Black People : Downlow commercial by Burger-King aired during Raiders game

[Gorilla]

I asked a question of which you edited which changed the context and intent of the question.

But that's okay because your answer to your own edited question is sufficient.

Commerciald are not simply "bbags of tricks". They are the result of TARGETED advertising campaigns directed towards specific cultural and ethnic gropus and demographics.

For example, I have stated in another thread how in major ad campaigns featuring various ethinc groups of black women, the darker skinned sisters are generally depicted to the right of the viewer and the images as they are scanned go from left to right, from the lightest to the darkest.

When I view the first commercial, the images find this SAME and IDENTICAL pattern and if you look at the "body language" of the 3 principals, look again closely at the "body language" and mannerisms of the darkest brother to the farthest right of the ad.

It took me about the third screening efore I really noticed some of his gestures. Just look at some of his changing facial expressions.

I will leave it at that.

My answer was to the question of whether or not i feel it attacks black culture, because it doesn't. Products of corporate media prop up sock puppets that don't reflect reality. And, they do whatever is profitable. If that's not enough of an answer, I don' know what to tell you.

They are a bag of tricks of consumerism, because they're not the only trick they try to use to purchase things. They use various methods to invent needs, and pretend to offer solutions to. It's a campaign to make money.

If you're referring to the puppet hands guy, his gestures look like an overly exaggerated ego of the man he is behind. This is actually where I find a good deal of the humor and satire. It's overly concerned with his appears (grooming him and trying to be trendy at the same time) and it's overly confident ("I'm the man..I can touch that woman").

As for the thing you mention about skin tones and positioning, that's a principal of composition in photography and filmography. They prioritize what they want a person to see first. I've seen commercials that fit the description you describe, and I've also seen advertisements that feature just a dark woman. Really it's the same reason why products tend to be weighted and shifted to the largest portions of a frame. Alas, the discussion is not about a standard of beauty (which I find the corporate side to often be on the wrong side of as well).

 

[Gorilla]

As another poster's signature says, "context is everything."

These people are selling more than product, they're selling a mentality and an idea.

No matter who the advertisers are specifically targeting - the TARGET WILL BE whomsoever watches this trash commerical. And there will be an effect on children - because they haven't the capacity to differentiate truth from fiction. Nor do they have the awareness that would enable them to decode the TRASH being presented before them.

Thinking that because there is no toy jingle or kid's product for sale that there won't be any effect on a child's mind seeing this TRASH is an error.

I agree and here's the mentality they're selling:

Keep buying things. You need things. Our things will make your life better. You're nothing without our things.

If the thread was about protecting children from consumerism, it would have a different tone wouldn't it? Too bad it wasn't.

 

[gogounited]

I agree and here's the mentality they're selling:



If the thread was about protecting children from consumerism, it would have a different tone wouldn't it? Too bad it wasn't.

What if - alongside selling that mentality - they are giving away for free the image of one black man cozied up behind another with the idea that things can get even "stranger" should a woman be involved?

What if they are giving away for free the idea that sexual "deviance" of such nature is normal and accepted - even funny. Sex sells food, but what is it giving away freely?

This is about anyone who may watch the commercial - children included.

 

[Omowale Jabali]

My answer was to the question of whether or not i feel it attacks black culture, because it doesn't. Products of corporate media prop up sock puppets that don't reflect reality. And, they do whatever is profitable. If that's not enough of an answer, I don' know what to tell you.

They are a bag of tricks of consumerism, because they're not the only trick they try to use to purchase things. They use various methods to invent needs, and pretend to offer solutions to. It's a campaign to make money.

If you're referring to the puppet hands guy, his gestures look like an overly exaggerated ego of the man he is behind. This is actually where I find a good deal of the humor and satire. It's overly concerned with his appears (grooming him and trying to be trendy at the same time) and it's overly confident ("I'm the man..I can touch that woman").

As for the thing you mention about skin tones and positioning, that's a principal of composition in photography and filmography. They prioritize what they want a person to see first. I've seen commercials that fit the description you describe, and I've also seen advertisements that feature just a dark woman. Really it's the same reason why products tend to be weighted and shifted to the largest portions of a frame. Alas, the discussion is not about a standard of beauty (which I find the corporate side to often be on the wrong side of as well).

Its all good.

I will respect your perspective and the differences you and have in interpretation of what we see and the message we recieve from the ads.

It is exactly this "exaggerationof ego" (your words) which takes this message from the subliminal to the overt which is why I say it is also indicative of a cultural schizophrenia which white folks utilize as a form of "black comedy".

I just disagree that this type of "black comedy" has no detrimental effects on black CHILDREN, in particular. It cuts deeper into the psyche than many of us realize.

I am sure that If i was to show that first ad to my 20 or so middle school students and asked them what they though about it that their first response would be something to the effect of "That's gay".

In fact, I just might wait and see when we return in january after winter break.

Peace...

 

[Gorilla]

What if - alongside selling that mentality - they are giving away for free the image of one black man cozied up behind another with the idea that things can get even "stranger" should a woman be involved?

What if they are giving away for free the idea that sexual "deviance" of such nature is normal and accepted - even funny. Sex sells food, but what is it giving away freely?

This is about anyone who may watch the commercial - children included.

That part was meant to be a joke. It was part of the humor. Comedians regularly say and imply far worse, does that mean they condone such actions?