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Thu 5 Sep 2013 | 09:37
New #BeattheBoks campaign video causes a stir in South Africa

20
Comments

The guys at Fox Sports Australia have ruffled some feathers ahead of the Wallabies vs Springboks match this coming weekend, causing a bit of sense of humour failure in parts of South Africa. The video they've made, featuring 'Jannie', didn't go down well.

If you haven't spent much time with South Africans or don't know the nuances of parts of the culture, the video might fall flat but it is done in a pretty funny way, and of course it's all just good spirited banter ahead of the big clash in Brisbane this coming Saturday.

The short clip features Rugby HQ's Sean Maloney and Andrew Swain bumping into 'Office Jannie', a typical South African who goes out of his way to braai (barbecue) at every opportunity. He also watches re-runs of Invictus, reliving the famous 1995 Rugby World Cup win.

Two big newspapers in South Africa have responded angrily to the video, saying that it's stereotyping at it's worst, and 'smacks of desperation'.

Not long ago Rugby HQ ran a #JusticeForHorwill campaign, as well as #TakeBackBledisloe. The latter had mixed results. Actually it didn't work at all, but it was fun to follow anyway.

Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane has been a bit of a fortress for the Wallabies over the years, as the Springboks haven't beaten them there since way back in 1971 (a year after Matt Damon was born).

"The only thing offensive about that video is the cut of meat Jannie has on the toastie," said a spokesperson for Sean Maloney. "It's clearly blade, chuck at best."

Unfortunately for Jannie, just as Invictus got to the good part, Maloney wiped over it with Kurtley Beale slotting the winning kick when the two sides met in Bloemfontein in 2010.

The Wallabies host the Springboks on Saturday. Kickoff is at 20:05 local time, 10:05 GMT

Posted By: Grant Constable

20 Comments

  • rookvdskyf
    8:38 AM 11/09/2013

    Aaaah, good game. Shall we start the fire? I believe it's prime Aussie rib eye freshly hunted from Suncorp stadium. Yes, a bit bruised but properly bled. Who wants to eat though Aussie when they eat so much better softened up.

  • bokpower
    1:34 AM 09/09/2013

    Thats ok that they dissing the boertjies cause the dakkies cant play rugby lol

  • 12:53 AM 08/09/2013

    Makes it even more hilarious now that the Boks hammered the Aussies...

  • browner
    10:29 AM 07/09/2013

    Fox should hang their heads in shame......... i expect much more from them......... much more piss takin, this is tame. Watch out for horwills feet u boks!!!!!

  • 8:21 PM 06/09/2013

    That's probably cos they're making fun of us sensitive south africans, if the banter had been at the usual stinging australian level okes would be going 'vokken bos'!

  • frenchie
    12:19 PM 06/09/2013

    If I were a SA I would not be too much pissed off by it really cause that's a crappy piece of TV; and not funny at all.

  • 10:14 PM 05/09/2013

    Here you go:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeDk6ZeGNnU

  • jdk
    9:15 PM 05/09/2013

    I am a South African . I think the ad was funny and I like the campaign. It gives the Aussies something else to talk about or they'll be going on and on about the Bledisloe ( ;) ) It's good fun ! If the news papers get excited about it , it's fine too . They can't get excited about the way the Boks play . The need to talk about something .

  • drg
    8:24 PM 05/09/2013

    LOL yeh that's the one!!! Now that had my Saffa mates crying with laughter!!!

  • 6:43 PM 05/09/2013

    I think.... With the use of 'these punctuation marks' he means it as the title of the song DrG was talking about... But you never know...

  • xonmeerkat
    4:52 PM 05/09/2013

    In SA everybody is hyper-sensitive over "racial" issues. This video is neither offensive nor very funny. But it's good to inject some humour. And as far as I know, Aussies can be pretty self-deprecating, whereas South Africans still need to work through issues, chips on shoudlers, and axes to grind etc etc.

  • reality
    4:34 PM 05/09/2013

    'I've never met a nice South African'.

  • drg
    4:04 PM 05/09/2013

    There was a far more offensive (stereotypical) video I remember watching an age ago, which was a song or something about south africans (not sure if it was animated puppets or something)...

  • welshosprey
    4:00 PM 05/09/2013

    weak material, aussie banter is usually top stuff

  • drg
    3:56 PM 05/09/2013

    Found the alternative ending to Invictus quite amusing, but that was about it. Shame there wasn't a real Saffa to play the part.

    I'd imagine it's been dismissed as a bit cringeworthy more than "offensive", "stereotypical" etc.

  • akared
    2:32 PM 05/09/2013

    Wow, this is really not very funny at all. Really not offensive either!

  • foxtrot
    2:28 PM 05/09/2013

    Yeah same here, haven't seen any news of this being thought of as offensive over here either. They could have done better.

  • bokskick
    1:54 PM 05/09/2013

    Not offensive or funny. Kind of a non-event. Must be a slow news day.

  • eddie-g
    1:44 PM 05/09/2013

    It's funny. Not award winning hilarious comedy, but perfectly ok fare. I'm a Saffer, and I can seen the humour.

    But don't buy the Aussie media spin that it caused outrage and anger. It hasn't. The few responses in the SA media are hardly angry, they have just dismissed the video as predictable Aussie trolling, and talked up Bok chances on Saturday. Most SA media however has ignored it, and gone about their usual business of moaning about team selection. This is what we do 99% of the time.

  • upthelowend
    12:58 PM 05/09/2013

    Lord can no one have a bit of fun anymore! Any Boks can correct me if i'm wrong but i'm guessing its purely the media kicking up a fuss?

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