Tokenism

It was around that time that the overrepresentation of ethnic minorities – what we might call hyper-tokenism – started to become obvious in TV adverts, as I ...

The reality of a world in which masculinity is considered toxic and whiteness a source of oppression and privilege. This week, he was quick to call the government’s Illegal Migration Bill a ‘cruel’ policy directed against the ‘vulnerable’, even comparing it to the policies of Nazi Germany. But there is also a tenet in wokery – which stems from a strand of postmodernism – that language doesn’t merely reflect reality, but creates reality. Naturally, there are some who delight in self-righteous indignation and the feeling of superiority that comes with silencing others. The same literal-mindedness has prompted Tom Jones’ ‘Delilah’, with its lyrics about the murder of a woman, to be dropped by Welsh Rugby Union. And that is the worst thing about the woke revolution. But what annoys people is the insincerity and dishonesty of hyper-tokenism, which wilfully misrepresents society, and the lazy arrogance of London-based advertising executives who assume that everywhere in Britain looks like the capital. For every television comedian that the audience knows is there on merit, such as the sharp, chirpy Maisy Adam or the sardonic, world-weary Romesh Ranganathan, there is a plethora of mediocrities now making up the numbers on programmes such as Live at the Apollo or original Dave productions. As Michael Chapman, former vice-chairman of the advertising consultancy, Ogilvy, wrote last week in a letter to As long as they fill the quotas. It was around that time that the overrepresentation of ethnic minorities – what we might call hyper-tokenism – started to become obvious in TV adverts, as [I noted on spiked in 2017](https://www.spiked-online.com/2017/08/31/tv-ads-why-whites-and-straights-are-out/). We know the motive for hyper-tokenism in advertising.