Oh Sony, you and your international PR disasters!
You've all doubtless seen Sony's new ad campaign that pokes fun at bloggers and Internet rumors. If you haven't, then Nigeria certainly has, and it's decided to be offended at Sony's use of the line, "You can't believe everything you read on the Internet. Otherwise, I'd be a Nigerian millionaire by now."
Of course, the line is a reference to one of the most famous grifts of all time, the "Nigerian Letter." We've all seen those emails where a supposedly rich man wants to transfer funds into your account from another country (traditionally Nigeria) and cut you in for a slice of his savings, provided he takes your bank details first. It's a stupid con, and one of the oldest of all time. Yet because people have nothing better to do, Nigerian officials made themselves upset.
"Nigeria remains a major investment destination and a country where most businesses thrive in trust, good faith, competence and integrity," rages Minister of Information and Communication Prof Dora Akunyili. "Nigeria also demands an unconditional apology from Sony Corporation for this deliberate negative campaign against the country’s image and reputation.
"The apology must be given the same measure of publicity by Sony Corporation in all channels where the unfortunate adverts were aired."
Seriously.
I wish people would grow up and learn to accept a harmless joke as a harmless joke. Sony clearly was making fun of a very real, very famous scam. Nigeria should demand an apology from the people who sent the emails in the first place, not from Sony. Mind you, a public apology could make for some brilliant new marketing.
Contest:
8:00 AM on 09.09.2009
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Fuck off Nigeria!
The "Major Investment Destination"...... in the 3rd world.
Little known secret, Sony grows more powerful by feeding on the anger of people.
That's a very subtle response to the scandal, no?
If I say something, someone out there is going to take it, and then say I'm racist.
Oh wait, I'm black. IMMUNITY!
FUCK NIGERIA. START PRINTING MOVIES ON HIGH CAPACITY DVD'S and maybe I'll give sympathise with your bullshit.
SOUTH AFRICA FO LYFE. (Not Really, but hey, lions)
i noticed that too and wonder if it was changed for this reason but i did see it last night so i wonder if sony doesnt care
what if ironically this was how world war 3 started
I hate people.
So yeah, Nigeria is a hell-hole, and screw 'em.
And next time Sony says "You can't believe everything you read on the Internet. Otherwise, I'd be a North-Korean dictator without atom missles."
And then? Nothing.
surly any email from nigeria is automatically marked as spam and thrown in to the trash folder.
This.
This is just too stupid.
*sigh*
Regards,
James, Prince of Nigeria
They aired it on the internet, and Nigerians speak english mostly.
Oh no, what am I thinking? Silly me, it's an offhanded comment by a vidja game company that's making everyone stay the hell away. Of course!
@Cadtalfryn
And crazy talk! Amirite!
My girlfriend did some graphic design work for a girl from Nigeria who tried to send money through PayPal from Nigeria but PayPal has just disavowed ALL transactions featuring a location of "Nigeria" from either end (buyer OR seller).
This isn't a problem with Sony, Nigeria. The entire world knows you're the home base of thousands upon thousands of scammers. Either do something about it on your end or just accept that everyone is laughing at you.
This.
Touchy much?
Everyone here seems to be on the same page that the Minister of Information of Nigeria is just overreacting. We're not condemning an entire country, we're annoyed with ONE MAN.
To DEMAND a full on apology for making a joke (and a funny and totally TRUE joke as well) is absurd.
And your likening of the commercial to another commercial calling Americans redneck racists is completely not relevant in the least. Sony didn't say anything bad about Nigeria itself, they referenced an internet phenomenon FEATURING Nigeria. Also, this isn't a tourism ad, and if a company in Nigeria wanted to make an ad for a product that made fun of Americans (even though Sony's DOESN'T make fun of NIGERIANS), no one here would give two shits about it.
You have no base in reality, chief.
It would be terrible if 'The Simpsons' and 'King of the Hill' were broadcasted worldwide, and parodied the mafia and rednecks. I don't know what America would do.
For future reference, next time you decide to judge everyone's intellect, don't exercise the kind of grammar usually reserved for scrawling on toilet walls. It takes a certain amount away from your integrity.