WUNRN
EU Removes Promotional Video from Its Website over Charges of Racism & Violence Against Women
A still from the controversial video depicting men of color
threatening to attack a white woman representing " |
The
UK paper Daily Telegraph has reported that on Tuesday, 6 March, the European
Commission removed a video clip promoting the EU as a creator of world piece
from YouTube after viewers objected to it as racist (it is available here: http://www.romea.cz/romeatv/index.php?id=detail&source=t&vid=9E2B_yI8jrI&detail=9E2B_yI8jrI).
The video reportedly cost EUR 127 000 to produce.
The
video, which is clearly inspired by Quentin Tarantino's cult film "Kill
Bill", shows three non-white men preparing for a martial arts tournament
against a lone white woman. However, the woman then produces identical copies
of herself, who encircle the men. The would-be assailants drop their weapons
and the women's yellow bodysuits transform themselves into the 12 stars of the
European Union flag.
The
European Commission has expressed regret for the fact that the video has been
perceived as racist and has apologized for it. "The clip was in no way
intended as racist and we naturally regret that it was understood as
such," said Director-General for Enlargement Stefano Sannino. "We
apologize to everyone who may have been offended by it. Given the controversy
we have decided to immediately halt the campaign and remove the video clip from
circulation," he added.
Sannino
said the response to the video from its intended target group of young people
aged 16-24, "who understand the plots and topics of martial arts films and
video games", had been positive. However, his statement also acknowledged
that others had "expressed uneasiness about the message" of the clip.
The Daily Telegraph reported that thousands of complaints have been made about
the video in which people argue that it promotes "imperialism" and
"stereotypes" instead of the EU's "neighbor policy".
The
video shows a woman walking through an empty warehouse. Suddenly a man from
The
woman views the trio calmly and then multiplies into 12 identical versions of
herself, who surround her would-be assailants. The men resignedly lower their
weapons and sit cross-legged on the ground, as do the women. The final clip
shows the women transforming into the stars on the flag of the EU, followed by
the slogan "the more we are, the stronger we are".
"[The
video] starts with a display of martial arts and ends with all of the
characters showing one another mutual respect by sitting in a position that
expresses peace and harmony," Sannino explained. "The genre was
chosen in order to attract young people and increase their interest in an important
part of EU policy."
The
independent Open Europe institution has called the video "quite odd"
at the very least. "It's half-baked, and the question remains whether
money should be spent on such things and whether they can really support
enlargement [of the EU]," said Open Europe analyst Raoul Ruparel.
"The EU is usually politically correct overall, so this is somewhat
unexpected."
Czech Press Agency, translated
by Gwendolyn Albert
ROMEA