Latest news with #racialissues
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
'Hypocrite' Ryan Clark reveals biracial daughter after ripping Robert Griffin III's marriage to a white woman
Ryan Clark is being blasted as a 'hypocrite' for questioning Robert Griffin III's racially mixed marriage after the ESPN host and former Pittsburgh Steelers safety stunned followers by revealing his own biracial daughter on social media. 'I didn't know this was news, but since other people want to talk about her… This is my first born Jaden,' Clark wrote on X alongside photos from across his college-age daughter's life. 'My God she's beautiful. All of her!' By itself, Clark's post wouldn't have caused an uproar. But after facing accusations of racism for attacking Griffin's credibility over his marriage to a white woman, Clark is now being hammered for his perceived hypocrisy as well. 'I got called out for being a racist jerk, which I absolutely am, so here are some pictures of my biracial daughter,' one critic wrote on X, offering a summary of Clark's position. Another critic asked Clark a question about his daughter: 'Is she allowed to have opinions about blackness or do we have to wait and see whom she marries first?' 'I hope she never finds out how much you hate half of her,' one X user added. Both African-American former NFL stars, Clark and Griffin actually played together in Washington briefly before becoming coworkers at ESPN, where Griffin was fired and replaced by Jason Kelce in 2024. Despite their shared history, Clark ignited a feud with Griffin earlier this week by dismissing his criticism of African-American Chicago Sky star Angel Reese because of the ex-quarterback's mixed marriage. Reese and white WNBA rival Caitlin Clark clashed during the season-opener, with Griffin III accusing the Sky power forward of 'hate'. That sparked a controversial response from Clark, who claimed Griffin 'is not having conversations at his home about what black women have to endure in this country.' 'You haven't been able to do that because in both of your marriages you've been married to white women,' Clark said on his podcast Monday. Clark's attacks continued against Griffin, who is married to Estonian heptathlete Grete Griffin. 'When I worked with RGIII, he would make all of these sort of corny jokes about milk and how much he loved it and how important it was and he always points out on social media the color of his wife's skin, as if the color of her skin is what makes her special, as if the color of her skin is what makes her a good wife,' Clark said on his podcast Monday. 'I've met the lady,' Clark added. 'I've had a conversation with her. I think she's more than that, but it also leads to what black women deal with a lot from black men, who have chosen to date or marry outside of their race.' The 35-year-old responded to Clark with an angry post on Monday night. He called out Clark for 'personally attacking me and my family' in a lengthy statement on X. 'There's a line you don't cross in life and Ryan Clark sprinted past it. 'Ryan Clark didn't like my take on Angel Reese hating Caitlin Clark. That's fine. Disagreement is part of the game. But instead of debating my point, he personally attacked me and my family. That shows how low of person he is. It did not end there, however, with Clark replying: 'Bruh you know what it is with me and you! I saved you the entire season on MNF. I urged people to let you be you. No matter how corny, how bad a teammate you were I had your back. 'What did you do? Invite someone on your show you know I don't fool with to ask questions about me, and then hit me weeks later to tell me you're gonna challenge one of my takes! 'You're a phony bro. One of the worst teammates I ever had both on the field and in TV. You gotta do what you gotta do. I didn't attack your wife. I spoke on what you do on social media and TV. Like I said. I met your wife and she seemed like a lovely lady that was worth more than the color of her skin! You be good bruh.' Clark's tirade didn't stop the accusations of racism, and on Wednesday, he shared pictures of Jaden from infancy to more recent photos. 'Maybe, the news in light of this week is that she's biracial,' Clark wrote Wednesday on X. 'So? She is a perfect part of my God given experience, & the sum of those experiences make me who I am!' To many, though, Clark is either a hypocrite, racist or both. 'You cannot have a child without a mother,' one commenter wrote. 'Don't skip how great and crucial her white mother has been in both your lives. Don't dismiss that part when celebrating your daughter. Then you might see the humanity in RG3 wife and family also.' Jaden's own Instagram account includes pictures of her 2023 graduation from the University of San Francisco, where both her white and black relatives appeared to be on hand, as well as some more risqué shots. In response to one shot of Jaden in a short dress, Clark wrote: 'Where your clothes bruh?' While Clark identified his daughter as biracial, Jaden did tag her graduation shots with: '#blackgirlmagic.'
News.com.au
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Popular toothpaste brand torched for ‘tone-deaf' campaign
A popular teeth-whitening brand's latest ad campaign has left the public completely stunned, with many questioning how such a 'tone-deaf' slogan ever made it onto the side of public transport. White Glo's new ad, emblazoned with the phrase 'Make the white choice', has been spotted on Melbourne trams and Sydney buses in recent days, quickly sparking a wave of backlash online. Communications strategist Kriti Gupta told that the campaign isn't just a clumsy misstep, it's deeply problematic. 'The slogan didn't just magically slip through the cracks. It passed through multiple layers of approvals – creative, client, media buying – and somehow no one flagged how racially loaded that phrase is? That's not a slip-up. That's a systemic blind spot,' she said. 'Intent doesn't cancel out impact' 'It's not about what the brand meant, it's about how audiences read it, and you can't control meaning once it's out in public. So when a slogan like this lands? Intent doesn't cancel out impact,' Ms Gupta continued. 'Phrases like this aren't neutral. They come with baggage. The association of whiteness with purity, cleanliness, or correctness has been baked into advertising and media for decades and is often used to exclude or diminish anything that doesn't fit the white mainstream. That's not an over-reaction. That's history.' Ms Gupta explained that whiteness has always been sold as 'aspirational' to consumers, from soap ads in the 1800s to toothpaste campaigns now. The difference is, people are now calling it out in real time, and that's exactly what's happened in recent days when the ad hit social media. Social media responds One TikTok user, whose video has already racked up more than 130,000 views, didn't hold back and said: 'White Glo, you may want to double-check who's doing your marketing'. Another person was in disbelief and said, 'Yeah, it's giving 'we really thought no one would think twice about it' energy'. Others called it 'casually racist' and 'old-fashioned'. Melbourne-based activist Jeff Kissubi echoed these thoughts and emphasised just how out of touch this messaging is. 'This is not only tone-deaf but very ignorant on the brand's part to miss the mark. In 2025, the lack of cultural awareness around these things is astonishing,' he said. 'Language shapes power and erases Indigenous, Black, and POC voices. Let's call out harmful messaging and demand accountability.' Could this be a publicity stunt? Meanwhile, some argued that this wasn't just an innocent copywriting decision, but a deliberate marketing stunt, with the brand knowing exactly what they were doing. 'Any publicity is good publicity I guess,' one person said on Reddit. 'It's been all over the internet. From a marketing perspective, it's somewhat successful,' wrote someone else. 'Simply wordplay', brand says In response to the criticism, White Glo began commenting on various creators' posts, apologising and insisting the ad was 'purely about teeth whitening, with no other intended meaning'. White Glo Director Jeffrey Wong told 'Over the course of the last few days, we have seen social media feedback and understand that our advertising campaign has offended many people. We profusely apologise. The last thing we intended was to offend the public or our White Glo consumers. 'The tagline 'Make the White Choice' is a simply wordplay on 'Make the Right Choice,' designed to highlight the effectiveness of our teeth whitening products. Our goal was to emphasise that consumers often feel disappointed when choosing ineffective whitening products, and we encourage them to make a better decision by selecting our brand.' In response to community feedback, he says they're now working to remove the ads. The brand also issued an apology statement on its Instagram. However, Ms Gupta believes these 'tired non-apologies' about 'not intending harm' completely miss the point, sidestepping responsibility rather than addressing the real impact of its decision. 'If you're in comms and you still don't know how messaging can carry harmful connotations, what are you actually doing?' she asked. Looking ahead, Ms Gupta says the solution to avoiding tone-deaf marketing campaigns isn't complicated – it's as simple as ensuring a genuine mix of perspectives at the decision-making table. 'Diversity in the room matters, like, really matters,' she said. 'If everyone approving your campaign looks the same, thinks the same, and doesn't challenge each other? This is what you get. A public-facing campaign that could've been fixed by one culturally literate person saying, 'Hey, that sounds off'.' Mr Wong insists that the brand has a 'very multicultural staff and management team'.
Malay Mail
08-05-2025
- Malay Mail
RM10,000 fine for TikTok post on racial, religious sensitivities, says MCMC
KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 — A man was fined RM10,000 for posting offensive content involving racial and religious sentiments related to the Kuala Lumpur Tower workers' issue on TikTok on March 31. In a statement yesterday, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said the fine was imposed on Mohamad Shafiq Abdul Halim after receiving approval for compound action from the Attorney General's Chambers. The investigation was conducted under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 [Act 588], which prohibits the improper use of network facilities or services, including the transmission of obscene, indecent, false, threatening, or offensive communications. MCMC urged all social media users to act responsibly and ethically when uploading or sharing content, stressing that distributing offensive material, especially content that could offend sensitivities related to religion, race, or royal institutions, would be subject to strict action. The agency reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the nation's cyberspace remains safe, orderly, and harmonious, in line with efforts to strengthen national unity within Malaysia's multiracial society.— Bernama
