Bank of America-Actually has two black males sitting at a table eating. Father and teenage son. The quote on the ad says,
“Save Smart. You never know when you may need your savings.”
Okay, I guess. Seems harmless, huh? But the more I thought about it, the more it got to me. See, in the ad, the son is holding a basketball looking at his dad. Oh, ya know what would work? Let’s put a basketball in the homeboy’s hands. Because that’s more realistic for him to be doing as he’s sitting at a table eating pizza. WHAT? No, it’s not, Bank of America. And maybe, juuuust maybe I’m reaching a little bit for something that’s not there, but deep down I get this feeling that the message: “You never know when you might need your savings” is referring to the scene as father lecturing son: “See, Raheem, even you, future filthy-rich NBA balller, have to watch your spending.”
Call me crazy
2. Newsweek April 6, 2009 edition-Magazine
Crystalens eye contact surgery.
This ad was on the insider cover of the Newsweek. I thought it was funny because I never see ads for surgeries in any essence, ebony or JET. Hmmm. Interesting to me. I guess you can’t really get mad, though. As an advertiser, you have to know your audience. I guess you really don’t see Spam ads in Forbes magazine, either.
3. NCAA NIT-Baylor vs. Penn State-TV (Sports)
Navy commercial. “The Navy got me enough money, so I could go to college.” First off, it’s no secret that this commercial is targeting. MINORITIES. Why? Because they more often than not don’t go to college. The two people talking in the advertisement are African American and Hispanic. While it first it kind of took me by surprise by only using people of color, I kind of like that the Navy did put at least one on the commercial.
4. NBA- Cavs vs. Wizards- TV (Sports)
Popeye’s- The 2009 mammy-like character called “Annie the chicken queen.” Mammy 2.0. The sassy southern black lady is played out in Hollywood. Stop trying to throw her in everywhere. Let her be. There’s only one Della Reese. This ad kind of makes me mad because to me, I think it tries too hard to portray this black woman as what white people who go to Popeye’s want their cook to look and sound like. In the commercial, she says, “They’re practically givin’ my chicken away! *frown*”
5. MTV “Taking the Stage”-Reality TV
Taco Bell commercial where guy in drag smuggles nachos into the game. Puts nachos in a case around his/her belly to make it look like a pregnant woman’s baby.
6. Blender-Magazine
Bud Light Party Cruise Ad
Two men surrounded by women only. Tons of women. Of course they are hovering over the men. One of the men is a minority. One of the women is a minority. One thing that I think was interesting was that both minorities were very light-skinned. The light-skinned girl had her hair straightened, I believe. Both of these aspects cater to the white beauty theory.
7. Blender-Magazine
Verizon-Black girl full page ad
8. MTV “Real World”-Reality TV
Burger King commercial where girls were all over a guy because he had cute, little burger shots.
9. The Oklahoman April 1, 2009-Newspaper
Dillard Ad selling women’s business suits. Three women are portrayed, none of them being anything but white.
10. Food & Wine-Magazine
An Asian couple drinking some fancy wine in a full-page ad.
Personal Reflection:
I know that on some of these, like number one, it may seem like I’m reaching. Some people tell me, “Adam, you could find something about race in everything.” This isn’t at all a compliment on their part, but I take it as one. They usually just want me to shut up already about all how everything is centered about race.
This really got me thinking. Is it better to see race in everything, sometimes probably looking into things too far or to not look for race in things as all? I’d definitely choose the former. If you don’t even acknowledge how race plays a role in everyday activities, you’re just being naive. Oppositely, if you look for it in everything, people might consider you an “angry black man” or “always pulling the race card.”
Ahhh, if that what it takes>
ReplyDeleteIt is a great thing that you realize it is a good thing to understand stereotypes and racial discriminations. This can only help you. It also allows you to be non-biased when you watch TV, work at your job or anything that deals with others in the future. This new thing that you have found will also help you have compassion, you may wonder why I say that, but you will realize how others may be feeling with the media depicting this way and respond in a more positive manner. I really liked your blog, I think I would have had many of the same ideas about the different media stereotypes that you put in your blog.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, some of these tactics, as you mention, are simply to sell something. I don't think any of this is enacted for malicious purposes. They are perpetrated in order to move a product. If you want to pin this to anything, pin it to capitalism. These advertisers wouldn't do this if there weren't results. They do extensive market research. Yet, can you really blame capitalism and the free market? This is the only proven system to allow people of a lower stature to matriculate to prosperity. Socialism certainly doesn't (unless you live in the a perfect world, which ours isn't). It boils down to greed (which is also why socialism doesn't work, by the way). Humans are inherently selfish and greedy beings looking for comfort. These advertisers are looking to do a job and make some money. It is irrelevant to them what social stereotypes they play upon to do just that. If people didn't respond to these images and symbols, then they would not be used. It is imperative to understand, as a consumer, that these are caricatures. Every individual is unique and no two are alike. There are themes, though. One that comes to my mind concerns your commentary of the Popeye's lady. In high school in New Orleans, one of our cooks was a wonderful African American woman named Bella. I used to go sit and chat with her in the kitchen. I have still, to this day, never tasted anything better than her fried chicken. Un-frickin-believable. Many people say it is a stereotype that black people like fried chicken. I have to say, a green person would if they tasted Bella's. She just so happened to be what would be defined in a film or TV show as a "mammy". Yet this was real life. Makes one think a bit.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your statement about seeing race in everything. It's frustrating that the vast majority of advertising plays into racial and gender stereotypes because these are the types of things kids are growing up seeing.
ReplyDeleteI also think it's better to see race than either not see it or ignore it. I've noticed this even this week when working on a group project in another class. We are creating a health program that requires us to create media (posters, flyers, brochures, etc.). I volunteered for brochures and flyers. One thing that was in the forefront of my mind while finding pictures for these was do I have minority and gender diversity. I know my group members were not thinking the same because when we worked in class, some of the other media did not have any diversity and stereotyped women as being Yoga queens and men being macho weight lifters. Unfortunately these stereotypes have been so engrained in people that it is going to take tons of work from people with stereotype consciousness to break down their thinking.
Oh my gosh, I absolutely despise that Burger King commercial. I've seen it a thousand times, and it's such a disgrace to all women. It's pathetic.
ReplyDeleteI think it you posed an interesting idea.. Is it better to see race in everything or to just ignore it all together? I definitely think you are right on this one. It is better to look for it everywhere. Before this class, I really never looked at racial stereotypes and the media’s representation of minorities. I never even thought about it. But now, I more open-minded and a more critical consumer of the media. I think our society would be a lot better off if all citizens knew how to analyze and critique information they get from the mass media.
I don't think you stretched the Bank of America commercial at all. Anyone that knows anything about advertising knows that the idea is to go after a target audience. However, there is a fine line between pinpointing a target audience based on demographics and psychographics and flat out stereotyping. Too many times, in ads of all mediums, that line is crossed. This Bank of America ad seems like the perfect example of that. Why did the minority man's son need to be holding a basketball? Were the savings they need supposed to be for some new Nike's? The Navy ad seems to be doing the same thing. Although personally, I don't feel like it is because minorities don't attend college. Rather, I'd say the reason is because IF minorities don't go to college, the reason is often that they can't afford it, which is the same for all prospective students. The Navy, and the other military branches, reach out to the minorities to give them options for how to pay for school and "see the world". It is hard to turn down such a "good" offer. I think if the media were able to more clearly define the line between a "target audience" and "stereotyping" their ads would be much more effective.
ReplyDelete