The outdated “Crying Indian” industrial that used to play within the ’70s — which was meant to be a PSA towards air pollution — isn’t going to be aired once more … now thanks to its new proprietor.
Nonprofit Keep America Beautiful is the OG creator of the advert, a number of variations of which they shot and ran with the assistance of actor Iron Eyes Cody … who was the face of the marketing campaign and who’d usually be depicted in Native American regalia/crying on the sight of litter.
While their intentions may’ve been in the precise place on the time, the PSA hasn’t aged nicely … with many Native American teams having since mentioned it pushes hurtful tropes and stereotypes.
As a consequence, KAB has given up its declare to the PSA at giant and transferred possession to the National Congress of American Indians, which says it is retiring the entire promos and can monitor to make sure that it is by no means performed with out historic context. In different phrases, this may not ever be performed unironically as an actual anti-littering message … prefer it as soon as was for years.
A rep for the Congress says, “NCAI is proud to assume the role of monitoring the use of this advertisement and ensure it is only used for historical context; this advertisement was inappropriate then and remains inappropriate today. NCAI looks forward to putting this advertisement to bed for good.” It additionally looks as if that is partially due to Cody’s legacy.
At the time, he was all in on this marketing campaign … however his work in Hollywood — the place he starred in upwards of 200 movies, usually portraying a caricature of a Native American character — has many locally feeling like he is not the very best illustration of precise environmental work that actual Native American persons are concerned in as we speak … particularly all these years later. One activist says the “Crying Indian” seems to don’t have any company in the issue.
Bottom line … it would’ve began out as an earnest factor, however bought was a gag over time — which turned clear with exhibits like ‘The Simpsons’ and ‘South Park’ operating parodies, not to point out elsewhere in popular culture. Now, it isn’t a laughing matter anymore.
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