Human Rights Commission anti-racism advert sparks outrage
A new anti-racism campaign launched by the Human Rights Commission has sparked outrage online.
One of the 30 second videos, titled 'Elevator - Racism. It stops with me', has been heavily criticised, with people calling it 'divisive and unrealistic'.
Conservative radio and television broadcaster Paul Murray posted a link to the video on his Facebook page.
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A new anti-racism campaign (pictured) launched by the Human Rights Commission has sparked outrage online
One of the 30 second videos, titled 'Elevator - Racism. It stops with me' (pictured), has been heavily criticised, with people calling it divisive and unrealistic
Murray's caption read: 'Not a sketch, not a joke. THIS is what HRC thinks 'White Men' do in lifts. What rubbish!
The video shows a white businessman in a suit politely letting a white woman enter a lift in an office building before him.
Then he spots a woman of African background running for the same lift, but instead of giving her the same treatment he tries to stop her from entering.
The horrified white woman steps out of the lift, and both of them stare at the businessman in disgust as the words 'Racism. It stops with me' appear.
The man spots a woman of African background running for the same lift, but instead of giving her the same treatment he tries to stop her from entering (pictured)
Social media users were scathing in their responses to the video.
'I am angry that tax dollars have been wasted on such puerile, infantile rubbish,' wrote one person.
'In over 25 years in the workforce working with people of many ethnicities I rarely see anything like this. In fact I feel the HRC discriminate against white males.'
'Maybe she works in his office and every day she steals his yoghurt from the fridge that he specifically writes his name on, so he didn't want to hold the lift for her? Now he looks like the bad guy!' wrote another.
Others wrote they have never experienced being in a situation like the one portrayed in the ad.
The horrified white woman (pictured) steps out of the lift, and both of them stare at the businessman in disgust as the words 'Racism. It stops with me' appear
'I'm dark skinned and this has NEVER EVER happened to me in my 45 years. The divisiveness from this mob is truly breathtaking,' said a female commenter.
'As a brown skinned female who is 52 years old, I have never experienced any form of racism in my life,' said another.
'It's like the progressives need to invent problems because they can't find any real ones.
The Human Rights Commission said the videos 'depict casual racism in the workplace and the provision of goods and services'.
Conservative radio and television broadcaster Paul Murray posted a link to the video on his Facebook page (pictured)
'Racism frequently occurs at work and while people are doing everyday things such as catching a bus, riding a train, or flagging a taxi,' Dr Soutphommasane said
Australia's Race Discrimination Commissioner Tim Soutphommasane said the videos, called Community Service Announcements, will be broadcast on national TV.
'Racism frequently occurs at work and while people are doing everyday things such as catching a bus, riding a train, or flagging a taxi,' Dr Soutphommasane said.
'This might come as a surprise to Australians who tend to think that racism is a thing of the past. But independent research and the experiences of many people tells us otherwise.
'We have developed these Community Service Announcements because we want to raise awareness of everyday racism and its impact.
Commenters on Facebook (pictured) were scathing in their written responses to the video
'We'd like to get people thinking about what they can do to help put a stop to racism.
'We hope these CSAs help create a culture where people are able to identify racism and have the confidence to respond appropriately and safely,' he said.
The elevator video, along with a similar one showing a racist taxi driver, will be shown on free-to-air television over the next two months.
The HRC said a woman of African background was chosen because independent research has found 'people with an African background frequently experience racism at work or while using public services such as transport'.