In a commercial that has been getting a good amount of airplay lately, IBM has cast an individual whose character name is Ari. In the commercial, Ari’s character plays the role of a sort of technical lead type. He then turns to an African American IBM help desk attendant for advice on prototyping. The interesting thing about Ari is that it appears that Ari’s alternate persona is that of the Amazing Racist. Yes, that’s right, IBM has cast an individual who creates videos of himself making fun of and insulting people of various races and ethnicities. To see for yourself, take a look at a couple of examples of the Amazing Racist’s work and just in case you’re at work, be aware that they contain profanity.

Amazing Racist Makes fun of Asians here :

http://www.starterupsteve.com/video/amazingracist-asian.html

Amazing Racist dresses up as a kkk member here :

http://www.starterupsteve.com/video/amazingracist-kkk.html

You can view the IBM commercial here :

http://www-5.ibm.com/e-business/uk/tv_spot/medias/qt/testing_hr.mov?ca=ebod_uk&me=w&met=txt&re=about/uk&tactic=305AX03W

The questions that come to mind after viewing all of this are many. Is IBM aware that they have cast the Amazing Racist ? Should IBM care ? Obviously this is not an issue of freedom of speech. It’s clear that IBM has every right to place Ari in their commercial and that Ari has every right to make ridiculous videos. However, is it in good taste for a company that most likely has very progressive policies on inclusion and diversity to have this type of association ?

I’ve seen a lot of comments on this and they range from amusement to outrage. Yes, some people think it is funny. I have to admit that there were a couple of times when I laughed. However, does the fact that it may be funny make it right ? It all seems like a gray area sometimes, but it does make for lively discussion. I’d like to see more discussion before I express my opinion.

le lien a été retiré par IBM mais on l’a ailleurs :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZD4TMIkrLQ

vous êtes mal barré là avec votre défense ridicule.... IBM ne pouvait ignorer ses activités... elles ont démarré AVANT son recrutement pour la pub IBM...