“Napoleon Dynamite” filmmaker Jared Hess fears racism is behind the Utah State Fair Board’s decision to pull his television spots, which feature a black singer celebrating the sensual wonders of the fair.
By Glen Warchol
Fair board members say the 2010 television spots — which had earned a worldwide audience on YouTube — were too suggestive and reached the wrong “demographics.” On Friday afternoon, the commercials were pulled from the fair’s website.
“We took them down [from YouTube], just as we took the commercials off the air,” said Denise Allen, marketing and public relations director for the fair.
Advertisement for the 2010 Utah State Fair, directed by Jared Hess of Napolian Dynamite fame.
“It’s very strange,” he said. “The spots celebrate the iconic things you can only find at the State Fair. I can’t help but think that the main actor being African-American is the reason they pulled them — which is very disturbing.”
But board chairman Lorin Moench says the $22,000 advertisements didn’t accurately portray the State Fair to the people the board was trying to attract.
“We felt that the ads didn’t meet the demographics that we felt need to happen,” he said. “We are trying to get families to come to the fair and to represent the agriculture interests of the state.”
Read more and see another commercial after the bump.
Moench insists his “demographics” comment is in no way a reference to the star of the ads being a sultry African-American singer reminiscent of Barry White and Teddy Pendergrass. The Afro-coiffed singer regales the pleasures of the Utah State Fair, which opened Thursday and runs through Sept. 19.
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“No. Absolutely not,” Moench says. “We want all kinds of people to come to the fair.”
It was the sexual tone of the two “The Utah State Fair: Uncommonly Good” spots that were offensive, board members say.
In one of the ads, the 1970s-retro singer is in a judging barn witnessing the glories of a hog. He sings: “When I see your shoulders — I know that you might make a great stew. And when I see your hamhocks — yeah, I love your ham, baby — I know I’m falling in love with you. And your rib meat, so beautifully sweet.”
The second spot is an ode to funnel cakes, with the lyrics: “I’m going to put you in the butter. Turn your heat up higher. Sprinkle sugar all over you.”
The ads were selected by the State Fair staff, but weren’t previewed by the board. The board passed a motion Thursday decreeing that in the future, it must preview all fair advertising.
“It did not adequately represent the image of the State Fair,” complained board vice chairman Roger Beattie. “We all have a visceral reaction to [the spots]. There were a number of board members who thought it was a little too edgy and a little too provocative.”
Beattie counted himself among those who were uncomfortable with the ads. “This would not incentivize me and my family and my circle of influence to attend the fair.”
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5 comments:
It all begs so many questions. Who approved the boards, rough cuts, etc.? Surely a decision maker on the client side needs to step up and explain himself/herself.
tell mr. hess to bring his ad pitch down to 'keepin it weird' austin and our local rodeo and fair will probably eat it up! :-)
but let me say - as an afr am - maybe the ads were pulled b/c they just were not good? (fwiw - i LOVED napolean dynamite) im just sayin.
The story reads, they didn't see the spots until after they ran. I think they were so pleased with the previous year's Napoleon Dynamite theme. They couldn't image the same director trying something new.
Watching those commercials I think the director was going for a something that was so cheesy bad that it's funny.
where these ads pull because of sexual content as the Utah fair people say or because of race?
Hmmm I wonder if it's both. The guy is singing like
I guess I can see some sexual energy in the guy's sing (though it seem part of the comedic feel of the video) but was the ad seen as more sexual because the singer/actor is black, probably.
Martin, it seems like all of the above.
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