This is something I have noticed all of my life. One example I clearly remember was in a Barbie doll commercial. There are three Barbie dolls, a white one, a black one, and a Hispanic one. The girls are shown playing with their Barbies, and at the end of the commercial the barbies are seen posing for the final shot. The black one is standing in the back corner leaning against a tree, the same goes for the Hispanic, but the white Barbie is front and center laying sideways on a beach chair with her arm up in the air as if she is waving to the little girls out there saying, “BUY ME!”
I have also noticed this in text books as well. There will be a picture along the side of a book and there will always be a kid in a wheelchair or a kid from a different ethnic background with a white kid. When the companies add multicultural children in these ads do they realize they push them off to the side? Do they not realize that keeping the white children front and center they are sort of losing the point? Another point that I thought was interesting was how people view white children different that black children. People see more variety in white children. They can have red hair, blond hair, brown hair, or curly hair, while less attention is payed to the black children who have just as many different qualities that can be shown.
1. Why are minority children not front and center in a lot of commercials?
2. Why do people find it easier to find variety in white children?
3. Are companies aware this is happening?
I think companies are aware this is happening, but I think they are afraid to change this because they are afraid it might affect sales in a negative way.
ReplyDeletecool insight with the barbie, it's interesting that product placement has not even escaped close racial monitoring.
ReplyDeleteI think companies are trying to sell their product to who they see as most likley to but it the middle class white family and they are trying to make that family relate to the product by having white children in it.
ReplyDeleteLooking to your third question, I have to think companies are aware of what is happening. If the casting process was "blind" to ethnicity and race, the odds alone would result in more minorities being represented.
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