The Canadian Renewable Fuels Association created some great tv advertisements. They are posted on YouTube.com.
Bio Who?
On the Hill
Founded in 1993, the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (CRFA) is a non-profit organization with a mission to promote renewable fuels for transportation through consumer awareness and government liaison activities.
The CRFA membership is comprised of representatives from all levels of the ethanol and biodiesel industry, including: grain and cellulose ethanol producers, biodiesel producers, fuel technology researchers and agricultural associations.
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It pains me to knock an organization that seeks to promote renewable fuels for transportation through consumer awareness and government liaison activities, but the racism in the “Bio Who?” ad campaign for the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (CRFA) unfortunately distracts from the group’s noble mission.
Why is it that the only person of color in the ad is a black woman who speaks with what sounds like a Caribbean accent when she asks, “Bio who?” This caricature harkens back to the blatantly and racially insensitive Aunt Jemima and the like representations from decades ago that utilized simplistic images of black people to sell a variety of products. While the CRFA ad contains a far more subtle racism than do the Aunt Jemima ads of the last century, it is nonetheless offensive. Wouldn’t it be in the best interest of the CRFA and its cause to appeal effectively to Canada’s population by truly representing the nation’s diversity without resorting to reductive stereotyping?
I have written a letter of complaint to the contact listed on the CRFA web site, but unsurprisingly, I have had no response. Perhaps one of you will have better luck.