Offensive Euro 2008 Virgin Media Clip Romania

In one huge corporate flop British media giant manages to express British intolerance over other European Nations.

First of all, for all you people out there who don’t know where Romania is:

Secondly, for all you people that don’t know about the offensive Virgin Media Euro 2008 clip, have at it here:

Finally, with a little bit of background let’s start talking. Since the dawn of time sport events have brought people together in peace to compete and be entertained by others competing. Sure, way back when people used to kill each other over it and even today this type of uncivilized behavior can sometimes be seen with British hulligans although it rarely goes beyond beatings.

Well, recently, we have had the misfortune of witnessing one of the worlds media giants, Virgin Media namely, behaving as such. Apparently someone in this corporation decided that this type of hulligan behavior fits the company’s message to its audience, which I have to assume is the hulligan audience.

In their Euro 2008 clips Virgin Media presented what it thought of as signature images from the respective countries: the Eiffel tower for France, the Colosseum for Italy, Dubrovnik for Croatia. For Romania the company decided that it would be great to let the bitterness of not making it to the next round shine right through by presenting fat hairy gypsies wearing big gold chains as what Romania is famous for.

Here is what Romania is famous for:

Anyway, why did they not do it for Croatia instead?

Perhaps it’s because Croatia beat their ass fair and square.

Perhaps it would have been too obvious.

Maybe it’s because “the hoards of Romanian immigrants” they were expecting when Romania entered the EU never came, thus highlighting their lack of tolerance of the diverse populations currently living there and their nation’s tremendous nationalism.

Perhaps it’s because their women are ugly and their food is tasteless.

Perhaps it’s because they cannot possibly fathom Romania out of all countries proved to be better than them at something, nevertheless football.

To the person/people who have approved this offensive clip I wish “Happy Job Hunting”. Humor has boundaries which you knowingly have decided to trample over. YOU HAVE SOME FUCKING BALLS!!!

5 comments so far

  1. Andy on

    I’m not sure why this has caused such a furore. It just seems like a fairly crass but ultimately insignificant thing to have done. I bet nobody even watches these things (well they wouldn’t had it not been for the entirety of Romania getting up in arms about the clip, and giving Virgin Media loads of free publicity – I bet that bloke doesn’t get fired, I bet he gets promoted). But why is it offensive? Can you explain? Would you have preferred the tired old Dracula image?

    (Mind you most of your points about the British – and I am one- at the bottom, are spot on. (Though coming from a Romanian “their food is tasteless” is a bit pot calling the kettle black :-) )

  2. Giv on

    Umm,

    Andy, your food is tasteless. it’s not like your own personal food being really tasteless, although it may be if you like it so.. this comment coming from a fair skinned Romanian who LOVED London and tremendously enjoyed its diverse, ethnic, low and super-high end restaurants many years be4 anyone ever thought of Romania in EU. As to “why those things were offensive” you’re just slow, aren’t you!

  3. Nico on

    Is it offensive because the people were fat and hairy?

  4. Cederash on

    Кстати, по радио программа была об этом. Не помню, правда на какой волне…

  5. Ferinannnd on

    Добавил в закладки. Теперь буду почаще читать!


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