Naomi Campbell offended by chocolate comparison
By Alexandra Heilbron on June 1, 2011 | 23 Comments
Naomi Campbell is offended by a new Cadbury ad that shows a chocolate Dairy Milk Bliss chocolate bar surrounded by diamonds and features text that reads: “Move over Naomi, there’s a new diva in town.” (No photo of Naomi Campbell appears in the ad) In response, the supermodel said: “I am shocked. It’s upsetting to be described as chocolate, not just for me, but for all black women and black people as a race. I do not find any humor in this. It’s insulting and hurtful. I am considering every option available to me.” A group called Operation Black Vote backs Naomi, believing the ad to be offensive and demanding an apology from the company, as well as a public boycott of the chocolate. A Cadbury rep told E! News the campaign would not be repeated, adding, “It was certainly never our intention to cause any offense…Cadbury takes its responsibility very seriously indeed and we would never produce any marketing activity we felt might cause offense to any section of society.” [poll=286]
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Pathetic…typical american overreaction…I highly doubt Cadbury planned anything offensive and Naomi should grow up and stop being so sensitive…She needs a smack across the head…She seems like a real conceeded bitch anyways…maybe someone should teach her a little modesty
Grow up.
Yeah i second that, people are just looking for an excuse to be offended these days. Her reaction just shows how much of a diva she really is, “GO CADBURY”!!
I bet the next ad has a Caucasian in it. this is just a has been grasping for more media attention.
I wonder if Naomi considered that the ad isn’t even referring to skin colour? It’s chocolate for gosh sakes.
And besides, this is that the ad is right, Naomi is an epic diva.
It’s pretty obvious that the add’s reference to Naomi is appropos to her being a diva, not to her skin colour, but she wouldn’t have had a leg to stand on if she complained about that. Play the racist card, and it’s a different matter…
omg these days black people think everything is racist! Naomi get over yourself!
IMHO it’s offensive. How is a chocolate bar able to be a diva? The only reason it’s being compared to Naomi is b/c of the color. Period. If it wasn’t about color, and was really about a diva, they would have used any other well known diva that wasn’t African American.
Not to change the topic, but that looks really good, I’m going to look for it in stores! But if I saw the ad in a magazine, I wouldn’t have known who it’s referring to, she’s not anyone I would recognize. I mean, I’ve heard of her, but just the name Naomi doesn’t automatically make me think of her, even if that’s how they meant it.
All this racist and racism remarks are total crap, people should grow over this and stop complaining…The color of the skin depends on the topography and the climatic conditions where people live, everyone is unique and thats the way GOD has made, this stupid racism is not in the color or skin, its in peoples HEAD!!!!
Anyone called Naomi Watts to find out if she was offended?
It’s one thing to say that a woman has chocolate-coloured skin and another to say that the woman is chocolate herself due to her skin colour, problematically alluding to issues of race and the fetishization/exoticism of non-European culture. As if African women are objects to be consumed. It’s old hat but it’s not right. To top that off, they included the diamond scandal with the huge pile of diamonds under the chocolate. Someone at Cadbury really hates Naomi.
wow, that is too funny, I did not make the “chocolate” connection unitl I read her statement! I thought the offense was the reference to “diva”. (yes, I’m white)…is it me, or is it just non-whites that keep making these racist connections?
Wow Caroline, that never even entered my mind. Excellent observation, very very excellent.
Have to agree with Caroline (and Naomi) here – the marketing and commodification of black women and women generally as objects to be consumed is abhorrent. And this is racism! not some figment of people’s imaginations that we have to “get over” – What we have to do is “make over” our thinking and start to consider an anti-racist lens in our thinking – if women like Naomi use her celebrity and diva status to educate and empower – go girl! And thanks!
Maybe she should throw her phone at Cadbury’s head offices.
so i guess if it was saying move over Barbra Streisand, then all white people should be offended??? color has nothing to do with being a diva. it’s an attitude, and that chocolate bar has it!
Kags- I find your comment offensive.
I never made the “chocolate” connection until I read the article. This is dumb and blown out of proportion. everyone mind as well not say a thing as anyone could take something the wrong way..
Barbra Streisand isn’t white – she’s Jewish LOL And I don’t think she’d mind, Jews have sences of humor.
Naomi just proved Cadbury’s point – DIVA MUCH??
This ad has nothing to do with race, is has to do with personality. And frankly, in my opinion, Naomi Campbell’s is not that attractive
To all people of lighter persuasion please understand this…I do not like Naomi Campbell but she has every right to feel insulted in being compared to a chocolate bar.You have to understand that we have been called every degrading name in the book for 400 + years then we graduated to Afro American,cuban etc. to African American,African Canadian etc.Why can’t we just be canadians or Americans or where ever your from? If we enslaved you for 400 + years, took you from your country and scattered and seperated you from your family in differen’t parts of the world,changed your religion,you language,your last name,called you every degrading name in the book, I think you would be a little sensitive if we(Blacks) made an ad comparing lady gaga to a piece of white chocolate or an egg.Google Willie Lynch letter & you’ll read an ugly history that will never be taught to you in school.Remember Blacks never invented racism so when Naomi Campbell reacts like that it’s a normal response to how we all feel… We do not like being compared to chocolate! I only have a chip on my shoulder to Blacks,Whites etc, who ignore historical Psycological facts of slavery.
I’m not offended by the ad, but I am offended by Monique’s comments. I bet Barbra Steisand would be very surprised to hear she isn’t white. What is she then? Black? Asian? There are traditionally three races — Caucasian (white), Mongoloid (Asian) and Negroid (Black) — although now some scientists are claiming there are one, possibly two more: Australoid (Australian aborigines) and Capoid (also Black, but from South Africa). It’s really racist to say Jews aren’t white. Shame on you.