Two days later, most people outside of Pittsburgh or Green Bay don't even remember the Super Bowl. They remember the commercials, though.
Black representation in the media.... need I say more? The darker the berry, the more evil the juice, according to TV. While the wave of uproar surrounding Pepsi's "Love Hurts" spot ripples through cyberspace (then eventually through "mainstream" media), the unsaid speaks volumes. One would think if commercials are the battlefront for the modern day Civil Rights struggle that racism must be on it's last leg. But I digress...
I laughed at "Love Hurts". I knew immediately a percentage of black women across the country were not amused, and I understood why. When accused of "having an attitude", the only response is to either smile or affirm. Negative accusations don't usually warrant smiles.
I also laughed- maybe more of a chuckle -at Audi's "Release the Hounds" ad.
The irony seemed lost by the masses. Rich white men escape from the luxury of prison? C'mon son. The reality, the butt of the joke, is that poor black men don't escape from the hells of prison- slavery, as it's called by the 13th Amendment. Bad attitudes weren't the only stereotypes played this season.
While the tirade against PepsiMax continues, I wish it success. May this battle in the War on Racism be won, and some poetic historian paint it with Bunker Hill type strokes. The intent is not to say "my pain is greater than yours", but to widen the focus. The "black woman with attitude" stereotype used by Pepsi was a bad call. Failure to recognize equates normalizing. Meanwhile, sounding the horn on the "black men in prison" stereotype? That's like saying you're a soldier in the War on Poverty. Stereotypes exist for a reason, they say. Black women do have attitudes-- at least they do whenever society shits on them. Somebody slap Pepsi. In the meantime, let's laugh at the rich white men escaping prison. Poor or black people (emphasis on the OR) are more likely to be in prison, but who cares about them? They're unlikely to be able to afford an Audi anyway.
Black representation in the media.... need I say more? The darker the berry, the more evil the juice, according to TV. While the wave of uproar surrounding Pepsi's "Love Hurts" spot ripples through cyberspace (then eventually through "mainstream" media), the unsaid speaks volumes. One would think if commercials are the battlefront for the modern day Civil Rights struggle that racism must be on it's last leg. But I digress...
I laughed at "Love Hurts". I knew immediately a percentage of black women across the country were not amused, and I understood why. When accused of "having an attitude", the only response is to either smile or affirm. Negative accusations don't usually warrant smiles.
I also laughed- maybe more of a chuckle -at Audi's "Release the Hounds" ad.
The irony seemed lost by the masses. Rich white men escape from the luxury of prison? C'mon son. The reality, the butt of the joke, is that poor black men don't escape from the hells of prison- slavery, as it's called by the 13th Amendment. Bad attitudes weren't the only stereotypes played this season.
While the tirade against PepsiMax continues, I wish it success. May this battle in the War on Racism be won, and some poetic historian paint it with Bunker Hill type strokes. The intent is not to say "my pain is greater than yours", but to widen the focus. The "black woman with attitude" stereotype used by Pepsi was a bad call. Failure to recognize equates normalizing. Meanwhile, sounding the horn on the "black men in prison" stereotype? That's like saying you're a soldier in the War on Poverty. Stereotypes exist for a reason, they say. Black women do have attitudes-- at least they do whenever society shits on them. Somebody slap Pepsi. In the meantime, let's laugh at the rich white men escaping prison. Poor or black people (emphasis on the OR) are more likely to be in prison, but who cares about them? They're unlikely to be able to afford an Audi anyway.
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