Sunday, May 23, 2004

Ineffective: Where's the local NAACP chapter, black?

I was watching a VH1 program on the band OUTKAST. After some airtime past, the program cut away to commercials.

Suddenly, a "black" guy appears on my screen. He's decked out in an "urban" ensemble - baggy white t-shirt, baggy blue jeans, a pair of name brand sneakers, a turned-sideways hat and next to his pearly whites he dawned a gold tooth.

Him being "black" and wearing his "urban" ensemble bothered me greatly...

...appearntly, VH1's advertising department found it okay for a Bails bond company to hype and glamourize their "product" via this "black" guy and his "urban-ness".

As this "black" guy touted the services of this bail bond company, I thought "how ineffective, how stupid and how sad." But the really cool thing that soothed my soul and made things better was the closing line ... "Se habla espanol".

Here's to companies that make money off stereo types and diversity!