Consumer electronics marketer Sony is being taken to task for a new ad campaign in Europe that some critics claim is racist. The new print effort is for the company's PlayStation Portable game unit,
and advertises the fact that the PSP now comes in white as well as the traditional black. It shows a striking image of a white woman dressed in white grabbing a black woman--in what appears to be at
best, a stern warning, or at worst, the start of a serious smack-down. In California, Assembly Speaker pro Tem Leland Yee said playing different racial groups off each other for the sake of an
advertisement is insensitive and potentially racist. "I am deeply disappointed in Sony's senseless decision to publish this racially charged advertisement," he said. "I can't begin to determine Sony's
motivation but I believe this marketing strategy is unnecessary and is clearly offensive to many in our community." Rick Callender, President of San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP, said the advertisement
conjured up images of minstrel shows. He said the stereotypical portrayals are inappropriate in an advertisement. Sony, meanwhile, says it is just trying to highlight a new color for the PSP. There is
no word if or when the ads might appear in the U.S.
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