Government apologises for NHS smoking poster featuring Sikh man

25 comments

1. The government trying to be more inclusive and represent diversity but it backfires

2. Because everything has to be PC and inclusive without actually understanding anything.

3. > Mr Singh added he recognises that there are Sikhs – turbaned or otherwise – who smoke, however

   Mountain out of a molehill…

4. Ridiculous religious bollocks. There’s Muslims who drink, Sikhs who smoke, and Christians who wear blended fabrics.

   In fact it’s a lot more damaging to pretend that these people *don’t* exist, a Muslim who has issues with alcoholism, or a Sikh who has issues trying to quit smoking might feel like that they can’t go for help because they might be ostracised by their community for doing so.

5. The lesson to learn is stop trying so hard to represent every single percent of the population.

6. Its a shame the Government department has to apologise and instead cant just go stfu

7. Wish we’d stop pandering to religion so much. So much money wasted on imaginary characters.

8. Well clearly at least this man depicted does smoke. Maybe that’s why he wants to quit? Is the solution to addiction just becoming a Sikh?

9. If it’s a good cause, show diversity.

   If it’s a bad cause, show a white man.

10. This is so stupid.

    As a doctor, I don’t care what religion you are. I’ll ask the same questions to everyone. Do you smoke? Do you drink? Because plenty of Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus etc do it!!!

11. when converting to sikhism helps you quit smoking, that’s not offensive? what am i missing here

12. So only show a pasty pale white bloke with a dad bod. Got it.

13. Yeah, government, how dare you be inclusive with promoting good health.

14. I’ve seen plenty of of Sikh’s have a quick smoke, same as I’ve seen plenty of Muslims have a drink or two, and plenty of Catholics using birth control.

    Just because a religion bans something doesn’t mean the adherents aren’t still doing it, so yeah, you’d want to still target them with something like this.

15. They should follow the lead of the anti harassment campaigns. White guys must be portrayed as the perpetrators, ethnic minorities as the good citizens who step in. Every time.

    Representation is only acceptable when the person of ethnic minority background portrayed is shown to be virtuous and have no faults.

16. The government of all people should know that only white people can be shown for bad things, diverse faces can only be used for good things.

    In all seriousness though, it shouldn’t fucking matter who is on the poster, the guy should have been told to get fucked instead of caving and apologising.

17. In this week’s episode of ‘When DEI in adverts backfires’….

18. Sectarian rubbish. We should be celebrating the wide diversity of the country not putting everyone into boxes

19. It’s embarrassing how our government is more concerned with ‘feelings’ than public health. But that’s been the past 50 years of multiculturalism in this country.

20. Literally the only people they feel comfortable insulting is White men.

21. Well, if the intention is to inform about the dangers of smoking, featuring a healthy man might turn out counterproductive.

    I’ll see myself out, thank you very much.

22. It doesn’t bother me all that much that a religious nut has been acting like a religious nut and somehow claiming this is damaging to his religion/community despite him admitting there is an issue within it. Religious people being unable to see forest for the trees is par for the course.

    It doesn’t bother me that the NHS used the image on the poster. I don’t take a huge issue with representation, even to the point of over-representation of minorities, except in circumstances where it’s apparent enforced representation comes at the cost of good product.

    What bothers me is they apologised and deleted it instead of standing their ground and making it clear that there is support available for people of all colours and faiths. That was the right thing to do for this country and it’s people, that would be the best way to serve that community.

23. You’re only allowed to use white people in ads for negative things.

24. Shame on them for complaining about this, the whinging bastards. Surprising from the Sikh Community honestly.

    But double shame on the government for treating it like a serious issue.

    This is Britain’s problem with integration, we’ve allowed minority groups to develop a massive victim complex which leads to bullshit complaints like these and a feedback loop.

    You’re either part of British society or you’re not, there’s no special a la carte section where you get to pick the bits you like.

    Everyone who has immigrated to Britain has done so because it’s better than where they’re from. The price you pay for improving your family’s fortunes is you assimilate and drop the persecution complex.

25. You can’t fucking win can you. Inclusivity; you take the positive and the negative. And the people who pander to this are the ones who are truly fuelling the ever widening divisions in British society.

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