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

[Gorilla]

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...

I'd agree that a lot of middle schools would consider it "gay". On the boondocks, Riley is an illustration of this behavior. I also believe this to be the product of homophobia. I think along with this experiment should come with some inquiry into where this idea or way of thinking came from. Another question worth asking is would this commercial make any of these children want to suddenly become homosexuals (if they weren't already)?

I'm not sure that this use of satire is particularly the product of white people. There are plenty of things produced by black authorship that use the same principals of exaggeration. I don't think it's so simple to just blame this stuff as the problem or make it dangerous, especially when most people understand what it is and most children grow up to be relatively normal. This particular commercial, to me, really does seem like it was trying to be funny and sell some sandwiches.

I just think we can give people and children a lot more credit than that.

After watching these commercials about a dozen times, I still don't eat at burger king.

 

[Omowale Jabali]

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.

You know...i dont even watch programs on networks such as BET unless i happen to be around when my younger cousins come around and my aunt allows them a break from her talk and cook shows or tennis.

So yesterday they were over and my aunt had to go out so I let them turn to BET's 106 and Park....

It had me thinking about this thread because my cousins are in 4th and 8th grade. They tend to make a lot of commentary when watching tv just as a lot of Black youth do when at the theatre watching movies. The often talk about how retarded or cool some of the commercials are while many if not most of us older folks tend to ignore or tune commercials out.

What got me yesterday was seeing how many of the commercials were about condoms. My cousins are silent with those ads but talkative on nearly everything else. In fact his thread is good in the sense that it has me studying more what is going on in advertising and how it potentially effects our youth. As an educator I need to take more careful note of these things because parents are asleep at the wheel.

 

[Omowale Jabali]

I'd agree that a lot of middle schools would consider it "gay". On the boondocks, Riley is an illustration of this behavior. I also believe this to be the product of homophobia. I think along with this experiment should come with some inquiry into where this idea or way of thinking came from. Another question worth asking is would this commercial make any of these children want to suddenly become homosexuals (if they weren't already)?

I'm not sure that this use of satire is particularly the product of white people. There are plenty of things produced by black authorship that use the same principals of exaggeration. I don't think it's so simple to just blame this stuff as the problem or make it dangerous, especially when most people understand what it is and most children grow up to be relatively normal. This particular commercial, to me, really does seem like it was trying to be funny and sell some sandwiches.

I just think we can give people and children a lot more credit than that.

After watching these commercials about a dozen times, I still don't eat at burger king.

I have enought experience (albeit limited) in "the industry" both as an actor and writer to recognize "black comedy" and by "black" i'm not necesssarily speaking in ethnic terms. Its like "film noir". Its a genre of film/advertising which is "twisted" and much of its authorship is by white writers WHO ARE GAY. So, if the writers are gay, how can responses be labeled "homophobic" when these young viewers are seeing it not ONLY as it is projected but the source of its authorship???

In fact this is "black humor" bordering of "blue comedy" due to the sexual innuendo.

 

[gogounited]

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?

That is a bit like comparing apples to oranges. I have thought very critically about these things and done my research. I am a new mother and I choose this responsibility. You cannot fight your own awareness, it will codemn you everytime.

Perhaps you have simply not looked over the issue in such depth. But what concerns me in this thread is any influence that might convince a parent not to take a second look, or perceive what is being projected at them and/or their children. The idea that nothing more was intended through the commerical other than humor and selling Whoppers, is dangerous and irresponsible. But that is me, coming from a different position of awareness. Perhaps you come from same and simply surmised differently. Are you a parent?

A comedian presents themselves as an individual. People who choose to go and see or watch that individual have chosen a target themselves. It's a two-way street - the comedian chooses the content of his act, and the audience chooses the comedian. The comedian has the power to influence children in much the same way, but moreso as parents, we have the power to censor comedians.

Commercials are a bit more random, they are like rain. They have the potential to be anywhere at anytime, can appear suddenly and without warning. The messages they portray come in many forms, oftentimes in open context, involving many characters and archetypes. This is the difference between children being exposed to TRASH in commercials and being exposed to a trashy comedian.

 

[Gorilla]

I have enought experience (albeit limited) in "the industry" both as an actor and writer to recognize "black comedy" and by "black" i'm not necesssarily speaking in ethnic terms. Its like "film noir". Its a genre of film/advertising which is "twisted" and much of its authorship is by white writers WHO ARE GAY. So, if the writers are gay, how can responses be labeled "homophobic" when these young viewers are seeing it not ONLY as it is projected but the source of its authorship???

In fact this is "black humor" bordering of "blue comedy" due to the sexual innuendo.

Is there some data you can point me to about the particular commercials in question or the craft in general and sexual orientation? Otherwise, this is just going to be conjecture.

There's only one small instance of sexual innuendo, that seems hardly enough for me to label the whole thing sexual.

If the writers are gay, the response can still be labeled homophobic because it assumes that everything they're writing has a homo-erotic mission. The reason this is even brought up is because some people are being homophobic towards the commercial. The product is being over-associated with a supposed attribute of the authorship.