USAIN BOLT dressed up as a woman in the new multi-million pound advertising campaign has led to accusations that he has “crossed over to the dark side” in the pursuit of wealth.
In the light-hearted 40-second TV commercial, the Jamaican 100m and 200m Olympic champion plays a whole family of characters, including a mum and dad, a baby version of himself, a teenager and ageing grandpa.
Created by BBH advertising agency, it shows the comical Bolt family simultaneously using Virgin Media superfast broadband service to perform their favourite tasks.
Richard Larcombe, the brand and marketing director at Virgin Media praised Bolt for “bringing the ads to life with his brilliant portrayal of an unforgettable Virgin Media family.”
However, the fastest man on the planet has since been blasted by those – most notably his fellow Jamaican countrymen – who claim the advert is offensive and that Bolt has “sold out”.
Angry comments were left on a Facebook page called Ragashanti, saying Bolt was being emasculated and exploited by mainstream media despite speculation the dress had been superimposed on his body.
One user wrote: “He is Jamaican and he represents us on the world stage. [Whether it is] making money or not, I will not sell out and that’s what he did. He is now walking on the dark side and when you do that of course [the mainstream] are gonna put him in a dress.
“Making money is one thing but what kind of profit is [losing] your soul, or in Usain’s case his manhood, in the process of acquiring wealth and fame.”
It comes a few years after comedian Dave Chappelle first raised the issue on Oprah of black comics and actors – including Wesley Snipes, Martin Lawrence and Eddie Murphy – being pressured into wearing dresses by Hollywood producers.
He told Winfrey: “Maybe I’m reading too much into things… I’m funnier than a dress. I don’t need to wear a dress.”
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IN HIS ELEMENT: Bolt celebrates another win (PA)
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Others said they were unsurprised by the backlash because of Jamaica’s anti-gay attitudes. Many of Bolt’s critics quoted lyrics from Harry Toddler’s reggae hit Bad Man Nuh Dress Like Girl.
One Facebook user, Julie Grant, said on the social media site: “It’s meant to be funny.
“All you yaardies who see it as feminising a black man need to step into this current century.
“He’s an incredibly smart and talented man.
“No doubt traveling the world has opened his mind and he doesn’t have an issue with [dressing up as a woman for a joke].
“Funny how Jamaica is one of the most homophobic countries on the planet… due to religious views! Just remember that religion was forced on the slaves to keep them in fear and [under] control of the whites! Wake up!”
Since 2009, the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians All-Sexual and Gays (J-FLAG) had recorded a 400 per cent increase in the number of reported homophobic or trans-phobic attacks against LGBT Jamaicans, including at least nine murders in 2012.
Last year, 16-year-old transgender teenager Dwayne Jones was brutally killed on July 22 after turning up to a party dressed as a woman.
The humorous side was not lost on everyone. Tanisha Knight wrote on Facebook: “I can’t see nothing wrong with the ad, it’s funny to me”. While Melissa RF added: “Thank god he is a man, he makes a terrible woman. LOL.”
Quick to hit back at the critics, Mike Wreckless Brown said: “The people who are speaking about white Hollywood producers putting black men in dresses to demoralise and conquer black [men] are crazy. What about the when whites wear dresses; for example Robin Williams in Tootsie?” – Voice
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