So, Are There No Scary Black People Any More?

I happen to like the new post, Felix. Why? Because it's true and because it relates to advertising.

It's just like those Kool Aid ads I used to watch on BET. I always wondered were no white people that enjoyed the great taste of Kool Aid?

And how do advertisers know when I am watching a "black" TV show to run the black ads for a product?

Also when you have a black family in those said ads why must one of the kids be obviously biracial when both parents are black?

we're not haters...we're just dumb white guys looking to break into your house of blog.

Felix, I don't think you're racist. I think you are a very typical pampered, privileged white guy who, apparently, thinks the worst suffering in the world is for your race and gender to be portrayed stupidly. I assure you, every other race in this country would shout Hallelujah to the heavens if that was the most negative thing they experienced in society.

I really suggest you take a look outside of your whiteboy snark-palace and observe the way minorities are badmouthed, marginalized and mocked every single day of their lives. Especially in advertising, where apparently every hiring manager in the country for the last 50 years fails to even consider that maybe they should consider hiring or mentoring an African-American.

You, my friend, need to wake the fuck up.

yeah lets not forget how hard it is to be a white man in 2010. stereotypes suck huh. but you have a cush job, time to evaluate characters in adverts, actually you probably get paid to do that. lets not forget that white people are writing and casting alot of this shit. and white actors are getting parts even if they are stereotypes. i don't have as much of a problem with your observations as the way you are framing your argument.you. if you work in advertising just don't do this shit or find a way to make your client see how stupid it is period.

Typical reaction, too. Someone says "hey, this isn't quite realistic" and the response is "think of all the suffering." I suggest, in the nicest possible way, that you fuck off and find a new argument. Dave Chappelle did some of his finest work making fun of all races, not just whites. And I know absolutely, intimately, how minorities are bad-mouthed and portrayed. Some of my own friends and family tell me this on a regular basis. Just because I'm white, doesn't mean my partner is white. So please, before you tell people to "grow the fuck up" at least try something other than the "black people have struggled" argument. Yes, they have. And do you think pandering to them in a few crappy ads is going to make it all better? Really? I think they want equality, not bullshit.

What is your solution Felix? What would make sense to you?

How about a scientific solution? Would you like advertisements to conscientiously represent the demographic of the region they are trying to persuade to buy their products?

US Race/Ethnicity (2008)*
White: 79.8%
African American: 12.8%
Asian American: 4.5%
Native American and Alaska Native: 1.0%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 0.2%
Multiracial: 1.7%
Hispanic (of any race): 15.4%

* Wikipedia - the most trustworthy source ever

Because you construct your argument in terms of Black and White, would you like too see 79.8% of ads portray Whites as victims or perpetrators? Or, 12.8% of African Americans as victims or perpetrators? By my calculations, either way, Whites end up in more ads as perpetrators... 39.4 % White vs. 6.4% Black.

But which would you prefer?

The Broadview ads are among the worst I've ever seen. You can run a checklist of things that make no sense in them, so I'm not sure they're a shining example of anything. People have their alarms on in broad daylight, doors are ferociously kicked down by wild eyed psychopaths only to run away from the loud noises, nobody seems to know that the response time on house alarms is about 40 minutes (if ever), the phone rings and a comforting black man (or asian woman) with a headset magically makes everything calm again, etc.

I understand not wanting to be considered a racist, TV spots seem like a bad place to bridge the racial divide in any meaningful way. All we get is the idealized perfect rainbow. But I think things like this are the reason everyone's so scared:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__ngB7uiNk4&feature=player_embedded

It's so subtle it might have been an honest oversight, but probably not. We're being asked to believe that an affirmative action worker is keeping his job over the white worker. And he's a good guy! Did you see the way he touched the black guy's shoulder? Aw. Something this subtle caused a lot of bad press, and I can see why people would intentionally avoid it.

I often think I'd be offended as anyone if I watched enough TV. I'm embarrassed FOR women when everyone is blissfully kicking chocolate in their flowery yoga pants and awesome-working tampons. I shake my head for black people when I see a Popeye's ad with a little too much smiling and dancing for the debilitating caloric content. It's all a lie. That's why it feels like a lie.

Looks like Felix has been taking cues from John Mayer.

Stop apologizing for your post guy. The dipshits who invariably fall back on the argument of last resort, i.e. the privileged, rapacious Caucasian male pillaging and plundering his way through this world has nothing to complain about when juxtaposed against the tremendous suffering of blacks, Latinos, Jews, etc. are the same buffoons who try and formulate smart ass responses using Wikipedia thereby exposing themselves for the ignorant shits they are. It's all exactly as you've described - PC bullshit. To the last moron above, I would ask him if his formulaic solution EVER included blacks, er, African Americans as the criminals considering they comprise approximately 13% of the wider population.

The notion that minorities are gregarious, racially blind people just trying to grope their way around in the dark age of racial hostility is a common theme but unfortunately has the distinction of being completely false. Blacks, Latinos, Jews, Indians, Japanese, Chinese - all as racist as the most hateful white man.

"Felix, I don't think you're racist. I think you are a very typical pampered, privileged white guy who, apparently, thinks the worst suffering in the world is for your race and gender to be portrayed stupidly. I assure you, every other race in this country would shout Hallelujah to the heavens if that was the most negative thing they experienced in society."

Methinks someone doth protest too much. I love when angry little trolls frequent my blog. Wanna guess if this turd would be on the verge of a psychotic break if -GASP- a black man was actually portrayed as a criminal in the Broadview spot. It would be "hummina, hummina - get the Rev. Jesse Jackson on the phone - black man being accused of attacking the virginal white woman again". LOL. You've got some pretty mentally challenged posters here.

Since when did ads start representing society accurately as you are presuming them to? You as a white male are actually experiencing the phenomenon that all other races and genders have experienced with television, movies and the media since the beginning of television, movies and media - that we women/blacks/gays/etc are not portrayed as anything remotely approaching accurate.

It actually is funny to hear someone saying "But can we be a little more balanced about it?" in 2010. The only person left who would say that at this late point in American society's development is a white heterosexual male. Everyone else has pretty much been screaming that for decades and has already grown hoarse from it through generations. Welcome to the club.

CKiffney: Maybe, and this is an ENORMOUS assumption on my part, just maybe society should be aiming for a racial pendulum that doesn't swing too far to either side. Ya Think??? This weak-ass argument (you know - we've endured it so it MUST be your turn in the barrel) is perhaps the most irrational of them all, as if to say racism + racism = right. Stupid, but I'm quickly gathering that "intelligent" is hard to come by on this blog.

Sincerely,

Lloyd Blankfein

P.S. - Just how are White Women being treated unfairly by the media these days? LMAO!!! Moron

Wow. The egotist hit a new low.

I can always identify a thoughtful, intelligent person by his or her liberal use of CAPS LOCK, exclamation points following words like "moron," and phrases like "LOL."

What a breath of fresh air! Points well made.

I can always identify someone lacking a credible argument that will withstand scrutiny by their decision to sidestep the argument entirely and attack someone's choice of punctuation, grammar, caps lock, etc. Welcome back to your Freshman year of high school. You're missed at TMZ.com.

(Just to clarify, the above is not referring to Felix and his ranting.) Let's see if any more playground name-calling comes out of this...

'Oh, burn!' If it was all grammar.

Although the way you communicate does say something about you outside of English class, so, something to think about. Those are things a lot of people will see as trademarks of someone who isn't so credible. It definitely doesn't make you want to listen to them.

Paints a picture of you as being unwilling or unable to see and understand multiple viewpoints. More than one camp can have a valid point, to be considered.

For instance--not that I am one--but I see white women stereotyped and over-sexualized in the media plenty in 2010.

Debates don't need to end a la "poop-head."

@Lloyd Blankfein:

Well maybe you have a point about someone's comment, but it's not mine, because I never claimed that all white people were pillaging savages or all minorities were pure as the driven snow. But I can tell you have an axe to grind about that, so keep it up if it gets you hard.

What I did say, very clearly, is that white people must indeed have it really great in our society if their only complaint is that only white people are portrayed as stupid in commercials.

Black men, for example, may not be portrayed as criminals in an ad but they are very much portrayed as criminals in society, given that they are under constant persecution from police, distrust from potential employers, and threats of hanging from the teabaggin' GOP.

Felix, the challenge here is to make all this white guy/black guy shit relevant in 2010.

The (hit) Cosby Show of 25 years ago portrayed a black man as a gynecologist, and his wife—I might add—a black lawyer. Neither of them dumb or criminal.

Advertising clients don't want to appear bigoted any more than you do. They have a different challenge but I continue to empathize with you both.

But to counter your argument; I'm proud to say, "Some of my best friends were white criminals. Now they are white inmates."

So it's about advertising, how about making the conversation current?
Incendiary in 1984, a little sleepy for 2010, but maybe defending the honor of smart whites guys is what needs to be done, I wouldn't know.

This seems like a spin off from your last post on Tiger...(not scary black (mixed-race) guy)

Rick Griffith

Hey Felix,

Let me get my bias out of the way first:
Black male
College student
PR major
Not from Denver

Now I understand you aren't racist, neither am I. But the argument posted above, that "we've endured it so it MUST be your turn in the barrel" isn't completely an inaccurate read of the situation. I mean, usually when something is noticed, it is because it is outside of the norm. So you notice white guys are the intruders, because normally, or perhaps the norm in real life, is for black guys to be the intruders, or hispanics or whatever.

Your post is true, it's completely disproportional in the Broadview ads. And other races are disproportionally represented in other ads, like black people in McDonald's ads. Doesn't make it right but it doesn't make it totally wrong either. Maybe this is the balance you were looking for all along.

You said black people (or all people for that matter) want equality and not BS, but truthfully, a little BS wouldn't hurt either. Ignorance is bliss right?

felix,

you watch way too much tv. dont you know that shit rots the brain! your comparing apples to oranges w chapelle and advertising. all advertising is is sales. theyre trying to sale you something. their is a specific target. and as most likely being the ONLY 1/2 Flilpino 1/2 Latino in this colorado market... you completely left me out of your target audience. your obviously talking to your white brothers. and not your brothers in the industry.
your right about seeing white people not only portraying the victim, hero and villain. not much has changed. white people will dominate the media. Most of what we are fed are half truths, lies, and sales tactics.
I've been on plenty of shoots where indirect or unconscious racial decisions have occurred. instead of taking a defensive stance like " black people are the real bad buys" I'm inclined to say " lets get more minorities as positive roll models so that when my kids turn on the boob tube they're not bombarded with just white people doing white things.".. there is culture out there. deep rooted culture..

i think those broadview commercials speak to who the target is. plus their just shitty commercials and a vehicle to get your "felix" opinions across.

one more comment. commercials come in many different forms. sparking a racial post off of a security commercial makes no strides in pushing forward humanity. or even the conversation of where we are at in society. seems to me yall should be watching more espn and the nfl network. sports through out history has had deep seeded controversies with racism. it's def still alive and there's def no pussy footin around the subject.

here's a link that can be inspiring.. it's the human element.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3byt7xMSCA

I enjoy your rants by the way.. dont let a commercial give you a hernia.

Isnt that what CNN is for? or any of the local news affiliates across the country. If you've lived anywhere but here, I would say by watching the news you know there are certainly a large number of criminals that are black/asian/latino/white on a daily/hourly basis. Do you really think these commercials make anyone truly believe that white people are the new threat to themselves? Ignoring history and sterotypes in the advertising world happened for how many years? not to mention Hollywood. You take for granted how hard people have worked to make up for all the crap stereotypes that were fed to billions of people for years and years. Visual mediums for the masses certainly have their racist and un-PC roots. I don't know you Felix, but I wonder how old you are. I don't think someone who lived through all the social injustices and all the political incorrectness of the last 50 years, as a non-white person, would ever say the things you are saying with the tone you're using in your post. Your question is valid, but not understanding the answers for why we dont show black people robbing a house- is ignorant. It's indicative of the attitude of a lot of spoon in the mouth generation nexters. (apologies for coining such a terrible term). Spoon in the mouth not so much referring to how hard you work, but more so - the inability to understand that life as we know it today is not at all how it was for older generations. NOT understanding how hard people have worked to reshape a fundamental
public conscience is ignorant. Do you think an Obama type candidate wins in any other decade? (Jesse Jackson is not Obama-like)

When you're citing Chapelle like he's some really important luminary for minorities- that kind of says it all: spoon in the mouth generation nexter.

Simply put, ads aren't meant to reflect reality or be "teaching moments" and they have no obligation to. They are fairy-tales to build a message around a product, service or brand. Period.

It's about minimizing distractions. There is no pet-hair on the sofa, or piles of unsorted mail on the tables in those ads either. Big deal. Reality is insignificant to the message. If the security ad had a black intruder, it pokes that corner of our brains that's aware of the ugly history of racial stereotyping, profiling and demonization in our culture. Now you're not thinking about how Broadview Security will keep your family and your stuff safe, you're thinking about white guilt, your one black friend, or whatever. It's a distraction from the message. White guy? Nobody (besides you I guess) is much bothered or distracted.

Not saying any of this is right or wrong. Just stating another truth.

Ot could be that he's trying to articulate the point that we need to chill the hell out on the political correctness. Or, simply pointing out that by painting the world as some United Colors of Benneton utopia all advertisers are doing is patronizing everyone.

Colorado is pretty damn white. As are a lot of other states.
Makes sense to me that Broadview who show whitey robbers running around. If white is the majority, why wouldnt you show white robbing white? If I saw a black dude robbing a house in boulder, that wouldnt sell me anything. On the other hand , when I see some frat boy/meth head breaking in and stealing the silverware, hells yes im calling broadview to protect me from all those crazy white kids.

White people looking stupid on TV? Cant have that

you didnt mention the Meth ads, those are all white folks made to look like compulsive criminals. If it was Crack in NYC, probably not the same approach. But the folks blowing up their apartments are all white.

Maybe its like Seinfeld episode where Elaine was mad at the Deli for having nothing but busty waitresses. The white guys are all the producer's nephews..

Thank you for stating this, Felix. I completely agree, and am somewhat "mixed" myself, having a Nordic pa and a Mediterranean ma.

Felix,

In the spirit of Evan Roberts, here's my bias:
White male
College grad
Web and Graphic Designer
Not from Denver

You're right when you say your post is racial and not racist, but more than anything this post is lazy, and the laziness of the post reveals your ignorance and ignorance is the breeding ground of racism. Your outrage is so narrow-minded myopic that while it may not be racist it's so plainly ignores the facts of race and media that it very nearly does come off as racist, and is certainly racially insensitive. My feeling is that the goal of this entire post on is not, as you say, to "to be realistic, rather than sugar-coated," because you're not realistic in your editorial. If you were being realistic you'd be able to acknowledge that the history of media and advertising in the US has been incredibly unkind to women and minorities, especially Blacks, much more so than it ever has been to Whites folks and White men, and that a few ads making White folks look silly isn't nearly the same thing as the systematic pattern of negative racial stereotyping that's plagued the history of media in the US.

When held up to the light of scrutiny the ads you've chosen don't even display an "ongoing trend", other than possibly "putting White folks in a negative light," and even that's stretching it. In your first example, the Broadview Security ads, the White folks are criminals. Well, 46% of the prison population of Colorado is White (pp 10), so at least three of those five ads you saw were correct in representing White folks as criminals. In the second ad that you can't even cite, the White folks are represented as dumb, which is not identical or really even similar to being criminal. In the third ad series, the WaMu ads, White folks are portrayed as powerful, stuffy old men who have old fashioned ideas about banking. Well, banking is for the most part controlled by old White men, so this is a caricature more than it is a stereotype, and resembles the first two ads in now way at all. The ads that you've pointed out are not a trend of any kind because there are no striking similarities between the ads.

Lastly, even if there had been a trend in the ads you've chosen, the major difference between a self-proclaimed white male complaining about white stereotypes and a minority complaining about minority stereotypes is that whites have total control over the way they're being stereotyped and minorities don't. If minorities are stereotyping themselves then they are the ones who get to decide how they're represented, they have control over their appearance and promotion to the general public, but minorities don't have that control and they've never had that control. In fact, according to a study done in 2008 "only 5.3 percent of managers and professionals at agencies in 2008 were black." So, yeah, when minorities gripe about the way they're represented in the media they have a substantial and relevant complaint, since they're being (mis)represented by people who do not know what it's like to live in their culture, to be in their skin; they have no control over how they look or how they're represented to the world in media and advertising. When White folks get (mis)represented in media they have no one to blame but themselves.

By all means, let's address the racial imbalance in advertising and do it by addressing the huge racial gap in the advertising industry. But I don't hear you advocating for this. All I hear you doing is saying, "Stop making fun of White people!" which just comes off as whiny, lazy and myopic.

Adam

Here are the two links from my last post that didn't work

http://www.adcolumnist.com/blackwhiteandspot.pdf

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/09/business/media/09adco.html

I appreciate the time and trouble you went to Adam. Here are a few more facts though, that you didn't point out.
First, if we're going to go to the prison route, which I didn't want to do, then your representation of the facts is a little myopic, too. This, from a recent report:

Racial Disparity in Prison
• According to the U.S. Department of Justice, a male born in 2001 faces the following odds of going to prison during his lifetime:
1 in 3 for African-Americans; 1 in 6 for Latinos; 1 in 17 for Caucasians.
• Latinos/as account for 17.1% of the population in Colorado, but 31% of the state prison population.
• African-Americans make up 3.8% of Colorado’s population, but represent 19.4% of people in state prison.
• Anglos are 74.5% of the state’s population, but only 46% of the prison population.
Sources: Colorado Dept. of Corrections, Statistical Report for 2007 (2008). Census Data, www.quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/state/08000.html, U.S.

You do with that what you will, but those numbers give a bigger picture of Colorado prisons. However, those ads are running nationwide, not just in Colorado. Are you saying that when the ad runs in New York, which has an overwhelming majority of African American prisoners, they change the race of the guy breaking in?

Of course not.

Look, call it myopic, I really don't care. I don't think that having the pendulum swing the other way is going to help anyone either. Ads may be a utopia, but how far do we take it? We do, last time I checked, have an African-American holding the highest office in the land. One I backed fully by the way, and still do. But is it now taboo to even imply anything negative about a minority? Where does all this go? That's the question I'm asking.

Thank you for asking the questions, Felix. What I get is that you're questioning the whole PC mentality—a mentality and way of communicating which doesn't change the actual problems minorities suffer, it just hides them—not the notion that treating people fairly is right.

Please keep asking the questions. You don't necessarily have to have the answers right away, but the answers won't come if the questions aren't asked...

So what to you want to see in ads? More black criminals? More stupid Hispanic men? More white men swooping in saving the day? Don't sit here and tell me how you have black friends or voted for Obama. I don't care. I have white friends. I didn't vote for Obama. Your qualifiers don't mean anything thing other than you are too scared to voice your opinion on its merit. It makes me think of the armchair bigot who says a racist slur but quickly follows it up with how they smiled at their black mailman yesterday.

I am not one for being PC though many think since I'm black I must have a deck of race cards I am itching to use, but I also hate this crying of how being PC is so unfair. The fact is they are both symptoms of larger problems that are being ignored. For advertising, the problem lies with not just clients as you try to put most of the blame on but the agencies also. The problem is there is a lack of diversity and no, I am not just talking about race, but lets face it there are very few faces of color. There is an extreme lack of diverse perspective. If met one ad person, I have met them all. There is little innovation being created, and even when you can find innovation it's ridden until it's sucked dry. So you get shit like the Broadview ads and I get McDonalds that have me believe that black people communicate though song and rap.

It's safe to make fun of white people, to portray males as dumber than their wives, and friends as ethnically diverse. Keep bitching about it and pretty soon we won't be able to fuck with anyone.

Brinks home security is now Broadview security, and by broad we mean narrow.

All the posters who believe "whitey" has nothing more to worry about than being portrayed as a rapist/burglar in these silly commercials are precisely the people who should be asking themselves this simple question:

Why are so many white men with EVERYTHING going for them breaking into homes?? Oh right, cuz they're would be rapists. That too is the sole provenance of white men, too, don't you know . . . .

OMG...I laughed so hard when I saw this.....my husband has said the exact same thing, especially about ther Broadview Security system, as a matter of fact, he called the company to complain about the commercials.

Everything you say is correct about the way they portray whites and blacks in commercials, as it is all done for political reasons. The only thing I would have left out is explaining your reasoning in case someone calls you a racist...WHO CARES! let others say that if they want... as the only reason they mark someone a racist is because they have nothing else to say or call you because they know you speak the truth, and if another white person calls you a racist it's becauuse that's what they have been taught to say and somehow it makes them feel like a real good person inside when they say that. We know they are lying to themselves, so who cares.

You are by far not the only one who sees and feels the way you do. It's gotten ridicoulous, almost every commercial has a black person or people portrayed as having a real good family life...mother, father 2 kids, nice home. Notice how all the black people on these commercials don't have their jive accents? like axe me instead of ask me. Ya, everything you see in the ads is the total opposite of the real life and maybe people need to start sending e-mails or calling these companies to let them know, we are aware of their bs.

I went to a small NE college. Let me tell you, every time they planned a photo shot they called the black and asian kids (we literally had less than 10 of each).
"Hey would you guys like to come and walk across the quad for a couple photos?"
They all thought it was hysterical. Roll with the punches man, roll....

Wow, you must have a lot of free time to sit here and complain about something as stupid as this (:

Actually, I spawn this kind of shit in mere seconds. I'm a very busy asshole.

I think until more prominent figures step up to the plate to address this issue of kissing all the races' butts this kind of crap will go on. My fiance is black and she laughs at all the butt kissing done for black people. To quote her "the more you pamper them, the more they will act helpless". I think the real question is, "when will the wounds of the past heal"?

We keep hearing this crap about the hard times all ethnic minorities went through, and it was a horrible thing. But enough is enough, get a damn job and stop blaming whitey for all your problems. Otherwise, eventually welfare will dry up, you'll get left behind and no one will listen to you anymore.

To me ethnic minorities who complain about racism are the same as homeless people. In public we ignore them and try to avoid them. Behind closed doors we are pissed off that we have to support their butts.

You know I want to just say to the whole country, grow the hell up! Stop expecting the world to give you healthcare, money, attention and validation for living. That's your job! I run a major a company and I get so sick and tired of supporting the little children out there (of all races), who are too stupid to do any rational thinking for themselves. Your ancestors must be ashamed of you.

Felix - you've been doing an excellent job ruffling feathers lately. Keep up the good work.

To cut to the chase, any of us working with clients large enough to fund a tv ad, especially a nationally-distributed one, knows how marketing execs think when they agree to casting decisions. It's so simple - never hurt animals, never make yourself look like a racist. It has nothing to do with accurately depicting the world as we know it - it's all about clarity of message and Protecting Thy Ass...

We know that if we show a black guy breaking into a house we can expect a call from some reactionary race-baiter, or possibly even the local chapter of the NAACP. Last I checked there was no such thing as the NAAWP, unless you plan to form one. Everyone knows a media accusation doesn't have to be true to do damage, so why take that chance?

I'm not defending the train of thought, I just understand it. I find advertising that "tells the truth" and doesn't speak down to its audience is what attracts me - but then again I work in the business. Ads that go out of their way to be "PC", to me, are bland. And we've got better things to rally against than bland.

The comments complaining about how they are sick of supporting minorities are just as useless and pathetic as minorities blaming white people for all their faults. I say this as a black woman, everyone needs to stop scapegoating others for their failure or why they aren't doing better. The reason why everything has to be PC is because these mental midgets can't get beyond crying about how [insert race] people did you wrong, took their jobs, etc. Is there an island we can put you all on so you can blame each other to death?

Felix,

I actually agree with you but I wish you didn't allow this to turn into a huge bitch-fest for bitter internet trolls. Half these comments have little to do with what you said. What you raise goes beyond just how races are reflected in advertising but gender, religion and even geographic regions. It's a good debate to have.

I am white and I think making fun of white people is quite entertaining. We are quite a hilarious bunch of self absorbed assholes who need a little cutting down, in my opinion. I sure hope this 'anti white idiot' movement you seem to be championing doesn't take hold, because I'd sure hate to not be able to make fun of myself in ads and other visual communications.

My bias:
I hate this fucking site. That being said, I hate most of the women I fuck. So, yes, I'm a hypocrite, and yes, I read the egotist.

But seriously, and this is just my interpretation, Felix isn't upset that white males feel unfairly portrayed in advertising. It's not about equality as a society, it's about equal representation. Its unrealistic to have proper proportional representation in terms of population, crime rates, even fast-food customers; not to mention how difficult that would be in local broadcasting markets. So we are left with the problem that accurate representation is too complicated or controversial. How do we fix this? Fuck with everyone.

Everyone needs to be fair game. Advertisements need to have dumbshit white customers and stupid black customers. Have clueless, completely inept housewives and multitasking home security commercials need to portray aliens as the real threat, because they are clearly the ones breaking into homes and abducting innocent humans, not just across the nation, but worldwide my friends. And seriously, what's so bad about showing an ethnic family that's struggling? Sure, we have a black president, and yes that's a great breakthrough for all races and all ethnic groups. But fuck people, let's start telling it how it is, right? Maybe, just maybe ethnic consumers might relate to whatever dumb fucking product or service you're shilling this week.

The simplest answer is just make everyone a raging asshole- that's as accurate of a societal microcosm we'll ever see in ads for the next decade(s). Undoubtedly, the status quo needs to change, but as it has already been stated, it's all about the sales numbers and we, my advertising brethren, just perpetuate the cycle of misconceptions. This prevalent political correctness and reverse racism only set us back as a nation.

We (advertisers) are a link in the chain that is the problem, we are why racial equality and progress have been for the most part, stifled for the last decades. We do our clients biding, they give us money, we give them what they want, we are whores. Until we change the minds of corporate strategists and management, this shit is never going to end. You all have every right to bitch about it, but there is never going to be change you can believe in for this advertising bubble in which we live and work. And since we influence, if not to some extent, control the thoughts, perceptions and desires of Americans across this great nation, a greater societal change may never come to fruition.The dollar rules. If you honestly have a problem with these subtle lies, find another fucking profession. There are far nobler ways to make a living.

I didnt take to much time to read all of the responses but its really as simple as its just business. Advertisements target specific people and or groups, if they didnt than its as simple as they wouldnt be pulling the specific numbers of sales needed from specific people. Thats it no racism no discrimination just business. If advertisements only showed white people driving a specific car, or black people eating at a specific restaurant than you would say, either "i dont want to eat there because alot of black people might be there or eat there" or "i wont that car because all the other white people have it". Simply because that's what the advertisement portrayed attracting who they where targeting. Whether positive or negative they're only doing business.

And also you should look deeper into the fact in why 85% of prison inmates are black, or why they cant go to college or work before you start making judgements. Reality is a bitch, and it wont hesitate to slap the shit out of you.

It would be safe to assume that a major reason the US incarceration rate is so ridiculously high is too few people contest it. The lack of outcry is tied into the lack of empathy towards the PIC’s target population; blacks. Due to the success of some of the most idiotic laws in the world, we have an exaggeratedly high amount of black inmates that were arrested for non-violent crimes. Back in the ‘90’s even when there were an overwhelming number of blacks incarcerated I saw the prison boom with the onslaught of conservatism. A lot of people failed to understand what the 1994 mid-term Congressional and Senate elections were all about, but I heard the proclamations of less higher education and more prisons form a new wave of politicians; the "Angry White Males."

Its as simple as cause and effect. White people are the cause and the blacks are the effects. Once you push that boulder down hill its very hard to stand in front of it with your hands raised and stop it with brute force.

You gave birth to what they are today. You stop complaining and how about you go help fix it.

Wow, the anonymous from 3/4/2010 at 3:00 pm and 3:24 pm must be the president of the Victimized of America club.

Come on, those posts are at least as racist as any of the crap you're railing against. Not all white folks have oppressed or are oppressing black folks. Even "back in the day", there were a lot of white abolitionists, and later, white civil rights marchers and white folks who have offered free legal help to truly oppressed black folks.

Jim Crow laws were repealed a long time ago. Ike sent in the National Guard to make sure that rat bastard Faubus had to integrate the schools. We have had generations of Affirmative Action.

Yet this particular "anonymous" rants on about how we haven't fixed anything. Hey, are we putting guns to the heads of all the teenage unwed mothers having kids they can't give emotional and intellectual support to? Kids who often grow up to be gangsta thugs? What is the black community doing to stop the hip-hop nation from its misogyny and celebration of prison life?

I guess it's so much easier to blame "whitey", isn't it...

Great post! I agree 100% and I was wanting to write the same article. You will never see a commercial where the black person looks stupid towards the white person. It really is sooo ridiculous and the sad truth is, I don't think this trend is anywhere near about to stop. Everyone is to scared about what the black person is going to do or say. Fuck that!!! Just like Obama says "time for a change"!

Nino sez: "What is the black community doing to stop the hip-hop nation from its misogyny and celebration of prison life?"

And I gotta ask: What is the white community doing to stop the rock 'n roll nation's celebration of violence and misogyny?

Hey! This stone-throwing is pretty easy!

Jor-El-Six-Pack prefers throwing stones instead of finding solutions.

The degree of misogyny and violence in hip hop and rap is far beyond anything in all of rock, and our culture's degradation is related to hip hop and the acceptance of thuggery and prison life/culture in everyday life.

LOL! Are you my grandad?

You kids get off my dirt!

Honestly, even within some segments of the black community, hip hop/gangsta culture is (rightly) seen as a major detriment to society at large, and the black community specifically. A long time ago folks like the Disposable Heroes of Hiphopracy may have had something to say, but the genre has been so much more overrun by thuggish elements than jazz, blues, rock, punk rock, or speedmetal ever were...

Rock and Roll revolutionized positive free-thought movements and protests. Sure, some might argue that R&R ruined society with drug use and promiscuous sex, along with a total disregard for authority. These concepts, for better or worse, are what inspired the great art, culture and political movements of the last 50 years. Rap, for the most part, produces or promotes a culture of misogynistic materialists that advocate violent crime, perpetuate the rapidly declining academic standards in America and the increase in the correctional systems already disproportionate ethnic ratios (Although, I agree that legislators and federal officials perpetuate the latter as well, and certainly don't do shit to correct the prejudices and ridiculous possession laws that have plagued the system since its beginning and account for a great deal of incarcerated individuals). Sure, that's worth some nice beats they stole from great funk, soul, jazz and rock artists of decades past.

"that's worth some nice beats they stole from great funk, soul, jazz and rock artists of decades past."—message

WELL SAID, 'message'. That's another thing about rap and hip/hop. There is so little "new" or "creative" about it—most of the practitioners of that "style" lifted directly or semi-directly riffs and beats from true artists (of color and otherwise)...

Nino and others -- What the F does rap/hip hop/Rock N Roll have to do with this post?

I have seriously seen less bitching from a room full of women with PMS. I can believe this is the Ad community of Denver.

Why don't you just go ahead and say it. There are all of a sudden too many blacks on tv.

BLACK PEOPLE ARE BLACK PEOPLE

NOT AFRICAN AMERICAN.

Now that the screaming is out of the way. The only way a black person can be considered african, is if they were born in Africa. Want me to prove it? Okay

Get your nearest "black" person and take them on a trip to africa and leave them for 1 week

Next week fly a group of white people to africa, and the "black guy" will tear ass running towards them hugging them.

Rock on Denver Egotist. I got your back.

I have read your article and I personally think it is bullshit. I am a Black female and do not relate to your opinion. I have watched television for many years and have always asked why do we as black people have to play the role of criminal, in any sort. Why do we have to be the caretaker for white people and most of all, why do we have to look at the ground when speaking to you. You complain about the dumbness of the white actors in these commericals, but we have played those roles for years.

Why do black men and women have to be scarey? why would you want the world to continue to look at us like ignorant, angry people. We have for so long have been working to get those images of our people removed from the minds of non black americans and now you think it should come back.

I think it is good to show that black people are not the only people in this world that do messed up things. I live in a town that is majority white and every night on the news they still try to find a way to expose black people for crimes, but needless to say white folks stay on the news here from jumping in the mississippi to kill themselves because they lost their jobs to shooting someone because the were high on meth and their girlfriend left them for what,,, a black man.

White people are criminals, yes, white people are some of the most notorius criminals out here on the face of this earth. You all have been hiding behind the shadows of black america for years and just because some advertising company replaces blacks with whites you are having a hissy. hell those white men and women are getting paid to look and act dumb. hell we were getting paid also, but we have never gotten paid the equal share as white americans, yet we still had to walk in through the back door, famous or not.

White america has labels us as stupid, slow, criminals, drug dealers, drug users, crack whores and the list goes on , and some american think this is what we really are and can not see past the stereo types. So yes I am glad that the industry has changed its outlook and placed us in some more positive rolls, that can give the children of our race roll models other than football and basketball players.

So, get off your soap box full of hate and open your eyes to the reality of events that are going around you. Thanks for the read. if you feel free to comment please do so.

Anonymous at March 8, 2010 9:33 AM asks why we want the world to "continue to look at us like ignorant angry people". Then she goes on to vent her spleen against the "criminal" whites.

While she may not be ignorant, she doesn't seem to posses the sharpest of critical thinking skills, as her perception of Felix's "rant" as a "soap box full of hate" shows either a lack of reading comprehension on her part, or the aforementioned lack of critical thinking skills.

ha ha ha, i'm not sure how this turned into a rap v RnR convo, but it's really comical.

America is separated by a single belief. The long held teachings and ancient secrets of each side. Rock and Roll vs. Rap, the battle of the bands. This is how it all ends. Cats and Dogs, Thugs and bikers, taking it to the street to decide the fate of the American dream that our forefathers fought and slaved for generations to build and protect. Ya'll better watch out when the classical music crew rolls up on ya.

Here is another example of this...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyqRsiRINE4

Safework-(Un)safe

I worked for this place in NYC for 8 years and I collected the statistics on domestic abuse. Over 90% of all the domestic abuses were committed by Black men-Followed by Hispanics in a distant second. Less than 2% of these domestic abuse cases handled by this agency were committed by white men. Yet, this commercial shows the evil white man and the heroic black and Hispanic people coming to the rescue. The atmosphere at this place was/is very bigoted against heterosexual white males and when they produced this commercial I wasn't surprised at all. That being so-What is it they are trying to do by reversing the reality in this commercial?

@ Nino, Let me make this a little more clear for you. I read his post and do not agree with what he said. I do not wish to turn on my television and see black people as the usual crime bandit, maid or anything else that is shading a bad light on us. I think that it is wonderful to show other races as the bad guys in commericals, tv shows or skits. I completely understand, but my answer was not just to him, but to others as well. I did read every post on here including the rap and rock & roll post.

If you chose to comment to my post please read all of the post then comment, don`t just answer one and try to fight the good fight. Now as far as your perception of my skills, I thank you for that, but again if you would have read all of the post and not just one then maybe you would have used your critical thinking skills a little more and flexed your knowledge with a more positive response rather then trying to insult someone, but Nino, you did do the best you could do and for that I applaud you. by the way thank you for not calling me ignorant. lol

Anonymous, I have read each and every post since Felix's "rant" was posted. I was actually refraining from insults in my response to your post, though I was being honest. In your more recent post you have toned down the vitriol and "anti-whitey" sentiments of your original post, which is more conducive to actual conversation on this matter.

You'll note, earlier on, I mentioned to Felix that while he may not have the answers, it is important to ask the question. Shouldn't we in a free society be able to question things without expecting nothing but emotionally charged language such as "White people are criminals, yes, white people are some of the most notorius criminals out here on the face of this earth. You all have been hiding behind the shadows of black america for years and just because some advertising company replaces blacks with whites you are having a hissy."? Believe me, if I'd wanted to play that game when discussing my perception of rappers and thug society perpetuated by rap, I could have. I chose to try and keep it neutral. Hopefully going forward you can too.

Arrivaderci.

@ NIno, your response is well respected and yes I`am able to move forward on neutral grounds. I can admit some or the majority of my post was emotionally motivated, but sometimes people need to hear the emotional part so they are able to get a clear understanding of what is really going on in the minds of others. I am glad my response prompted you to respond back, so maybe others will see that regardless of how emotional or off balance a person may appear, there is always room for improvement.
Responding to:
You'll note, earlier on, I mentioned to Felix that while he may not have the answers, it is important to ask the question. Shouldn't we in a free society be able to question things without expecting nothing but emotionally charged language such as "White people are criminals, yes, white people are some of the most notorius criminals out here on the face of this earth. You all have been hiding behind the shadows of black america for years and just because some advertising company replaces blacks with whites you are having a hissy.

You are correct you should be able to ask a question without getting an emotional response that depicts another race or culture of people, but sometimes it happens and in this case it did. I am not going to apologize about the statements I made, but I will next time collectively submit my response in a more adult like manner, but seriously, I do not like turning on my television and seeing black criminals on every station, just to get you to buy a security system. Some images do stick with people more.

As far as the rap, I think that we are making ourselves look bad, we continue to put down the women in order to make a buck. I careless for rap music and do not listen to it. I dont allow my child to listen to it. So I can honestly say that your perception of rap is very close to mine or the same.

Thank you NIno, I enjoyed our conversation and look forward to moving forward with you in future responses.

Cicero -- I have done a lot of work on national campaigns for Domestic Violence organizations and please stop trying to make the numbers fit your dubious point. It's a problem that reaches almost equally across races and someone like you misquoting statistics only hurts.

The numbers are higher among black and Hispanic women victims because they are more than likely to report it to police but it's only slightly higher than white women. Native American women tend to have the highest victimization rate. Asian and Pacific Islander the lowest. You have to keep in mind that only half of all domestic violence incidents are reported each year but experts believe the numbers would remain consistent.

Sadly white women are more likely to be killed by domestic violence than any other race. Between 80-90% of all victimization is done by member of the same racial group and of opposite gender.

Cicero maybe you should do some reading.

http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/intimate/ipv.cfm

Didn't mean to go off topic but this is an issue close to my heart having my best friend (a white women) die at the hands of a boyfriend. She believe that sort of thing didn't happen to women like her and refused to report it.

Cheers, Denise, I'm glad we were able to resolve our discussion in a civil manner. All the Best.

If I were a member of any minority other than African-American (and I hate that term by the way, unless one is actually born in Africa, and then should be identified by the country not the continent, ie Botswanan-American) I would be complaining to the ad agencies of the total lack of presence of Korean, Mexican, Japanese, Bosnian, Russian, Indian, Native American, Illiut people represented in television. A Martian (hey, there's a minority!) visiting America would think this country is 40 percent African American and 60 % European American, and other ethnic groups are non-existent.
My other comment has to do with the non-stop pity party that the "victims" attend. The Black issues of poverty, misogyny, poor education and unemployment will never end while the illegitimacy rate is 70 percent. Black males need to be held accountable for their poor performance as fathers. And it isn't color related- it's the sub-culture of irresponsibility. Uneducated whites have the same issues because the men won't step up to the plate and take care of their children. Don't have children if you can't support them. I'm tired of my money being taken from my kids to support others because they are too lazy and stupid to do it themselves. For God's sake, finish high school, learn a skill, and protect and support your women and children. Otherwise get a vasectomy and shut up.

I see where you are coming from. But at the same time, balancing how every race should be portrayed is almost unrealistic. I think the solution really is a fair balance of rationality and human sensitivity. I say rationality because the race that you show in your commercial should reflect your target audience. This being said we should show some type of HUMAN sensitivity when portraying these particular people (of that certain race), by placing them in humorous situations, to make it obvious that the commercial should not be taken seriously (although this should already be understood). I say human sensitivity and not racial sensitivity because regardless of race don't want to be thought of as stupid. Case and Point.

I don't understand your frustration. Is it too much too fast. Are you scared to see women in the work place. Are you scared to see black in the workplace. I think your problem is that you want a more gradual change into this "new society". For me these ads are not a problem. Sometimes you have to over-exaggerate to level the playing field.

I feel sorry for you, it's sad that you think what you're saying is OK.

I think the best ads are any ads and at least to date, I’m not aware of a perfect ad or campaign. It’s our jobs as clients, consumers, and competitors to be judgmental of work. Ultimately it is the client who decides and gambles what level and category of controversy that will be displayed in their ad spot. Advertising isn’t doing its job if it doesn’t leave someone out or hurt some feelings. Everyone should be allowed a turn to use the chopping block like a pillow. Show me white person pushing a black male sporting gang colors in a wheelchair down a flight of stairs. Broadview, show me a Asian American ex-girlfriend breaking into a house, stealing all the marshmallows out of the Lucky Charms box, pissing into the pickle jar, eating a leg from what used to be “their” dog, and smashing the boyfriends TV., but then rebuilding it super fast because let’s face it Asians are great at Math. Show me and ad of an Arabic Male purchasing a shotgun at a sporting goods store and jokingly have him ask the cashier “Do you know where I can also find the ski masks?” Because only white people in Colorado seem to participate in episodes of “Keeping it real gone wrong” we can run the same ad here but with a white male because it will be even more effective.
Overall I’m pretty sure Bellview accomplished their mission with their TV spots. Their target audience which I’m assuming is most likely “White America” and would you believe it? They have managed to get of all things, white people, talking about their ad spots.
Hey Joe Francis isn’t it about time you shot a Latino “Girls with low self-esteem and daddy issues Gone Wild?” As for The Colorado and Montana Meth Project, I’m finally ready to see a Ginger in one of your captivating “This wasn’t supposed to be your life.” Spots. Fellow crackers and honkies, we all deserve to be offended as we are consumers.
Now let’s all go out and buy some shit we don’t need.

And that’s why I should no longer rant off with my pants off. Typo, I prematurely typed Bellview and splattered it all over Al Gore’s Web, sorry, Broadview Security.

Those are just examples of playing it very safe is it not? Put a minority in a "questionable" role and immediately everyone is up in arms about it.

You brought up a valid point though Felix, and coincidentally in the timing of reading this I just read a blog post about Fox New's reaction to Lady Gaga's "Telephone" video. Apparently some transgender groups reacted and were offended by one, very small, part in the video.

This goes back into my first response, sometimes it's easier to play it safe, especially in the sense of a boring, typical advert. This is a direction most things seem to be going, either cause a reaction because that is intended, or, proceed while minimizing any possibility of offending any minority or group of people.

That is the world we're living in, unfortunately. But too many people get angry, and nothing's worse than a group of angry, scary blacks/butch lesbians/overweight republicans.

Scary people come from all backgrounds. This blog has gone on for way to long now. The original poster will feel how he feels & probably feel that way until death. Move on with your lives people.

Simply put: Political correctness has become society's greatest dysfunction. End of story. Distorting the truth does nothing to bring about the kind of change that all desire.

Felix, your original question and concerns are both very well made in spite of some of the rhetoric that followed from a few. However, so many have been brainwashed by the PC school of thought over the last few decades that they deny the reality that lies right in front of their own faces. It's a phenomenon synonymous with the old Emperor has no Clothes syndrome.

Blacks (no, I don't use African-American and won't) need to be reminded whilest hurling their usual accusations about whitey as the root of all of their evils, that many, many whites have fought tooth and nail for their causes for a few hundred years. Some have given their lives. However, you never hear any appreciation for such selflessness do you. They spit in the faces of these heros savious every time they blame whites for their unique struggles.

Still, even in this sickeningly PC era prisons are teeming with blacks. The stats are overwhelming and speak for themselves. Problem? White mans law don't ya know. It's always our fault.

No white in this day and age enslaved ANY black yet we are expected to endure this constant imposed guilt. It's a facade. I feel none. I see it as a crutch, an excuse to smoke screen the truth. I'm tired of it as so many are.

If these thoughts be simply from the mind of a racist (as certain types will no doubt imply) why then do I not see the same behaviour from most Asians and other visible minorities? Why do they bitch so much less while working so much more to better themselves and others in their communities? In a word: Civility. They possess the civility necessary to success in this day and age and do not make excuses or blame others for their short comings. End of story.

There is most definetly something to be said about evolution here. Everyone knows it. To deny is to perpetuate or even worsen the present and future. Ask yourself: What has all of the PC doctrine accomplished thus far? The big lie must die. It will one day anyway.

Personally I think that we are confronted with problems that trump issues of race: global warming, national debt, corporate greed. In fact, greed is the root of all our environmental and social evils. Greed propagates nationalism and racism, which in turn take our attention away from forthcoming disaster.

This is an issue that I've never seen addressed as directly as this spirited, honest, angry, informed and misinformed discussion does.

Those Broadview ads are scarier on more levels than the racial alone. Who on earth told Brinks, a solid name with a century's reputation if there ever was one, that they should change their name to something that sounds like a GPS product.

Years ago I directed a shoot in Los Angeles which was pre-produced from Philadelphia. We not only had to find a wide variety of racial and ethnic models, but they all had to be victims of a particular disease using our client's drug. It took months to locate our 6 subjects.

While I'd initially rolled my eyes over the ethnic requirements imposed, as the art director I had the opportunity of meeting Angelinos from the richest to the poorest and found myself in neighborhoods that most middle class white men wouldn't venture only to be shooting in Malibu the next day.

As they were real people and not models or actors my cynicism over the initial multi flavored photoshoot melted as I realized that these people had everything in common as they'd suffered a debilitating disease that interrupted their lives and had seen that reversed (temporarily it would turn out) from this drug.

I passed a playground in Philadelphia the other day with three pick up games going on. One was composed of only Asian men, but the other two were a mix of white, black, Asian and one kid I knew to be Pakistani. I was kicking myself I didn't have a camera with me as it was multi-culti stock photo heaven.

Relevant.

http://adage.com/adages/post?article_id=142869

Samy, great link. Thank you.

One thing that I've noticed in the majority of these replies is the constant phrase "typical white male" or "privileged white male"... Need I point out that Felix did not segregate the African American community into any sort of stereotype? He simply stated that he's tired of seeing an overuse of "political correctness". Frankly, I can understand his argument and I have noticed many of the same advertisements, TV shows, movies etc... I'm all for the advancement of any minority, creed, class or any other category of person who considers themselves left out.
What bothers me, personally, about these replies that contain said phrases, is how quickly the racism card is pulled out.

I know what the problem is. The current laws in our country are so loosely defined that any white person who utters a word about this same topic is humiliated publicly for being racist because if he's not then the Black community will rise up. Then Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson get to go on TV and make a huge deal about how someones civil rights were violated. Then some large corporation will have to pay out millions in settlements.

We, as the white race, apologize for slavery. I'm sorry... I truly am. I can tell you that as of right now nobody who had anything to do with it is alive. I can't change it no matter how hard I try and neither can anyone else. I'm sorry for intolerance... I'm sorry that while the media does not do you any favors as a race, many of you do not do yourselves any favors either. Look at the people you have representing you in the media... You have gangsters on TV singing about killing people, selling drugs and engaging in all ranges of illegal activity. If you want change, change the people who represent you to the world.

Ok bro, raised in kentucky ni**er was common place I have to say I always resented family racism. I now have firends of all races an hang out regularly desdpite what I was taught I some how learned to greet individuals as individuals. I'm white and love all my friends color no matter I treat everyone the same. That was tough to overcome however easier than making barriers learnt from generation stupidity.

To the original poster...You are right on the money,my friend.I couldn't agree more! I'm glad someone finally had the nutsack,to step up to the plate! I honestly don't remember,the last time a black person WASN'T in a commercial.Apparently,blacks are the only people who eat at McDonalds??????????? According to the television ads,they are! Apparently,blacks are the only people with Verizon wireless phone service??????? Believe what you see on TV,and that's the case!
I remember a Coors Light commercial from a couple years back,the "white guy" answers the phone,it's his buddy,"Brad"! ..."white guy" goes to comfort a "depressed Brad",knocks on the door,to find a BLACK "Brad"!!!!!!! Um,yeah.......Okay!!! Or,how 'bout the "Toyota" commercial from a few years back...where the black family are driving through the country side in their brand new SUV,with the little black kid in the backseat"we go for long drives and sing corny songs"!!!!! Gotta "love how they try to turn blacks into whitey!

It's thoroughly sickening,what the "mainstream media" has brainwashed "white America",with.Believe it or not,not all "white people" have black friends.Not all "black people" have white friends.In the "real world",blacks are more inclined to distance themselves from the "white man".And,the more the media portray "white America" as being stupid/foolish/ignorant/imbeciles,it'll only escalate.In the "real world",blacks treat white people like garbage.They look down upon,laugh at,and bully white people.I see it on a regular basis! Why not show this type of conduct in a television ad???????? Why,because people FEAR THE TRUTH!!!!!!!!!!

That's why all the "haters" on this post,chime in with their pathetic banter.Be afraid haters,be very afraid!!!!!!!!!!! The fact of the matter is,blacks hate white people,that's just the way it is! But,here's what I don't grasp,since the blacks hate white people so much,why in the hell do black men,have such a love/lust for white women?!?!?! A tad hypocritcal,dontcha think?! When's the last time you saw a black woman,with a white guy? YOU DON'T!!!!!! Yet,if you watch any NBA or NFL game,you see every black athlete,with a white woman!

And,I've noticed another horrible trend...All of the voice-over work in commercials,documentaries,etc...is now being done by black men.Actually,black MAN!!! Even shows that were originally narrated by white people,have been dubbed over with black narrators.There's a show called,"Bait car"...I believe it's on the "Tru" network.But,when it first aired,it was narrated by a white guy. OOPs....no more!!!!! Matter of fact,it's now narrated by "MR.COMMERCIAL/VOICE-OVER",himself.I've no clue who he is,his name,or what have you.But,it's a black guy,who seemingly does just about every single commercial,documentary narration,on television.He's the voice-over on ALLl the Verizon commercials,ALL of the ESPN commercials,the "NatlGeo" channel narrations. (which used to be done by white guys) He's got a very distinctive voice...not really tone wise,but because he is THE ONLY one,apparently,who's permitted to do voice-over work.

Sorry,"mainstream media"....ya gotta try harder than this! Stop lying to people,go into the "REAL WORLD" and shoot a commercial.Your candy-coated/fluffy bullshit,ain't a flyin'!!!

You've had the same thing against men for 30+ years. Where the men in the advertisement are like....duh gee george look at the bunny. I want to pet him and love him. And the woman has to set him straight. Then at the end shows the man with shrugging his shoulders with a sheepish grin on his face.

It's all about context! I've seen those Broadview ads and in all the situations I've seen except one, the perpetrator knew the "victim". I believe in one scenario, a jealous ex-boyfriend stalking his ex bursts through the door after she is dropped off by her date and the second, the "victim" recognizes the perpetrator from her dinner party earlier. I'm a professional black guy who DOES NOT wear baggy pants around my ankles and I still see people changing their path or clutch their handbags a little tighter when they see me walk toward them. Not to sound cliche, but live in the skin of a black guy and I guarantee your perspective will change.

Felix, this is a great article. You should be proud of yourself for writing something millions of white males in the country have been wondering.

Whenever I see this BS present in any ad, I just don't purchase their products. Hit 'em in the pocketbook, and they won't do this crap anymore. When they see sales in a tailspin, they'll then wake up.

You don't need equality when you have status quo in Affirmative Action. Some real crime statistics In Washington D.C. one out of every two black males is a convicted felon, fifty-six to fifty-seven percent of the black males are in prison, on parole, or have pending charges. FBI statistics 2006 but I guess us pretending that it isn't true makes unreal. White Anglos take our country back. I god intended for us to be one big mixed race he would have made us that way don't you think. I want a world or colors not brown mud turds. Fuck the jews and the niggers killem all and put a real end to Americas problems or atleast a damn good start.

I think I saw that security ad or something like it and noticed some of what you are commenting on. I was happy to see it. There are plenty of other commercials, TV shows and movies that follow old stereotypes or act as if Black people do not exist at all. So now there is an opposite effect going on as well. I think it helps balance out perceptions a little and while there are definitely changes taking place I think you overstate them.

Showing White fathers/husbands as dumb, that has been happening for a long time. Married with Children and many other White comedy shows where the parents don't have any idea what is happening, the father is the most out of the loop and the kids run the house.

Your comments do not seem necessarily racist. I think you are a White guy living in a time when other groups are achieving some social parity and it is a bit uncomfortable and you are expressing yourself. The dialogue is good.

Thanks for writing.

TL;DR.

Racist pig. That is all.

There is a reason why white men are portrayed as either dumb or evil.

BECAUSE THEY ARE!

You see smart African Americans, and dumb white men because African Americans are typically smarter than white men.

When white men are smarter than the average white buffoon, they are usually evil racist monsters who are downright evil. Just look at the Republican party! Evil smart white men.

Why do you think we have an African American president? Because everyone has figured out that white men are either STUPID or EVIL.

Some day, through continued mixed race families, we will finally be free of the white devil. Until then, we must continue to share the truth. Through ads, TV shows, or even this blog response.

There is no place in this world for the white man. Thankfully in a few generations, you'll all be bred out.

Everyone is racist. I don't care what color you are. Most people of a race naturally segregate themselves because we prefer to congregate with people that are similar. That is human nature and it's neither right not wrong, it's a simple truth. That being said, facts are facts. Blacks comprise 12.8 % of the population yet commit most of the crime. Advertisers are privy to this info, but because of recent pressure from the NAACP, they are being forced to portray blacks more frequently and in positions of superior intelligence and conduct. I am boycotting many of these products and services. Maybe if more white people stop using these products, they will realize how much our patronage contributes to their profits.

You can't win either way. If you make black guys criminals in the commercial they will complain that the media always portrays them as criminals. If you don't cast them as criminals in the commercials they will say will call racism when the black actors don't get hired for the job.\

@Ms.Black <-------------------(more than likely,a WHITE RACE TRAITOR obama supporter)

Okay,first of all GENIUS....get your damn facts straight!!!!!!!!!! Um,that FRAUD,RACIST,ILLEGAL ALIEN,INEXPERIENCED,DRUG ADDICTED,AIDS INFECTED,FAGGOT,CUM GUZZLIN',TERRORIST,is NOT BLACK!!!!!!!!!!!!! JUST SO YA KNOW! That's the first thing!

Secondly,when the TRUTH is FINALLY revealed in mainstream media,this FAKE will be impeached!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I find it quite amusing,how you insult the beautiful,white race! Think about this,moron....if not for the BEAUTIFUL WHITE MAJORITY (83%) in the United States,that idiot would NEVER have been elected,in the first place.Also,since you hold such an ample amount of hatred,disgust,jealousy,etc...etc...toward white people,why do you nasty BLACK/BROWN savages,try your hardest,to look/act/be like WHITE PEOPLE?!?!?! Tell me that one!!! I mean,you bleach your skin,wear your FAKE BLONDE hair,c'mon!!! Look,if you truly are BLACK,I feel for ya! I mean,deal with it....no matter what ya do/how hard ya try,you'll ALWAYS be BLACK!!!!! STOP HATIN'!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's HILARIOUS,the way these commercials portray blacks as being WHITE!!! I've NEVER known black people to drive a John Deere tractor,live in beautiful multi-million dollar home,in an ALL WHITE neighborhood,shop in the garden center at Lowes,drive through the countryside,singing "corny songs"....HAHAHAHAHAHA.....Take your SAD,VIOLENT,WILD,DEPRESSING,CHAOTIC culture,somewhere else.Believe me,no matter what the "mainstream media" attempt to brainwash white America with,it'll NEVER MATTER!!!! You'll FOREVER be BLACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You'll FOREVER be the MINORITY!!!!!!!! Tell Rev.Al I said,"what's good"?! Adios,you big ol' rubber lipped,ape lookin',gorilla!!!

OMG, I just saw that commerical with 3 baffled white people looking at cold and sinus products as this black woman very smugly walks over and grabs the perfect product, smiles arrogantly at them, then walks away. I see it in cell phone commercials, food commercials, and almost every commercial out now. If there is gonna be a bad guy like a burglar, it has to be a white person. If there has to be a smart person and dumb person in a commercial, the black person has to be smart and the white person has to be dumb. Folks, face facts, we now officially live in a world where politically correctness has made being white the butt of all jokes.

According to the FBI, white people commit at least twice as many arrestable crimes than black people. Here are your stats. (Convenient that you didn't include any in your berating of the these.) http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2008/data/table_43.html Where are you getting your facts from? For decades, black people in the media and film industry were the maids, drivers, cooks, and general lower class labor to white people without regard to their intelligence or talent. All of a sudden YOU are upset for a very few white people seeming not so bright in a very few commercial spots. Whom are obviously picking there target audience to your displeasure. Maybe the current media is going a little overboard. I am suspicious of our almost overnight inclusion into being acceptably intelligent. But don't whine. You seem starved for attention. I will put it to you the way it was put to so many black people for too many years. "If you don't like the way the commercials portray white people so much, don't spend your green with the companies they represent." Obviously, they don't want your money.

i think you guys should look at the research of violent crimes, rape, robbery, and then tell me who takes the cake.

this thread now makes denver look like a bunch of racists.

TV never depicts reality. The fact is that most violent crimes are committed by black men. The least are committed by Asian men. This is probably due to black men having the highest testosterone, and Asian men having the lowest. White men fall somewhere in the middle.

Testosterone is closely related to aggressiveness, violent tendencies and sexual promiscuity. Black men score high in all of those categories.

If Broadview really wanted to be honest they would show black criminals, but this isn't about honesty for them...only not being sued by Jesse and Al.

Obviously, you're just writing silly shit to get people to write silly shit back to you. Ok, I'll bite:

"Your mamma is so stupid she tripped over a cordless phone!"

Hope you're happy.

You're a typical dumb white boy who thinks it your right to ALWAYS be positively portayed,so you can laugh at the simple-minded,buffoonish black man,which you folks HAVE ALWAYS DONE,and are angry now because you have an African-American President who's trying to clean up the messes all the incompetent(and criminal)white Chief
Executives have left him.)

I'm a black man and I agree with this 100%. Especially the part about black dudes being dumb-asses at home and in front of black women. Simply not the case in most black relationships. Most black relationships are much more balanced than what's portraid in these commercials. It's like someone in the media is afraid of a grown and intelligent man......wtf?! So, no brother, I don't think this is a racist post at all. And I'm glad to see somebody else out there is paying attention. They're trying to turn us into beer guzzle'n, slack-jawed, pansy-a$$, moma's boys dammit. Don't let'em do it.......................................Kato

It's also worth pointing out that all the victims are white women. If they really want to be politically correct, they should have some victims who are minorities or men.

Such is the mainstream media. Although,I'm happy to see that more of my white brethren are tired of either being vilified,or portrayed as morons. What I find even more infuriating is the white people with so called "white guilt". Get over it. Africans weren't the only people enslaved throughout history. Be proud of all of the accomplishments that white people have created. Or continue to destroy your own people and culture,it doesn't matter. White people are getting angrier by the day,and there will be a real "change you can believe in" in the not too distant future.

Go fuck yourself you idiotic naive thing. Your like a fucking stupid child, you don't know what to do or say! Racial barriers will always exist as long as people like you exist. You have no idea what it is like to be an African-american. When I came to this country from Nigeria, I saw opportunity and joined the Marine Corps. Unfortunately all I see and hear is racism. White people think their so great because they have no color. Thats exactly what the fuck makes you the fucking hideous mutants. Your colorless disgusting sub human things who think your better than everyone else. Open your fucking eyes and learn that before the fucking expansion of the europeans that they were the smallest populace of the human genus on the planet. But somehow you got everyone to want to be more like you. Beautiful people destroying their bodies with plastic surgery and hair dyes and perms to be more like "white people". The way I see it, white people should spend more time in tanning booths trying to get some color and flavor. They're like matza bread during a passover. Tasteless, not pure, just fucking tasteless...

Wow,and Marines are supposed to be the cream of the crop of our nation's military defense? "Paul" can't even form a cohesive thought. If you don't like it,head back to Africa. I'm sure they have some openings filling people's spam folders with ridiculous scams.

Thank you, i thought i was going nuts

I'm a forty eight year old male. I know that ads don't portray the truth so an ad like that wouldn't bother me. I find that many ads are entertaining.

I always crack up when the cave man gets upset .

Maybe a black male cracks up when he sees a moron white dude. Who knows or cares?

Listen to the blacks whine about how priviledged whitey is. Blame whitey. Whine. Moan.

Tiger Woods. Williams sisters. Oprah. Obama. Uh, they have more money - power - fame than how many whiteys??

Regarding distorted racial portrayals in ads -- leftwingers (and politically ignorant blacks) often spew some shit about, "well, the ads are just reflecting the face of America..." when blacks are painted disproportionately frequently in our media. Another lame argument is that ads should be a cultural "carrot on a stick" which help to give blacks something positive to emulate in life, not unlike the family that Bill Cosby fathered in the Cosby Show. Fair enough, if the media can be a positive role model for such a troubled ethnic group, I guess we all could theoretically benefit from it. But how does that particular argument apply to all the oriental females in ads?????? I don't think they're economically disadvantaged the way blacks are. Every frikin' ad seems to try to reflect the population of Oakland, CA or something with the mandatory bald black man and oriental woman, and yes, we see it out here in the real world and we say, "oh, God, please...."

And yes, you whiney, race-obsessed liberals, they are ORIENTALS, not "ASIANS." The Asian continent is overbroad as a description of what you KNOW we are talking about, so to describe someone from China or Korea as "Asian" is as inaccurate as describing them as "human." The term, while true, is not as specific as referring to them as ORIENTAL. Go look at a globe for a minute, you ass-clown liberals. What continent is Israel on? Uh, it's ASIA. So do you commonly refer to Israelis as "Asians"??

Go to hell.

And to the guy whose blog this is, Keep Up the Good Work.

Hey, all you whiney liberals and you blacks with inferior reasoning abilities -- consider this, if you even possibly could with your impotent intellects, as a possibility: I am a black person.

Now, would you liberals discount me as not thinking the way I am supposed to as a black? Are the Content of My Character or the reasoning of my argument not enough for you? Am I supposed to feel sorry for myself and blame whitey when I get a red light in traffic?

You hollow-principled liberal ass-clowns!!! You shout that we should treat each other based on the content of our character and the strength of our reasoning, yet let's read how many follow up comments to my posts deny that I am indeed black. If you had principle, what difference would it make? Ass-clowns!!!!!!!!!

Yet you all just can't accept that a black person like myself can be well reasoned, can be disgusted by all the condescention you liberals - of any skin color - dispense on blacks with your absurdly hopeful portrayals of the typical black in advertising, can be literate, and can have enough self-pride not to whine about all my failures and blame them on whitey.

Go to Hell. Go DIRECTLY to Hell. Do not collect $200.

Wow, I can't believe this post has been going for 3 months! It just won't die, so I guess I'll put my two cents in.

Thank you, Felix, for your wonderfully simplistic portrayal of race issues in the United States. And a special thank you to all of the "Bob Sugars" out there chanting, "Finally, someone said it!" (yes, I just used a Jerry Maguire reference, whatever).

You know, you're right. Television advertising is the clearly the proper platform to use when addressing the disparity of how people are treated in this country. White males have truly had it bad, what with the higher pay for equal work, ability to get into just about any country club they wish, and the general preferential treatment...it's been a really rough ride for us.

So let's not stop at advertising, how about the TV shows, MY GOD, the TV shows. Can you believe that the makers of "24" actually cast a black person as president! At the time it was a 100% inaccuracy based on our country's presidential history! It's a good thing they canceled that one. And I was so pissed off when they cast Will Smith as the fighter pilot that saved the day in Independence Day. Clearly that was the part for Brad Pitt based on the percentage of black pilots in the Air Force. TOP GUN...now there's a movie that got it right! (Shit! Another Tom Cruise movie!) But at least they're getting some other things right. I mean, they cast a 5 foot 10 inch tall white kid as the star basketball player in High School Musical. Disney really knows what's up!

OK, so you've formed your world view based on the obscene amount of television you watch. And the ads, especially the ads. That's where the true nuggets of wisdom come from.

PC has it's place (and not just referencing political correctness toward black folks and other minorities) but you're right about one thing—it has gone overboard. On the other hand, if I ever heard my kids using ethnicity as the butt of a joke, I'd kick they're little white butts. Unfortunately, you're using the same tired rhetoric that the people against affirmative action have used for years. Based on the responses you've gotten, I'm going to say it's an issue people are comfortable taking on mostly in anonymity (including myself I guess), but in the open it's a different story. So you think the mainstream advertising industry ought to tackle this issue? You think they should be "REAL?" In that case, you're the one that's not living in reality.

Plus, I really love the term "ass-clowns."

"Content of my Character...", you are a class-act! And since I'm whitey, I'll likely collect the $200 anyway. Thanks!

Your sarcasm fails to substitute for strength of reasoning, bleeding heart loser liberal. You see differences among people and (1) conclude that a social injustice has occurred, and that (2) it is a fundamental role of the government to correct that injustice. You pathetic, mentally ill bleeding heart.

Do social injustices exist? Sure. Do the economic, class, power and political discrepancies you focus on predominantly or even significantly come about BECAUSE OF social injustices? Well, you sarcastic, intellectually inferior "I care about blacks and minorities" liberal, I guess that's the real heart of the question. Your mental illness, which makes you feel good about yourself because you try to relieve the guilt (much of which has been instilled into your tin-plated head by the mass media) you feel about blacks and other minorities, blinds you to the real effect of you attitude: UNWELCOME CONDESCENTION.

Get the hell back into your Subaru, you know, the one with all your one-sentence political catch phrase bumper stickers plastered all over the back, and drive yourself to your local liberal hangout. Get back into a conversation about how all those differences you see among people are due to "SOCIAL INJUSTICES," and just continue to CONDESCEND to those groups of people you subconsciously feel guilt because of YOUR unintentional sense of superiority to them.

I understand people who feel concern about others whom they perceive as needy, but you pathetic liberals just don't get it. You just cannot understand how to distinguish between dishonesty, laziness, lack of character, or simply lack of ablililty, and real injustices.

Likewise, I agree that ultraconservatives DO spew bigoted race-based epithets and that there are those who ABUSE capitalist tools to achieve economic ends which really cheat others. But your view of the world is terribly unfocused.

You'd say that I overbroadly characterize liberals, while I say that you fail to see beyond the bumper sticker slogans your long-haired college friends LIVE as your very lenses to reality. Well, I would continue this discussion to any length you care to to establish that my focus on reality is one hell of a lot better than yours.

Quit condescending to me and other blacks and to minorities generally. As you mature, please reconsider the real world, and use those emotions you have towards ending REAL injustices, not the ones you mistakenly perceive because of the media and your closed group of friends.

@Content of my Character (I think that's how you do it on these social networking sites)

Thank you. I had expected a well thought out and eloquently articulated argument from you, and you did not disappoint. I actually hadn't mentioned anything political, I was just pointing out the inanity of the original post and the non-necessity of name-calling in the responses. I haven't mentioned my political persuasion (or what kind of car I drive)—I don't think it's germane to the discussion. Anyway, I don't mean to be condescending, but if you are going to use the word "condescention" in your rebuttal, please crack a dictionary beforehand. As for this ass-clown...the next time I drive my Hummer to the RNC, I'll think of you.

The reason there are more black people in commercials now is because "Obama changed everything". Dontcha know.

The ad agencies are just trying to climb aboard the "Everything's Different After Obama" bandwagon. But the truth is nothing has really changed.

As soon as Obama is gone from the White House the black people in every commercial syndrome will be gone, too.

This article is well written and is SPOT-ON ! I too have been amazed at the latest "trends" here in the USA. Like the Broadview Security ads that ONLY portray WHITE home invaders and rapists, yet the guy at the security company answering the phone is BLACK. Don't make me laugh. In the Atlanta area, the percentage of home invaders and gang bangers that are white is 0 freaking %. The percentage of blacks committing these crimes is 99.9 %. Yet some ad company wants us to believe that white people are committing these crimes. UNREAL !

Signed, Into Reality In Georgia

What's funny about this is the reverse: If it had been all black criminals and a white security guard, you would neither have noticed nor have anything to say about it. After all, the crime stats say that blacks are criminals and whites aren't.

Yeah, white people only commit .01 percent of the crimes in this country. Because we're such good, righteous people and those damned savage blacks are inherently evil. That's right, out of every TEN THOUSAND crimes committed, white people only commit one of them. We are SUCH angels! Poor, poor us.

I'm so sick of the prejudice against white people in this country. Everyone wants to unfairly take away our natural right to oppress. Damn them! Why can't they just understand and accept us?

I feel SO sorry for us. We're not treated well enough. It's so, so sad.

In a nutshell, black people think there is racism in everything, and white people think racism doesn't exist anymore. Both sides have fucked up views like that, and therein lies the problem.

you got your minutes of infamy, now go away and stop trying to add coal to the fire that burns for such a long time. If you want a supremacist country of only whites, then you should revive the KKK and give them more than one race to harass and maim without remorse.

not racist, none of us are. Just a bunch of people that hate others with different colored skin...hang on, wouldn't that be racism? get your sweater vest on and go ride on daddy's yacht sipping some sparkling cider with the other preppy socialites while you talk about how you would bang Paris Hilton or one of the Kardashians if two of them didn't sleep with black guys.

Just stop posting rants and blogs and save face.

Grow the fuck up (not verified), why don't you look out of your window and see how the majority of your people represent yourself. You don't like music unless "nigga" is mentioned on a 25:1 ratio with other words, any black person that dresses nice, speaks like they're educated and generally carry themselves well are ridiculed and labeled negatively by members of their own race for being “sell outs” or not being “real”. You want people to view your people better, then represent yourselves better.

Why don't they just base everything on statistical data. If a show appeared back in europe in 1500 then have 16 century european type people and all black and asian people or something. How about not using the word "cracker" on boxes of those small crunchy bread variety boxes because that word offends me. I don't like to made fun of for my race, I didn't choose to be white.

J/k, I don't care. But don't you see how annoying that is? Asian people aren't supposed to be cool but even though you never see asian people in stereo defying roles, or even normal roles you never hear a complaint? Or what about slave trading that goes on in russia or china? I never hear a black person saying, "That's wrong, we should do something to stop it" or we should give more points to white people so they can have a chance to get into our colleges because they're poor.

What about native americans? They got messed up. I don't hear any black people talking about how the poor native americans pretty much got wiped out. That's a whole lot different than having your ancestors enslaved.

Or what about making fun of Germany? Calling all germans nazis and portraying them in video games as "evil" because of a 6 year and 1 day war in which we were their villians. We bombed their cities and killed their civilians. But we don't see that in all the video games, movies or history channel specials that come out. Or about how lots of companies made tons of money off the war.

Coca-cola developed Fanta as a brand of europe so that they could have coca-cola be patriotic. IBM sold computers to the nazis. Many existing American car companies helped build european planes during the war.

or comparing George Bush to a monkey being ok but not Barack Obama? I don't even like George Bush but I don't get the double standard.

Or how the japanese will always have monkeys playing people, but if it just so happens to be a black person the naacp gets on their ass?

NAACP is just an overglorified PR company that gets wellfare from the government.

Are we just moving our hate overseas? Why don't we just make up a person to hate. Like a fictitious person who can take the outlet of our anger, like the Devil?

Lol your dumb. Get a life ZOMG MY LIFE IS OVER THEY MADE WHITE PEOPLE LOOK DUMB!!!!!!!

Why does it matter who the perpetrator is? If you want to be technical, members of the Caucasian race are the originators of crime in the U.S. People tend to use the fact that slavery happened a LONG TIME ago as a scapegoat to psychologically bully black people to "get over it". Just over 100 years is not a long time. Not all white people are racist, but some still treat Blacks like creatures of bad habit.

Felix, you are in denial brother. The fact that you are even pondering this screams racism. Should all other ethnic groups be concerned that a White person will steal there land and cultural identity?

I think the bottom line here is that ads over compensate on political correctness in this era of demand for equality on tv. I respect/applaud the efforts to bring a more well rounded cast to our tv viewing but there are some very shady ad campaigns and we just have to strive to make better ads that make sense... And to heck with those who can't just see the observations you have made as they are simply presented.

Nice observation, however you left out the Law Enforcement public service commercials in which the cops ask the drunk in the car, "Sir, have you been drinking tonight?", as the beer or wine flows from the window. ALWAYS, a middle aged white guy driving, black guy can be cop though. The sad truth I believe, is that Corporate America is scared to death of being boycotted. Blacks can not be portrayed negatively on TV. In fact, just the opposite. Sitcoms from the 60's and 70's frequently cast blacks to portray low income or uneducated roles. In recent years, most often they are cast to portray wealthy and highly educated roles,...doctors,lawyers,judges.We can have the dumb white guy "Earl" though.

This is a very heated discussion; I love it. It could never happen in a live forum about race. Few people would be willing to participate in a discussion group to vent their anger and frustration about their perception of the media. It probably wouldn't end very well. Thanks to the internet we can all express our honest opinions without fear of retribution. A lot has changed over the last decade in race relations, and I think we should continue to talk honestly and respectfully.

We all want the same thing. Fairness.

WHo are all the idiots who are commenting here? At least the person writing this is trying not to be racist, he's being "racial"...yeah right! Dude, you're being racist, come on.

You talk about the white intruder, that's a problem? What about the fact that the media has ALWAYS protrayed minorites as the criminals...it's time you see what's it like...you're now calling foul because it's YOUR turn. Minorities are slowing emerging to become the majority & you now want to call these "PROBLEMS" to light.

It's quite pathetic. I happened on to this link, seriously, I typed in "minorites being misrepresented in history" & it seemed like there was something that was speaking to this issue. NOT!

The reason that there are more minorities instead of whites in prison is simple --- because your majority is the majority....for now! But, the tides will eventually turn. We have an intelligent, amazing, African American man in office & a woman leading the House....the tides are turning on the white racists of this country. You want to know who is bringing this country down --- WHITE RACIST PIGS!! I have lots of white friends & they are great! They don't believe in the crazy trash speaking that you spout out.

It's time that the mirror was shown & put up to your faces....it's been the media portraying us as dumb & thieves...now its you.

You KKK a**holes don't like the diversity of this country than get the hell out!!! THis is a country of different cultures, ideologies, races, religions & that's what makes it great!!!! You & your hate is what is bringing us down!! I can't understand how you don't see how stupid & pathetic you all are for your hate. But, it's going to come back & bite you....hard.

Jesus loves you all. Someday the real truth will be revealed. As a nation of different cultures, instead of bickering and fighting with each other, let's find solutions to deal with the troubles plaguing our great country.

Our nation is slowly dying because we do not have the courage to step up to the real threat.

We are losing our sovereignty; we are continuously losing more jobs. Our nation is somehow being overrun by leaders that are too dumb to find real, solid solutions. And while we are too dumbed down to ask real questions, they are slowly handing over our nation to some shadow government that will unfortunately get its global government if we do not wake up.

Felix's argument makes good sense and he is only questioning the moral decay of the advertising industry. We as people must take the good of the argument and throw away the bad parts of it. Felix isn't perfect nor is anyone else. But we must stop these trivial arguments and do something about what is going on in our country.

We owe it to our future generation. They will have lots of questions and we must have the answers when the time comes.

*A Hispanic American from New Jersey.

Felix,

Your post is spot on.

One of your reader's comments suggested that you should not have the right to complain about advertising being too politically correct because minorities have had to endure years and years of discrimination in advertising.

While I shrug his comment off as beside the point, since your argument is that the white male is being portrayed in a negative light and has nothing to do with the white male's past behavior, I find it to be an interesting comment.

If minorities have endured years of discriminatory advertising, they would come to believe that it is normal to see their race/ethnicity/whatever put in a negative light on television. This would mean that once advertising shifted to view the minority in a superior position and the white in an inferior position, the minority would be surprised, since they were used to the opposite.

The same thing would also happen for the white. Since the white was used to not being discriminated against, once he was portrayed in an inferior position, he would immediately recognize a change.

Both, the minority and the white, would recognize an immediate change.
One went from inferior to superior and the other, the opposite position.

Now if one believes that EITHER situation is good, one believes that the categories of superiority and inferiority are ideal in the context of race, meaning one is a racist.

So basically, either situation can be viewed as racist. Reasons such as: we were discriminated in the past, and we have it harder in life, are just emotional, illogical, cries to justify it.

I believe in the author's post because I believe in a non-racist, equal opportunity society, one that judges individuals by their character based on their actions. This is what intelligent people believe.

One scary (half) black guy in the White House covers the whole kit-n-kaboodle. Nuff sed.

Bravo---very brave article and spot on. Found your post after doing a search for "white guys in ads" after the 3rd ad in a row showing a "dumb white guy" This is a tread well noticed by many of my friends in conversations and in private. It is of course taboo to talk about in this in public and especially if you are in certain jobs (ie education) . Most of my dumb white guys friends are doing what I am doing, boycotting what ever they are selling. If only the advertisers knew this.

"So please, before you tell people to "grow the fuck up" at least try something other than the "black people have struggled" argument. Yes, they have. And do you think pandering to them in a few crappy ads is going to make it all better? Really? I think they want equality, not bullshit."

Stop trying to claim reverse racism, and say that black people want equality, not ads that make white people look bad. The truth is that black people like ads that make whites look stupid just as much as whites like ads that make blacks look stupid. The former is just rarer, so you're panties are in a bunch, and your frustration inadvertently reveals that white people portrayed negatively is foreign to you, and it upsets you... I bet you don't write "racial posts" and have "truthful" discussions like this when it's black people being portrayed negatively, do you? No, because not only do you not care, you probably secretly like it, also.

Don't make it seem like you're just as upset as a black man would be that black people are being portrayed negatively in a commercial. Whites are still stereotyped as having power, whether that is defined as money, authority, or status. That's all racism is... jealousy. Once we see someone from a different team getting ahead, we get jealous, and try to discourage them... it's just like sports. That's why my parents who were black, said fuck racists, go to school, get degrees, make money, and never internalize anything they say into your mnd... just keep making money, and you'll be happy. It's all about money, status, and power... which all begins with money. America is borken up into different teams. We actually all love other races, until we see our own getting behind.

And as a black male who goes to a prestigious college in Boston, I know for a fact that even all white communitie that are "liberal" have the same basic instinct. They like black people, because there are hardly any black people there! And the ones who are are comfortable with themselves, their race, usually come from a decent, at least middle-class upbringing, and can intellectualize their way out of racism. However, I know firsthand as a black male that until people know my status (as in, where I go to school, what high school I went to, that my father was a lawyer and hard-assed parent), and other mitigating factors (aka similarities), like speaking standard English, haveing all-inclusive music tastes, and being well-travelled, they see me as a regular nigger. So please don't waste my time or anyone else's in the future trying to convince us that the public sees you differently because of these commercials.

PS- I can beat anyone at a racial discussion because I rely sheerly on unbiased facts, and also if you make me mad, I'll make sure you're at least as mad as I am. I'll be damned if I'm the only one who walks away angry or sad. So there! I'm not the one to try fucking with.

Excuse the grammatical and spelling errors. I really didn't have the patience to proofread this.

Political correctness doesn't exist. Over-representation of minorities in media, hesitance to attribute negative stereotypes to minorities, and other things that are sometimes labeled as "political correctness" do exist sometimes, but the term itself is an ill-defined buzzword. Most incidents of "political correctness" are in reality completely innocent in nature. I'm not going to make a judgement on whether you're a racist or not, but you do seem rather ignorant and priviledged to be so outraged by something so minor. Certainly racists do exist, as the comments touting black stereotypes as the norm demonstrate. It's not any specific words that cause people to suspect racism as much as the general hostility towards blacks, however. Looking over some of the above posts, it was really hard not to think "wow, what racist assholes" at times.

I do not think you're racist for that opinion.

However, where were you, when McDonald's aired their creepy commercial with a Black Woman who said "You better don't" indignantly when a White Male steward on a airplane took her chicken; and the other one where a sausage mcmuffin flies through the air and a well dressed, Black college student retrieves it from the ground and eats it? Or how about the commercial where an elderly Black couple in a big beautiful kitchen, mix their smoothie in the garbage disposal? If that isn't ignorant and offensive, I do not know what is.

So, I guess we are all even now. You all with your 3 or 4 Broadview commercials and we, African Americans, who have been portrayed as buffoons, criminals and generational welfare recipients (even though there are more whites on welfare than Blacks-since its inception) since the 1700's. Now you know what it feels like to be Black, welcome to our world.

The only difference is, while we do see the moronic white guy on these commercials, no one (of any race) would automatically assume that you, personally, are a moron or about to kick their door in...However, no matter that my mother is an English professor at an Ivy League College and I majored in English at another Ivy League University, when my White male co-worker-excuse me, subordinate, imitates my voice, he sounds like the Black Woman in the McDonald's with the terrible grammar.

When I am out in my best power suit, with my Prada bag, Jimmy Choo shoes, Blackberry and 2010 Cadillac DTS, White women in Malibus and White men in Dodge Neons lock their doors (I am 5'4 120lbs)...SO I write all that to say, when people start locking their doors when they see you, no matter your appearance, how you carry yourself, your educational background, car, salary, place of residence, etc...When the police follow you for no reason, when people start automatically assuming you are from the trailer park with a glance, women clutch their purses when you walk by, and when another White male president gets elected and the Black Panthers form a political group and start calling Senators derogatory names like, cracker, to their faces on national television, then I will feel sorry for you White males and your 4 Broadview commercials.

Thank You Felix! We have been wondering the same thing ~ why are all the white people portrayed as being dumb, criminal or inept.

There are twice as many commercials showing black people versus white people. In the commercials that do have white people, they have to be morons.

Why haven't the 'white' people started screaming and using the 'white card'. We are quickly becoming the minority. It's okay to have a Black Miss America but not a White Miss America?

Other minorities are now receiving promotions even if they are not qualified because of the need to promote a certain number. In lending, we are approving mortgages for unqualified buyers because of their race. We have to. You are required to have a certain percentage of each minority in each city.

If you were to take ( and this has recently happened) a black female versus as white female, with the same credit / debt ratio and all other considerations the same, we will approve the black female and deny the white female because she is a credit risk!

America needs to wake up ~ no one is owed anything from anyone. Just because you ancestors were oppressed doesn't mean that you are. GET OVER IT! If you come from another country, you have to work for what you want ~ just like the rest of us.

Hey, to you stupid white liberals with your sarcastic comments which imply that whites have no moral grounds to complain about reverse discrimination, here is my personal love note to you:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc5BsInvYJw

Hey, liberal ass-clowns, with your self-perceived superiority and your unwelcome condescention -- Here's some of my vacation video. Enjoy!!

www.mefeedia.com/watch/26361197

As a black person, I am racially aware. I understand that people have preconceived notions of me based on my "race". But being racist is kind of amusing to me, cute even. All my heroes are white, all my favorite actors, singers, cartoons, are fuckin white. It's pretty hard for me to start hating white people just because I saw roots at age 11, or was called nigger my that white kid in his mom's SUV that one day, or because my arresting officers were white and they themselves being token racists made me feel right at home on my first arrest for resisting arrest in a foreign country.

LOL. Most times I don't even remember I'm black till I see that damn reflection in the computer screen (see no mirrors) But this all leads up to a simple point. I HAVE noticed the contrived manipulation of media to include black people in such a fashion that there are at least 2 to kill in that horror flick. I grew up with the demographic trifecta 1 white male, 1 female and 1 minority (usually black). Call it progress, call it a new world, Obama will always be the first black president no matter how half white he is and won't magically appease centuries of unresolved racial tension, which, if we're being honest is what this is all about. But to be fair, the second coming of Jesus wouldn't magically solidify all religious sects no matter how many iphones he brings with him.

I think you're overreacting. I am sure they're not thinking about this like you are.