Super Bowl 2013 commercials: Watch Volkswagen's controversial, some say 'offensive,' ad

volkswagen-super-bowl-commercial-2013.jpg Super Bowl 2013: Is the Volkswagen commercial "offensive"?

The latest 2013 Super Bowl commercial buzz is about a Volkswagen ad where a man from Minnesota speaks with a Jamaican accent.

It has outraged some who call the commercial "offensive" and "uncomfortable to watch."

The commercial, which is set to air Sunday during Super Bowl 47, features a man in an office setting who encourages co-workers to lighten up. (Watch the video below.)

In an NBC "Today" show online poll, nearly 93 percent of respondents said the ad was "NOT offensive."

And Jamaica's minister of tourism and entertainment said the ad is a "compliment" to Jamaicans.

However, in a USA Today story, others were downright outraged.

• "It's pretty horrific," said a spokesperson for multicultural marketing agency Dove Marketing. "Why do they have a white guy from Minnesota faking a Jamaican accent?"

• A spokesperson for Walton Isaacson, an African-American, Gay/Lesbian and Hispanic agency, said: "What happens in this ad is that the culture becomes a punch line, and that is offensive."

• One pop cultural expert said: "It made me uncomfortable" ... "I found it offensive."

Watch the commercial and tell us what you think.

On Grand Rapids radio show

"Gravy in the Morning,"

I joined the conversation with co-hosts Gravy and Rachael Gray on Hot-FM (105.3).

Email John Gonzalez at gonzo@mlive.com
Or follow John on Twitter at Twitter.com/MichiganGonzo
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