worms, rocks, my dining room table, and people in comas don't hate either. Whom have you trained yourself to love? Please keep us posted on your continuing and, I'm sure, constantly improving, wonderfulness.
I can't believe how hostile so many people are on this blog! Have any of you actually tried looking at the website? There are lots of celebrities of different backgrounds in the "i am african" page.
The idea of this ad is tell you that the first people came from, and that's who we are all descended from - so in a sense, we are all african if you go far back enough. The idea is that we are all family. It's an attempt to change perception of Africa from the image so many people have, of a dehumanised bunch of poor blacks dying, to a people that we belong to and should care about.
I am the daughter of a white african and I am proud of being associated with africa. I have been lucky enough to spend time in a number of african countries and it is an amazing place to go.
As to why you should help people in another country when there are people who are suffering at home - of course you should help people at home. But the poverty and suffering in parts of africa is so far beyond anything that the worst parts of first world coutries experience - you just can't compare it.
The ad may not be to everyone's taste, but at least it's got people talking - and maybe that will bring with it a little more awareness.
Don’t mean to keep returning to this, but anonymous directly above is right. Another source reported that Iman is one of the stars behind this effort. The ads include a variety of people (the White stars may actually be in the minority with this campaign). Iman points to the fact that everyone’s DNA traces back to Africa — as much as the KKK and assorted commentators here might be distressed to discover.
Why is AIDS so special?
Perhaps we can speak honestly about this terrible disease.
First we have to be clear. We must fight against any preventable death and ease all suffering, irrespective of gender, race, age or sexuality.
Sadly, the trend is the opposite. Governments are increasingly legalizing the killing of the elderly, the ill and the disabled. But when it comes to AIDS, it seems politicians and public figures cannot do enough, or at least be seen to be doing enough.
Movie stars, rock singers, authors and activists demand that we pump billions of dollars into their cause. The irony is that AIDS is one of the few diseases where personal behavior rather than medical research could save millions of lives.
AIDS in the West is still overwhelmingly a threat to male homosexuals and intravenous drug users.
It's now found in other groups, but it has taken years for that to happen and they still represent the minority of sufferers. More than this, the bulk of the newly infected tend to be people who have contracted the virus through permissive sexual practices.
While sexual and chemical addiction are powerful habits, both place cause and effect squarely on the individual. Not so Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, most cancer and heart disease, leukemia or malaria.
The latter, by the way, still kills three million people a year in sub-Saharan Africa. Yet none of these or dozens of other illnesses receive anything like the publicity or funding given to AIDS.
In Africa, of course, the disease affects children and is often spread through ignorance or because of archaic attitudes towards women. Yet we ought not to play the politically correct card when lives are at risk.
There are dozens of nuances of course, such as babies born with the infection and infected men being unaware of their condition when they marry. None of these problems, however, can be dealt with merely with money and pop songs.
Cash is essential to build hospitals and pay medical staff to care for the ill and dying. It also helps to educate, but not if the education is dishonest. And dishonesty abounds.
Raise money to combat the medical horrors that are seldom exposed and kill so many and for which researchers are crying out for help. Even if it won't earn you any television coverage or the cover of a magazine.
Does anyone ever get sick and tired of "Western European Americans" getting blamed for everything. IS ANYONE responsible for their own shit anymore?
Dear Alison,
Throw stones from your glass house much? The species is known as Homo sapien, the plural of which is "sapiens". Get your facts straight.
Love,
Jennifer
Wow.
There were alot of uneducated comments above. I , however, don't spend my free time tryong to make other people feel like shit, so I won't insult anyone.
I would like to apologize to those Africans present, on the behalf of those present who assume many things about Africa mainly this;
Everyone in Africa is black , lives in huts in the bush fighting lions and purposely infecting themselves and their neighbors with AIDS, waiting for their great white neighbors to come to their aid while doing to best they can to improve their "homestead".
Some people in other parts of the world have studied the many different parts, peoples, cultures and countries of Africa. As one of them, I would like to say at least the ad prompted this lively conversation.
Conversation ignites change.
Hopefully those present will now realize not to believe in the "Lion King" image of Africa, will hesitate before criticize those who attempt to help others, and have an opinion- but let it be educated.
I get a real kick out of the "what are you doing to save people...get a life and go help someone" comments. It's a serious subject, but not all of the discussion was meant to be serious...stop taking yourself and everyone else so seriously. This ad is so utterly mock-able. We're almost powerless to resist.
Oh...and the thirty seconds it took you to type your sanctimonious call-to-action was thirty seconds you could have used to save the world yourself. Shame on you.
What did you holier-than-thou, inexpicably angry posters doing on this blog if you're looking for deep, compelling political discussion? "Ripping the piss" out of celebrities tends to happen when you hang out in these joints. I'm sure you could find some place up to your intellectual and moral superiority.
I meant "What ARE you...." Sorry for the typo. I guess I should again bow before your superiority.
Insane B.S.
Air-drop her to South Africa or Zimbabwe where she would find herself gang-raped, drawn and quartered within about 10 minutes.
WE ARE ALL AFRICAN!!!!!
Your all idiots. The point of the campain is to show everyones joint humanity. The campain shows we ALL share african DNA. Regardless of your skin color, each living human person has african roots. It's the thing that makes us all esentially the same. Wether you like the campain or not the phrase "I Am African" has a meaning. Not only does it have meaning but it is essentially true. I know most caucasions hate the idea, sadly. But wether you like it or not...it is where life started and we are all AFRICAN. The only thing that makes us cosmetically different is environmental evolution.
That would be "You're" all idiots. Also, "campaign." Also, "everyone's." Also, "Whether." Also, "caucasians."
"The point of the campain is to show everyones joint humanity. The campain shows we ALL share african DNA."
while this is true, i don't see any American DNA model in unity with African DNA on this ad. my AIDS are not yours and I don't want you to wear face paint about it to make me feel better. the point may be humanity, but the ad says essentialism, exoticism-- look it up. BS! Africans don't need that, AIDS victims sure as hell don't. why can't Gwyneth be an American who supports Africans, or do advertisers think Americans won't find that "interesting" enough?
http://blackwomenineurope.blogspot.com/2007/07/this-is-actual-ad-campaign-by-unicef.html
this ad only raises my awareness of gwynnie being a twat
Jennifer:
Alison's right. SapienS is SINGULAR. Check a latin dictionary before correcting other people.
www.afrikanunitymovement.com
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=39608120
You Shall see the finla work of mankind in AFRIKAS YOUTHS,FRIENDS AND PEOPLE~JUST HANG ON~ NO HATE NO WHAT BUT FOCUS~WORLD LEADERS WILL TELL US WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN!
NOT SPEAKING MUCH~KEEP TALKING! WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH~
AFRICAN UNITY FOREVER!
all u motherfucker who are hating are arrogant and idiots.as far as i am concerned all of them are helping people who are actually dieing and its a blessing 2 see someone else from another race trying to help.u haters r so good at hating,why dont u all try contributing money
To those of you insulting this ad, did any of you actually take the time to determine what this ad is promoting? It's saying that each and every one of us comes from African descent. It's simply promoting the fact that we each contain DNA that can be traced back to our African ancestry. It's personalizing the horrors occurring in Africa in an effort to make them real to the people in the rest of the world. It is not a racial advertisement, it's an advertisement aimed directly at our hearts.
to you bloggers: you are all wrong by judging peter jameson. he is a great man. you don't know him yet, you say things about him.
to pete jameson: why does your girlfriend's mother hate you? I love you.
Wow, so much hatred shared here. Worst thing about hatred, always bites the one doing the hating the worst.
yeah....she's still hot, though. that's really all I remember from the ad. So I guess... not a successful ad.
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