Historically, I don't watch a lot of television. We did not have one as I grew up, and as such I never really got into it beyond sports and news. Over the last 15-20 years I have not really owned or watched a great deal of TV more broadly either, so I may not be the best one to provide the analysis I'm about to, but still believe I see something important to note.
Over the last couple years as I work through this PhD program and have needed short breaks from reading, I have started watch some TV beyond sports. Firstly, I have been sucked in to the influx of superhero related movies and programs. Since learning to read using comic books (I'm dyslexic), I have always been passionate about superheros and the altruistic messages they promote. Of late, I have been drawn into watching shows like Arrow, the Flash, and other Marvel and the Star Wars based television efforts. Of late, I have also expanded to some outdoors, survival styled shows, like Live Free or Die. So in short I am watching things that create their demograhic (and who they market to) based on superheros, nature and survival shows, and both American and regular football (soccer).
As I have watched this over the last couple years and historically watched all sorts of sports, I have been noticing a decided upsurge in the amount of commercials featuring African Americans. Well dressed in colored shirts, living in suburban homes, with nuclear families, driving new and luxury cars. And perhaps this is the sports or superhero demographic, or that I'm watching in the New York market, but over the last few months there seems to be a shift, and this presentation has been far more pronounced.
This of course does not bother me, in fact it is great to see! To think that a black family can now be emblematic and an appealing portrayal for all Americans in the eyes of advertisers is great! (though the horror that is advertising is a story for another day...). This portrayal means that these companies think that by showing African American's in these rolls will resonate with white consumers as well as it would if the same add used a white family.
Is this the black lives matters campaign baring fruit? I certainly hope so. I feel like in the last two years I have seen changes in at least the presentations of racism in the US (though still with infinitely far to go). But to think, that the profit driven corporations are willing to bet money on this image for their corporation says a lot, and is encouraging when I think about race in America.
However, all this joy leads me to one other observation, where are the Latinos? As advertising dollars are trying to show (or pretend that we now think) that black lives matter, what has happened to the rest of the black and brown community? Where are the wealthy, successful Latino communities and families? Where is the Latino family in the suburbs? Collared shirt and sweaters taking presents to their family during the holidays? Where are the Latino kids, playing with toys during Star Wars Rebels on the Disney channel? The simple answer is that they are not there. Black lives may now matter, but so too does racism. Because as we know, racism and prejudice are much bigger than black and white.
As I have watched this over the last couple years and historically watched all sorts of sports, I have been noticing a decided upsurge in the amount of commercials featuring African Americans. Well dressed in colored shirts, living in suburban homes, with nuclear families, driving new and luxury cars. And perhaps this is the sports or superhero demographic, or that I'm watching in the New York market, but over the last few months there seems to be a shift, and this presentation has been far more pronounced.
This of course does not bother me, in fact it is great to see! To think that a black family can now be emblematic and an appealing portrayal for all Americans in the eyes of advertisers is great! (though the horror that is advertising is a story for another day...). This portrayal means that these companies think that by showing African American's in these rolls will resonate with white consumers as well as it would if the same add used a white family.
Is this the black lives matters campaign baring fruit? I certainly hope so. I feel like in the last two years I have seen changes in at least the presentations of racism in the US (though still with infinitely far to go). But to think, that the profit driven corporations are willing to bet money on this image for their corporation says a lot, and is encouraging when I think about race in America.
However, all this joy leads me to one other observation, where are the Latinos? As advertising dollars are trying to show (or pretend that we now think) that black lives matter, what has happened to the rest of the black and brown community? Where are the wealthy, successful Latino communities and families? Where is the Latino family in the suburbs? Collared shirt and sweaters taking presents to their family during the holidays? Where are the Latino kids, playing with toys during Star Wars Rebels on the Disney channel? The simple answer is that they are not there. Black lives may now matter, but so too does racism. Because as we know, racism and prejudice are much bigger than black and white.
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