Out of Pocket: UK Removes Black Couple in Popular Movie Poster

Posted on November 16th, 2009 - By Bossip Staff

Categories: News, out of pocket

COUPLES-RETREAT

Universal changed “Couples Retreat” marketing for the film’s UK release. The company removed the black actors from both the poster’s photo and the list of stars in the type list.

Faizon Love and Tasha Smith were completely taken off the poster and we can’t help but wonder why. We don’t know how important their roles are in the film, but for them to be featured in the initial poster and then be taken off, is a bit suspect.

Universal said it regretted causing any offense, and it has abandoned plans to use the revised poster in other countries. A Universal spokesman said the revised advertisment was aimed ‘to simplify’ the poster to actors who are the most recognizable in international markets. SMH

  • Nique

    Thats what Faizon and Tasha get for getting involved with those white folks…

  • resurrected

    If this is America move but just showing in Europe how do they have the right to change the cover?

  • http://www.twitter.com/mastermk7 MasterMK

    What an outrage… black folks should be boycotting the UK!!!

  • HaHaHaTooFunny

    Sh*t they was way in the back to begin with anyway SMH…

  • http://Bossip Smitty Black

    BOYCOTT Universal!!!!

  • sister

    @ MasterMK

    It is an outrage but how we supposed to boycot the UK?…i’m black and i live in the UK. What am i supposed to do…leave?!!

  • drenk

    maybe cuz big perm isnt that big outside of the US

  • WhatitDO?

    @Mater MK

    How is it possible for “black Folks” to boycott the UK???

    Perhaps you should tell the 17 million back people in the UK to boycott their country.

    Duncebreed

  • http://deleted xX__FxxKinG FanTastiC__Xx

    @ Alritey THen.
    I peeped That Too.
    That Is A Totally Different Flic.
    They Weren’t Removed, They Just Weren’t In That Flic.

  • http://deleted xX__FxxKinG FanTastiC__Xx

    @ EleKtrik EccEntriK (ban censorship)

    LmaOo.
    It Was That Bad Huh??

  • Anonymous

    Racism still alive and well everywhere!

  • lizzy

    Duh! The UK is full of racism.

  • http://bossip Frederick

    It was not the UK that removed the couple

    It was hollywood on behalf of the UK

    UK found this to be offensive because it implied that the country is not racially tolerant which is far from the truth

  • http://ticketstubz.blogspot.com CF

    this is foul!

  • Gimmeabreak 78

    @MasterMK

    1) The United Kingdom didn’t make the decision to change the poster–Universal pictures did, so even if a boycott is in order, with your logic, you’d be boycotting the wrong people.

    2) How does a country that already have millions of black people boycott their home anyway?

    3) I assume you are in the US, which has had it’s fair share of racist practices. What have you done to boycott your own country?

  • Lean (Breaking the Monotony)

    Thats how it always is! Even with celebs like Beyonce and Kelly! They lighten them up best they can! Man it’s sad but it’s the world we live in! SMH!…some people will always despise dark skin!

  • t

    black folks aint gone boycott nothin. blacks dont like/trust one another. each individual racist incident is just that in their minds…an individual incident to that person or in that town.

  • rico 9

    Universal is known for this- mgmt does not like black people on the corporate level there as well

  • landofthelost

    hhhhhh

  • MiMi

    MasterMK

    What an outrage… black folks should be boycotting the UK!!!
    ____________________________________

    To all the folks that responded to this comment, ya’ll need to calm down. I believe this was SARCASM.

  • Never Take S!des

    And they wounder why they not recongnized internationaly.SMDH

  • Plagueis The Wise

    This is not the first time something like this has happened. Microsoft had a promotional ad that featured a black man in the U.S. This same photo had a white man’s face photoshopped over the black man’s face in the U.K. his hand were still black though.

  • Saisha

    why am I not surprised.

  • christmas808

    hey that’s hollyweird for yah it aint about black and white its about that green… big perm get it how u live it lol

  • Fiyah

    They also removed the palm trees! Palm Trees everywhere UNITE!

  • Gimmeabreak 78

    @Fiyah

    They also removed the palm trees! Palm Trees everywhere UNITE!

    That’s friggin’ hilarious! They replaced the palm trees with a mountain. lol

  • Mizz London

    Its because there racist over here in England simple! Im a black Caribbean I have lived all my life and to this day racism is still alive and well in the UK

  • MrTitan

    The levels of black peoples paranoia never fails to astound me. Do you check for white people under your bed at night :D

  • MrTitan

    @ Mizz London

    It’s alive and well from all sides. Don’t play the victim.

  • http://istephjohn.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/uk-removes-black-couple-in-popular-movie-poster/ UK Removes Black Couple in Popular Movie Poster « Istephjohn’s Weblog

    [...] [...]

  • Jay the Real One

    It’s racism pure and simple, they got caught. Don’t try to justify or excuse it. On to the next one!

  • London Girl

    Their aim was “‘to simplify’ the poster to actors who are the most recognizable in international markets”? I would be quicker to recognise the black man from that couple than I would either of the white couple on the right in the poster on the left. Barack, or no Barack, racism has not gone anywhere! Don’t be fooled.

  • missdunkz

    In the words of Kanye “racism’s still alive…they just be concealing it”

  • http://perryone779@yahoo,com rose by any other name #9304026339482056536 ™

    i echo my prior words.. 90% of white folks are racist~~5% hide it real good and the other 5% are lying thru their teeth~!! Im still trting to fiqure out where these white women who date black men fit in there at~! ?? HOw you gonna all of a sudden have a love for black men.. where was that love years ago/??

  • http://perryone779@yahoo,com rose by any other name #9304026339482056536 ™

    typo.. trying !

  • cherokee23

    Went to London about a year ago and will never return…they have way to many race issues. Even the blacks acted funny.

  • Memei

    I line in the UK. They didn’t need to this it wouldn’t had made a difference. Silly

  • Ki

    “All I wanna say is that they dont really care about US!”

  • Nova

    ou needed some binoculars to see the black folks in the first place, so why boohoo now?

  • Jules

    Rose by another name….My Mums Italian and my Dad’s African (Nigerian) and he was the 1st person she fell in love with, he happened to be black…I’ll tell you where she fits in..it’s called intelligence and if you’re intelligent truely intelligent and not ignorant, there’s no room for racism..so actually what you said is ironic..do you know why? because it’s ignorant and racist!!!

  • tony B.

    *uckin’ BULLSH*T!

  • lindy

    WTF cherokee23…i think u americans have more race issues than us brits especially the african americans.

  • Amanda

    @ deez

    you’re white lmao

  • Please Believe

    SMH indeed!!

  • London Girl

    Damn right @ Mizz London & missdunkz
    @ Mr Titan
    I take it that you are Caucasian and live in the US. How many young White men do you know, that are killed due to the colour of their skin, or the fact that they date Black women? Not many I imagine. Well, just so you know, MANY MANY young Black men have to put up with that so . . . . your point?
    @ cherokee23
    Sorry to hear about your experience with Black people in London. We are not all like that; I assure you!

  • OMGMOVE

    SHAME ON UNIVERSAL!!! DEM BISHES KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING!

  • http://bossip Kimerly Laquisha

    BOYCOTT!!! NEVER SAW IT ANYWAY AND AT THIS POINT NEVER WILL.

  • Rrrrroe Ski Love- A mind is a terrible thing to waste.

    I have never personally met anyone born and raised in the UK, but have found many people who hail from there providing insightful commentary and a good understanding of racial matters.

  • DarkSkinnedBlackBrit

    I don’t know why they would do this because I live in London and I’ve never faced racism or anything like that.

  • Brandon

    Good.. I hate black people.

  • ajontae

    it’s not tasha smith, it’s a beautiful new chic named Kali Hawk.

  • Zulubeat

    This has been done to Blacks in ads for years. Whites don’t like to use Black people in their ads because most whites don’t like Black people. This is a bi-product of the indoctrination of the false notion of white supremacy upon whites and Blacks.

  • http://angela2bpecked.wordpress.com/ Angela2BPecked

    I was looking at the “Couples Retreat” posters noticed the same thing and bothered me too!

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