By adamg on Thu., 8/31/2017 - 9:03 am 
Bos IT Guy was among the people wondering what Samsung was thinking with these ads that went up in South Station yesterday.
Or as Tory Bullock puts it:
When I tell people that everyone thinks if you're black and live in Mattapan, Dorchester, or Roxbury that it's assumed you're a criminal, they never believe me. They look at me like I'm crazy. Then you go to South Station and see a lovely new piece of marketing. Can you hear me now?!
Ed. note: This is probably reason 412 why New York ad firms should really hire a local to review any ads aimed at locals, because any Bostonian would have been able to tell them in 5 seconds this was a bad idea.
UPDATE: Samsung apologizes; ads taken down.
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Comments
Superior Parrots
By SamWack
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 11:16am
Don't implicate parrots in such idiocies. My parrot is much more intelligent than this poster. She would never call anyone a "hypersensitive snowflake", and would bite me if I did.
If this doesn't offend you
By anon
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 10:14am
You need to go back to sixth grade and start the whole "learning to act like a civilized human being" thing over.
Nah, who am I kidding. You probably never left high school.
You'd be the first to be whining if they said "Southie".
This was never a problem before
By bulgingbuick
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 11:50am
OOOOOOO-BAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Red Line
By Bugs Bunny
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 9:39am
A Google image search of Red Line maps includes the trolleys south of Ashmont as the "Mattapan High Speed Line" Perhaps the marketing team just took the northern point (Alewife) and the southern point (Mattapan) for this ad.
That seems likely
By Ron Newman
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 10:30am
but someone else in the advertising agency, or the company whose ad it was, or South Station building management, or the MBTA, should have stopped it before it ever reached the station wall.
Why? Does the ad violate MBTA policy?
By roadman
Fri, 09/01/2017 - 3:54pm
Oh wait- some geniuses have decided that the ad perpetuates a racial stereotype because it mentions a specific neighborhood.
Glad all the REAL problems facing people of ALL races have been solved so we can focus attention on NON-ISSUES like reading way too much into something as dumb and insignificant as a stupid ad campaign.
plenty of boston residents
By cinnamngrl
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 9:51am
plenty of boston residents think this way, and that includes people that have been in boston for generations. It's racism.
Meanwhile
By anon
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 10:08am
They watch all those movies about white gangbangers in Boston and talk about PRIDE!
I grew up here
By anon
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 10:20am
And i've had a gun pulled on me twice, care to guess what neighborhood.
It's not racist, people build opinions based on experiences.
My condolences, but ...
By adamg
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 11:07am
Something tells me you're not an ad copywriter sitting at a fancy desk in New York City making possibly innocent but still obnoxious mistakes that are offensive to the vast majority of people in whichever neighborhood it was who did not point a gun at you.
who are you to decide what's offensive?
By bosguy22
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 11:23am
Do you live in Mattapan? Have their been massive protests by Mattapan residents saying they're offended, or have you decided for that them that this is something they should be offended by?
You know when massive protests happen?
By anon
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 12:00pm
When people like you go all out to resist understanding what the world is really like for people who lack your privilege.
It shouldn't get to that point. People like you need to grow up.
But why do you get to decide
By anon
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 2:22pm
But why do you get to decide for this black man what is offensive or not? Yeah this ad is offensive but it was clearly a mistake by an ad agency that is unfamiliar with the city. Again, get over yourself. White snowflake! I'm not a victim and don't need you to stand up for me.
nobody is standing up for you.
By cinnamngrl
Fri, 09/01/2017 - 9:19am
This is an online forum and there are no qualifications for expressing an opinion on the subject. Even Tory Bullock is only pointing out an example of his personal daily experience. I can acknowledge that his interpretation is real without presuming to stand up for him. Only you are assuming that everyone offended by this, is trying to speak for you. All the things people joke (or whine) about that keeps Boston from being a world class city, but racism is actually what holds us back.
its not innocent
By cinnamngrl
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 12:55pm
This person did not pick Mattapan out of a hat. And there is a bigger problem. Mattapan has been ignored by the city for a long time. Mattapan is a great place with great people. They deserve more than just stopping people from making racist smears, they need the crime that does exist to be stopped.
Dorchester's similar problem is covered up by the fact that it is so huge, so that while a lot of money and attention can be spent there, certain areas continue to be ignored.
And if you think about it, perhaps Samsung can help us with this. I personally know 3 families that are crime victims, and aren't being protected as witnesses. How do we expect things to change if we don't support people willing to report crimes and testify against the perpetrators.
Mattapan doesn't want you
By EM Painter
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 2:41pm
.
EM Baiter
By cinnamngrl
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 7:48pm
EM Baiter
No, it isn't.
By Carmella
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 10:21am
No, it isn't.
Oh! Look!
By anon
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 10:35am
A white person says IT ISN'T RACISM.
We need permission from white people to call racism what it is because WAHHHH.
Get this girl: it is MUCH WORSE to EXPERIENCE racism than to have it pointed out to you.
GOT IT?
Frankly, if the phone didn't
By baustin
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 12:29pm
Frankly, if the phone didn't want to get stolen, it shouldn't have been designed to be so stealable. It's really the phone's fault. But yes, the ad is still racist.
Well actually,
By cinnamngrl
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 1:02pm
Apple and Samsung could easily design the phone
1. to only work for the owner
2. Report the the theft.
3. Send pictures, video, audio and location info to the owner
But they want these companies would rather you buy a new phone. Never mind that that victims get injured and or frightened, who cares when you can make money.
Racist don't use commas?
By anon
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 9:51am
Racist don't use commas?
Everything has to be about race these days, eh?
By All the good na...
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 10:01am
Non native bostonian here. I read that as simply "you left your goddamn phone on the train. shit's safe because of this feature." not sure why everyone has to jump right to a skewed racist view on things.
Because we live in a culture
By CCD
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 10:41am
Because we live in a culture where people are looking for something to be outraged and offended by... Remember the 2017 eclipse a few weeks ago? Oh yah, the eclipse was deemed racist because it crossed over more 'red states' then 'blue states.'
The New School(private school in NYC) recently deemed auditorium seats to be a micro-aggression because they are "too small for some people."
That's nice, dear
By anon
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 10:48am
Let me guess: you are white and don't want to hear about it.
I'm sorry that you are so incapable of empathy that you make racism into "your problem" rather than "your duty" to eliminate.
Must be really nice being so special that you are offended by grownups attempting to be decent human beings because you simply aren't up to being a decent human being. That's a real disability.
Making stuff up again?
By anon
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 10:51am
Racist Eclipse?
You are a real piece of work, aren't you.
Passive voice when "noting" that "this happened" or "was deemed" won't save you from having to CITE YOUR SOURCES.
Ugh. Loser.
Here you go...
By dmcboston
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 12:59pm
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/0...
I report, you decide.
Not sure if it's serious or some clever academically inspired BS allegorical article. Really don't care. Oh, it's NOT the Onion but maybe it should be.
"CITE YOUR SOURCES"
The google (or DuckDuckGo) is your friend. I have to do ALL the heavy lifting around here?
Well Well
By anon
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 1:35pm
If it isn't Mr. Washington Times and Breitbart and Clownhall and The Daily Caller.
Ever hear of the words "in context"? No?
Well well, if it isn't
By CCD
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 1:55pm
Well well, if it isn't another progressive ranting about right-wing media. I'm shocked you didn't throw in "Faux News." That's boiler plate stuff.
are you that lazy intellectually devoid, the best you can do is call someone "Mr.(insert right wing news site)?"
did you read this article?
By cinnamngrl
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 2:34pm
It wasn't saying that eclipse is racist.
Paywalled...
By dmcboston
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 3:09pm
...but there's tricks around that, "...here comes a giant round shadow, drawing a line either to cut the country in two or to unite it as one. Ancient peoples watched total eclipses with awe and often dread, seeing in the darkness omens of doom. The Great American Eclipse may or may not tell us anything about our future, but its peculiar path could remind us of something about our past..."
Or, you know...not. It's a fucking eclipse, nothing more. I think the Onion is jealous of the story quite frankly.
Paywalled?
By Ron Newman
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 4:49pm
The Atlantic doesn't have a paywall.
Well, well...
By dmcboston
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 3:05pm
"If it isn't Mr. Washington Times and Breitbart and Clownhall and The Daily Caller."
Just call me "Mr. Atlantic."
HEY
By dmcboston
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 3:11pm
.
But if you want some BETTER takes on the RACIST ECLIPSE (Gawd, I find it so tiresome to type in all caps)
I present Andrew Breitbart's site:
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/08/22...
Here's one from Pam Geller:
https://pamelageller.com/2017/08/atlantic-great-am...
One more:
http://www.jewishpress.com/blogs/the-lid-jeffdunet...
Rolls Eyes
By anon
Fri, 09/01/2017 - 9:52am
Such trolling.
Too bad Geller and Bratbard don't print their media - I'm sure people in Houston need toilet paper.
See below. Who's the loser
By CCD
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 1:57pm
See below. Who's the loser now... The Atlantic?
links for these?
By Ron Newman
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 10:51am
I'm not familiar with these two things -- can you add links to your post?
Everything OK at home?
By adamg
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 11:04am
Who was calling the eclipse racist?
Yes, the Globe did a silly story about how the eclipse was going to pass over more Trump counties than Clinton counties, but even in these New Middle Ages in which we find ourselves, nobody was accusing the universe of being racist for that fact.
See above posted article from
By CCD
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 1:52pm
See above posted article from The Atlantic, a magazine many are familiar with...
Oh and there is also "environmental racism."
https://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/529137/env...
Environmental Racism is Quite Real
By SwirlyGrrl
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 9:32pm
Since you have no grasp of quantitative analysis and statistical inference, I won't bother explaining it to you.
Suffice it to say that shitty shit gets dumped on poor people, and then there is a doubling down of shitty shit.
See also "Houston explosions".
Marketing blunder, pure and simple
By anon
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 10:08am
I suspect this is a marketing thing that someone somewhere came up with who is completely unfamiliar with Boston or the politics thereof, and the location names were chosen either at random or by distance from each other. Why is anybody surprised? None of these decisions, from T station design to real estate monikers ("SoBo", "SoWa") are made by anybody actually from around here, and certainly not by anybody who uses the T. Besides, a company like Samsung looking to maximize profit and sell a product or service is not going to risk deliberately alienating any part of it's market, or just plain getting bad publicity, by using blatantly racist or offensive advertising and appearing politically incorrect. I mean, come on, people. I realize it's terribly awkward and should be removed, but stop being snowflakes.
Too Sensitive/Grow Up
By Carmella
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 10:11am
Would the sign have been OK if they substituted West roxbury for Mattapan?
You need to grow up
By anon
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 10:13am
Unlike that high school your mind still lives in, the real world expects adult behavior.
Adult behavior includes having the maturity to consider how other people might feel about things.
Obviously, that's higher level stuff for you - maybe you need to grow up?
Can you imagine the OMG RACISM shit if they said Charlestown or Southie?
Yes
By erik g
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 10:47am
Because West Rox isn't predominantly African-American, and isn't the subject of frequent slurs on that account.
Any other elementary-school-level questions we can help you out with today?
there's another sign that mentions Greenbush
By Ron Newman
Fri, 09/01/2017 - 12:10am
Two signs were taken down, but about 30 more remain, with a variety of other "lost phone" scenarios. None of the other ones mention specific stations, except for one with Greenbush and another with Back Bay.
Does it matter
By Stephen Bickerton Sr
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 10:31am
What place would be acceptable
Lost and Found
By anon
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 11:00am
Or, maybe, some actual place where stolen cel phones end up - like some random city in China.
Kendall MIT. Those nerds
By Milwaukee Mike
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 11:02am
Kendall MIT. Those nerds always looked sorta shifty to me...
Yeah, but
By UHub-fan
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 11:23am
they could probably crack the Knox technology in a heartbeat.
Samsung was NOT trying to be offensive
By Dotscorp
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 10:57am
And this ad isn't offensive either. Who cares what some idiot's perception of Mattapan is? Mattapan is a great place to live with mostly very nice, quiet, suburban streets of well maintained, single family homes. Yes, there are some high crime neighborhoods, but by and large, it's one of Boston's best kept secrets. You know why there are rarely homes for sale in Mattapan? Because people don't want to leave. And you liberals, keep your race based outrage to yourselves. Mattapan is a diverse neighborhood in many ways and not just in terms of race. And black people don't need you to protect them. I love Mattapan.
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