I am not one to watch many commercials. I had never paid much attention to content or the message about product, much less notice the prejudice undertones in the casting and roles. Now that I have read this essay, I began to recall the commercials that I have seen. First, it appalled me that producers and directors would perpetuate such stereotypes. Then it bothered me that I had never really noticed.
The fault cannot be placed on the actors, they are just participating in the roles they are given. Advertising has taken the stereotypes of dominant cultures, and applied them in their commercials. With today’s pushes towards equality, you would think that diversity and racial cooperation would take precedence over idealized racial symbols. I would think that sharing a lead role between co-stars of different races would grab a wider variety of demographics. Maybe I’m just being naïve, but it speaks volumes as to the level of racism that still exists but not spoken of.
Discussion Questions
Could the concepts behind racism – class, residential situational, and intelligence- be overcome through wardrobe and other secondary aspects?
Would a population shift, say invert the minority and majority races, affect the roles played by the respective race?
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