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, 13:30 pm
Wish I sold handbags today.
Would have made a killing…
23 Mar 2009, 13:31 pm
Geesh keo, it’s the little moaning, bitching guys like you that’s keep the over-sensitive, overly political correct culture in this country alive…
Stick to rugby my friend, that’s what you’re good at. I’d hate to see this website become a tabloid but these days it’s all I read. *** rugby players, politicians and racist adds….
Talk about conspiricy theory.
23 Mar 2009, 13:31 pm
#145 skwatta: The voice of reason!
23 Mar 2009, 13:32 pm
#145 skwatta:
See Keo…… Skwatta likes it….
23 Mar 2009, 13:33 pm
bugger PC, there’s nothing worse.
23 Mar 2009, 13:33 pm
#149 Dawn:
When you find him, please tell Rassie.
It may solve some of his problems!!
23 Mar 2009, 13:34 pm
Wat gaan hier aan?????
23 Mar 2009, 13:34 pm
#101 keo:
Having read comments on here and in the Sunday Times I believe this ad speaks to more people of different races you are willing to give credit for.
23 Mar 2009, 13:34 pm
#153 Veltie:
Ek is ook ‘n persoon van kleur and I also like it.
Although Jan is a bit dik.
23 Mar 2009, 13:35 pm
#155 cab:
Hary Einfied, hilarious, just spent the last 30 minutes watching that lot, thx for the reference!
23 Mar 2009, 13:35 pm
#101 keo:
Thats why Vodacom didnt hire you to do it!!!
23 Mar 2009, 13:35 pm
Harry Einfield…
23 Mar 2009, 13:36 pm
Keo, are you feeling ok?
Are you trying to beat Hoskins for the most stupid statement of the month?
23 Mar 2009, 13:36 pm
#157 K9 the Lion: King of Beasts:
Ons baklei oor Jan.
23 Mar 2009, 13:36 pm
#159 Dawn: Dawnie, EK is Jan. net nie so dik nie. is nogal in shape.
23 Mar 2009, 13:36 pm
Massa histerie sien ek.
23 Mar 2009, 13:36 pm
#148 tight head: In our household, with DSTV Dual view, the one channel is known as “GBS’s channel”, the other one is shared between the rest of the inhabitants…
Fair, is’nt it ??
Hahaha
23 Mar 2009, 13:37 pm
…ek het ook nie oranje crocs nie…, loop maar kaalvoet meetste van die tyd.
23 Mar 2009, 13:37 pm
#157 K9 the Lion: King of Beasts:
Bokkerol bru, hulle moan oor ‘Lekker ou Jan’….
Ek dink dis n kwaai ad, amper soos daai Castrol een van destyds ( ‘Ja swaer’), of die Yebo Gogo ene…
23 Mar 2009, 13:38 pm
Jan die mielie van die bosveld.
23 Mar 2009, 13:38 pm
#164 Dawn:
Jy my Kaapse ban-list bestudeer al, interessant ek se!
23 Mar 2009, 13:38 pm
Lekker Groot, hoe lykit?
23 Mar 2009, 13:39 pm
#159 Dawn:
Dis nou ‘n coincidence, ek is ook ‘n persoon van kleur. Ek is ‘n wit kleur, en jy?
23 Mar 2009, 13:39 pm
#167 grootblousmile:
I feel like we are brothers man!!
23 Mar 2009, 13:39 pm
#165 Veltie:
Dit werk nie uit nie.
Jy’s te ver weg. Jou land het jou nodig.
Kry die bakkie en die hond, dan praat ons.
23 Mar 2009, 13:39 pm
Well I suppose it could be changed to
Jan, Jan, Jan, see how his blowwave glints in the sun.
Jan, Jan, Jan he likes another man.
23 Mar 2009, 13:40 pm
Bulls will always be seen as the ‘dutchmen’ of rugby, Lions as gangsters, Cheetahs as country cousins, Stormers as the wannabe superstars metro-sexual player and the Sharks as the last Soutie outpost.
Even though each union and team has Afrikaans, Coloured, Black, Purply, Soutie supporters from all ages and all walks of life.
You are trying to find an issue in a non-issue case.
23 Mar 2009, 13:40 pm
#169 Pietman: Ja ek laaik dit ook.
#168 Veltie: My crocs is gecamo. mense sien my nie loop id die gras langs die veld nie.
23 Mar 2009, 13:40 pm
#160 Pietman:
did not think u would like it…i found it very funny. the english have a very cutting sense of humour. its so true tho, that pharmacist is perfect, as coarse as all hell. he does some better one’s than those on utube, yoh i lag.
23 Mar 2009, 13:40 pm
#171 Pietman:
Where is it.
23 Mar 2009, 13:41 pm
#172 Skim: Klopdisselboom !
Die lewe is ‘n Lied !
Jan, Jan, Jan…..
23 Mar 2009, 13:41 pm
What ever happened to those zulu dancers? Why are they not dancing at the rugby anymore?
23 Mar 2009, 13:41 pm
#175 Dawn: lol…deal. bakkie het ek, kort nog net n hond.
23 Mar 2009, 13:41 pm
Poll; “Does Vodacom’s Jan-Player23 advert create a negative sterotype about SA rugby fans?”
They cant even spell stereotype!
23 Mar 2009, 13:42 pm
#173 Snoek:
Ek ook, ek is rooi, son het my faktup gebrand oppie erf, aarbeie gepluk en bier gedrink heeldag….
Ek is Rooijan!
23 Mar 2009, 13:42 pm
Crocs are the ugliest, ugliest shoes ever invented.
23 Mar 2009, 13:42 pm
KEO…. I see where you’re coming from but hey… it is what it is.
Vodacom have nailed the persona. How funny is that add? We the overseas public see every nuance whilst watching games broadcast from SA. The cameramen pan the stadia week in week out and it couldn’t be more truthful.
The yahoo Harrys (Jans) swilling & the girls with their assets (I bet the camera man has his side-kick spotting the hooters with binoculars pre the pan shot). My sons think the whole show hilarious, especially when a player is down with injury then all of a sudden the camera pans in for a money shot. Every week is a Hong Kong 7’s S14 style, minus the Heineken jugs and blow up dolls in the Southern Stand.
All countries have these Jans so don’t feel SA has a mortgage on cringe factor.
23 Mar 2009, 13:42 pm
Keo, so I take it that Jan will not be handing out the “man of the match” awards at Newlands later this year.
Do you think my friend could do it?
The guy who has 2 chardonnays then goes home to babysit.
I am sure his wife will let him stay a little longer if she knows he will be on TV.
Please let me know, as he will have to give his wife some advance warning.
23 Mar 2009, 13:43 pm
#174 tight head: Brudda from annada mudda !
Heaven forbids Keo ever tries to write an article about prop-play or just front-row play in general !
23 Mar 2009, 13:43 pm
#183 Veltie:
Alsatian.
23 Mar 2009, 13:43 pm
Long time since I’ve seen Keo Kakked out so badly…..come on Keo admit you wrong. We can’t all be right all of the time.
23 Mar 2009, 13:44 pm
#181 grootblousmile: Ja nee kyk, soos die legendariese PissAnt sê, Keo maak ‘n issue van ‘n non-issue….
Maar laat ek nou maar weer aan die werk spring….gedra julself manne!
23 Mar 2009, 13:44 pm
#190 Dawn: mmmmm close….ek het gedink Husky.
23 Mar 2009, 13:45 pm
#61 WP Till I Die Is ‘n Slaafse Seun:
I ask again, Keo, what happened to your golden border?
Are you the Original Keo, the Real Keo, or the Provisional Keo? (to take a leaf from the IRA’s book…)
23 Mar 2009, 13:45 pm
I would like to see the player 23 add get some more player 23 that star in it, maybe we can have keo there?
Any ideas how it will play off, what kind of segment of the market is targeted at the Keo kind, how many mommy’s boys do we have in South Africa?
23 Mar 2009, 13:45 pm
#185 Pietman:
Goeie een. Ons is ‘n kleurvolle klomp keo bloggers. ‘n paar wp manne is mos groen ook. (Van jaloesie oor die bulls en sharks.)
23 Mar 2009, 13:46 pm
PEOPLE
Keo sat in his box on his throne, at Newlands, last Saturday and scanned the crowd.
He saw the banner saying “there are no Dutchmen here”.
So, he wrote this.
23 Mar 2009, 13:47 pm
#197 Simon:
Thought as much…
23 Mar 2009, 13:47 pm
#193 Veltie:
Are you still overseas?
23 Mar 2009, 13:48 pm
#186 Dawn:
Fo Sho!!!
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