Give Jan the red card
23 Mar 2009
Keo, in his weekly Business Day newspaper column, writes Vodacom’s Player 23 campaign is an insult to the cosmopolitan South African rugby supporter.
For 10 years South African rugby’s marketing team did everything to reflect that in a new South Africa there was a new South African rugby culture far removed from the brandy and coke potbellied types that stereotype the traditional white Afrikaans male’s bond with the game.
Zulu dancers were introduced as part of pre-match entertainment at Tests, playing quotas ensured black representation on the field and slowly blacks were enticed to experience an afternoon at the palace of what was once a white’s only affair.
There was an effort being made to change perception and to kill off stereotyping, but South African rugby could guarantee nothing outside of their control – and they don’t control who pays to go to a ground. They could not foresee Piet van Zyl, dressed in jeans and a Springbok jersey that couldn’t accommodate his barrel gut, casually wondering onto the field and assaulting Irish referee Dave McHugh when the Springboks played the All Blacks in Durban in 2002, and they could not be accountable for the actions of an unidentified individual who racially abuses another at a game.
All that South African rugby can control is that over which it has influence, and that is why the endorsement of Vodacom’s 2009 rugby campaign is baffling because all it has done is reinforce that the South African rugby fan is everything the organization has tried to convince us is no longer the case.
Vodacom, as the primary sponsor of rugby in South Africa, is celebrating the year of the fan. His name is Jan, he is player 23 in the team and he is a clone of the 1970s white Springbok rugby supporter – a walking caricature of what has always repulsed. Only they’ve given Jan a personality of being a jovial and hugely popular bloke, but perception is stronger than fact and the physical appearance of Jan and what he represents in the stands adds to the perception that rugby in South Africa is still a game supported only by grossly overweight brandy and coke potbellied types.
I have sympathy for the well-traveled and likeable modern Afrikaans-speaking South African who loves his language, loves his rugby and loves living in South Africa. This modern Afrikaner certainly doesn’t look or act like Jan and he must cringe every time he sees the advertisement.
In an evolving South African rugby audience market, Jan is in the minority at Stormers and Sharks matches, which says player 23 should be a celebration of something more than a pot-bellied Afrikaans speaking supporter. What of Gert, who is sophisticated, lean and intelligent? What of Sipho, who digs his rugby almost as much as he does soccer? What of Alice who never misses a game? What of Peter, who has always put the Springboks first on a Saturday afternoon?
Vodacom will defend their choice of Jan as good natured fun and SA Rugby will see nothing offensive in it, yet continue to wonder why the perception that their game caters only for conservative and racist whites.
The game in this country is more cosmopolitan in support than it has ever been and that is the pity of the advertisement because it reflects the past when there is so much of the current to be showcased when the British & Irish Lions visit in June.
This is not about being politically correct, but about accuracy in who supports the Springboks. There is more to South African rugby than Jan, but thanks to Jan it will take another 10 years to convince critics of South African rugby that there is life beyond the 23rd member of the team.
Things off the field have changed in our rugby and innovation would be celebrating this in the same way the Bulls and Sharks celebrated what hasn’t changed on the field, which is the ability of a good South African team to turn defence into the most lethal form of attack.
The Bulls and Sharks were brutal in defending their line against the Hurricanes and Force respectively, and the skill in maintaining defensive composure is equal to anything a team does when given the ball.
Rugby is a game played as much without the ball as with it, and at the weekend we saw two very good South African sides reinforce the stereotype that South African teams are more dangerous without the ball.
And, unlike Jan, that is a stereotype the cosmopolitan South African rugby fan should never find offensive.
1,374 Comments
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23 Mar 2009, 16:04 pm
#497 Staal: kan maar net vir sy poging frons………hy het probeer snaaks wees.
23 Mar 2009, 16:05 pm
Jeez, the journos at Keo.co.za are scrapping the bottom of the barrel trying to find entertaining subject matter. this is a ridiculous article…
Honestly, I dont think that Vodacom meant the Player 23 advert as a representation of the average SA supporter. I personally think that it is a brilliant advert. I suppose the Spur advert with the farmer and the taxi driver is a fair representation of how we as South Africans act towards one another…
What of Sipho, What of the Sharks supporters, do you not think that the advert was meant to be humorous? I think that 90% of the people that saw the advert found it funny, you obviuosly fall into the 10% that didnt… sorry for you…
23 Mar 2009, 16:05 pm
#496 WP Till I Die Thinks For Himself:
Gaan aan ou seuna….gaat jy net aan.
Jy begin sommer vroeg hier op n Maandagoggend te post en my naam te noem terwyl ek werk het om te doen….ek was nie eens op die site nie.
23 Mar 2009, 16:06 pm
#495 K9 the Lion: King of Beasts:
Mate, cast off the other dam wall. Your bait is getting stale. Bit like you actually.
23 Mar 2009, 16:06 pm
#490 WP Till I Die Thinks For Himself:
as you’ve said, this is a blog, its about exchanging ideas, it allows one the opportunity to read or be exposed to other views which might prickle, annoy or be similar to one’s own. if ppl get upset at an exchnage of ideas, well it says more about there narrowmindedness than anyone ever could.
if one dont like to read someone’s posts, just scroll past, but u know what happens, they will read each and every of Keo or skopskiets posts, and then get the bedonnered.
23 Mar 2009, 16:06 pm
Does Jan have a tache? Won’t be a real ******** without one.
23 Mar 2009, 16:06 pm
#494 cab:
(sug)
ok boet
ek gaan dit maar stadig vat
1. kry iemand vd teenoorgestelde geslag
2. probeer tussen haar bene inkom
3. ok, ek dink die res sal vir homself sorg.
sterkte!
23 Mar 2009, 16:07 pm
#497 Staal:
Lol. Het gehoop jy sal saamspeel – hierdie ander twee dink hul kan speel maar hul dop lelik.
23 Mar 2009, 16:07 pm
#501 K9 the Lion: King of Beasts: kyk 500 asb!
23 Mar 2009, 16:07 pm
#507 ashley:
lol
23 Mar 2009, 16:08 pm
#499 Pietman:
What you gonna do.
Shoot them all? Organise a coupla gas trucks?
23 Mar 2009, 16:09 pm
#503 Pietman:
Jinne, Pietman. Ek het net gesê dat, volgens jou is ek disrespekvol.
Dit is iets wat jy gesê het hier op keo. Dis verifieerbaar.
Dis nie asof ek stories agter jou rug gaan vertel het nie.
Moet nie vir my sê jy is so sensitief nie.
23 Mar 2009, 16:10 pm
#511 Dawn: Hey jy moetie kwaad wortie! Jou leunstoel daar oppie voorstoep mettie view oor die kloof is nog beskikbaar……hou kop!
23 Mar 2009, 16:10 pm
#502 Travelling Shark: I totally agree – see my comment #471
23 Mar 2009, 16:10 pm
#503 Pietman:
Wil jy vir my sê jy het nog nooit ander bloggers hier se naam genoem terwyl hulle nie op was nie? Want as jy gaan, dan gaan jy ‘n leuen vertel…
23 Mar 2009, 16:11 pm
#512 WP Till I Die Thinks For Himself:
#503 Pietman:
ok, guys
sing along
…
ebony and ivory
23 Mar 2009, 16:11 pm
#487 Mannetjie:
maybe, but there’s a point underneath it all i think.
23 Mar 2009, 16:11 pm
#496 WP Till I Die Thinks For Himself:
Nog n ding.
Ek is op jou ‘case’ seun.
Elke keer wat jy my en my vriende ‘verkramp’ of ”Boermafia’ noem, of mense met n ‘laager mentaliteit, of ‘Dutch Reformed Boytjies’ (terwyl jy Henry Tromp se storie so subtiel tussenin gooi), dan is is ek daar met die plathand….
Ek het jou nommer.
En eendag as eendag gaan ek jou nog self mooi vertel, op Stanford of by Fireman’s….
Jy ken my sleg seuna….
23 Mar 2009, 16:12 pm
The voting now stands at 164 – 61 in favour of the ad. What does that say of the muppets voting on this site? Potbellied Afrikaners? Or is an unsophisticated Piet Van Zyl active here with a sophisticated automatic voting script?
23 Mar 2009, 16:12 pm
NB!!!!!
Sal die oorspronklike WTID opstaan asb….ek is nou so deurmekaar soos Andre Pretorius wat n bal onder pressure kry…….
Wie’s nou wie hier?
23 Mar 2009, 16:12 pm
493 – whatever floats your boat. Like i said i thik Vodacom are just milking the public with a mediocre product.
23 Mar 2009, 16:13 pm
Okay boys and girls and liquorice allsorts, that’s me for today.
In the immortal words of Buzz Lightyear – “to infinity and beyond!”
Now play nice or the rugby gods aren’t going to bring you a nice Lions present for Christmas in July!
23 Mar 2009, 16:14 pm
#519 Katsesnor:
Maybe Piet van Zyl’s fingers are too fat to hit the right keys?
23 Mar 2009, 16:15 pm
“Or is an unsophisticated Piet Van Zyl active here with a sophisticated automatic voting script?”
Impossible – not enough of the interwebs is in the Taal
23 Mar 2009, 16:15 pm
Do u guys really think that keo would stop this site if realises that it is actually pot belly afrikaners blogging here everyday – NOT!I see double standards.
23 Mar 2009, 16:15 pm
I agree that the journos at keo are scrapping the barrel… I myself fall into an age that represents the ‘new’ South Africa, and many of my black friends can see the humourous side to the advert…The new generation of South Africans are very open-minded and should not be spoken for by an older generation…Jan is funny and thats all he is!!
23 Mar 2009, 16:16 pm
#511 Dawn:
You with those boys, yes or no?
Simple question.
You are in the majority, the banned ones in the South Subs, why are you scared to answer?
Or do you wish to contest ala Zuma?
23 Mar 2009, 16:16 pm
#518 Pietman:
Lyk my iemand vergewe en vergeet nooit nie.
Ek het daai een keer gepraat van verkramptes, van die Boeremafia, en die laager mentaliteit – en het toe na die tyd vir jou om verskoning gevra, as jy miskien kan onthou?
Die enigste persoon wat ooit gepraat het van “Dutch Reformed boytjies” is provinceboytjie – gaan kyk deur die rekords.
Wys my waar ek onlangs dit gedoen het?
Nou dreig jy my met ‘n plathand? Ja, dis reg, kom ons bliksem alles reg.
23 Mar 2009, 16:16 pm
Yes Keo, I’m sure thats what Bobo, Beast, Gurthro and Ricky saw when they acted in the advert.
Terrible article.
23 Mar 2009, 16:16 pm
#525 Mannetjie:
yeah but what i cant understand is they cant seem to get enough of it, however much they ***** and moan, can you explain?
23 Mar 2009, 16:17 pm
#526 shawza: AMEN!!!!
23 Mar 2009, 16:17 pm
Jan is a legend . . . .
23 Mar 2009, 16:17 pm
To Dawn, Robbo, Ignatius, cabbage, Veltie, Pietman – good to see all you lads again.
Been too long but I’ll pop in another day.
To those left tending the fort – don’t let the whippersnappers get you down. They’ll grow up someday – much like we did.
23 Mar 2009, 16:17 pm
#526 shawza:
i think whats getting to keo is how white the milk is in that advert!
23 Mar 2009, 16:18 pm
Oh, and apologies to anybody I missed off the above list.
23 Mar 2009, 16:18 pm
#533 Vinnie:
lol, good to see you. later Vincent.
23 Mar 2009, 16:19 pm
#528 WP Till I Die Thinks For Himself:
Jy is n slapgat man, net bek, altyd reg om jou uit te wikkel met mooi woordjies….
23 Mar 2009, 16:19 pm
#535 Vinnie: ya…i started crying qwhen you missed me…
23 Mar 2009, 16:20 pm
people lets look at the bigger picture here.
i think rugby as a whole, really needs all the support it can get. to be more appealing to the black market is a smart move if you consider the demographics of the country.
just look at how many black people who did not have Dstv went on to buy it, just to get a piece of their favorite team nailing their arch rivals.
if rugga is more appealing to the black market all the better for everyone in SA. as this could thwart all cash flow problems and bolster player earnings which means no exodus.
23 Mar 2009, 16:20 pm
Keo jou kop raas! Jys nes die ou tannies wat niks beter het om te doen as om te moan oor die kleinste kak nie.
23 Mar 2009, 16:21 pm
#528 WP Till I Die Thinks For Himself:
En nou gaan ek loop.
Praat jy maar verder.
23 Mar 2009, 16:21 pm
#503 Pietman:
Jy was die een wat byvoorbeeld gesê het ek volg Dawn “soos ‘n slaafse seun”, daai keer toe ek nie op die blog was nie – en nou vat jy my aan daaroor?
So jy mag, maar ek mag nie?
23 Mar 2009, 16:22 pm
“You are posting comments too quickly. Slow down.”
NOU GAAT EK MY WIP!
23 Mar 2009, 16:22 pm
#526 shawza: do the many black friends you have support player 23 or they just enjoy the ad?
23 Mar 2009, 16:23 pm
#541 Pietman:
Pietman, ek het reeds om verskoning gevra vir die dinge waarvoor jy my nou probeer kruisig.
Ek het gevra vir ander voorbeelde waar jy voel ek oortree het, en is bereid om om verskoning te vra indien gepas – maar jy het nog nie spesifieke voorbeelde gebring nie, slegs veralgemenings.
Ek het nog nie jou persoonlik aangeval soos jy my aanval met “poefter” en “slapgat” en wat ook al anderse aanmerkings nie.
Ek dink ek is heel redelik.
Vra jouself af of jy is.
23 Mar 2009, 16:24 pm
#518 Pietman:
Verkramp!
23 Mar 2009, 16:25 pm
#539 Mabu: Jan is the man. While he is in SA no players will leave!!
23 Mar 2009, 16:26 pm
#546 Dawn: Haal diep asem, relax, dink aanie stoep!
23 Mar 2009, 16:26 pm
#527 Pietman:
Dubbel verkramp!
23 Mar 2009, 16:28 pm
#549 Dawn: ??
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