Race & Advertising

You may have noticed the title, so let me get to it: You’re watching The Office, and a Mercedes commercial for the new GLK comes on. A random classic rock song is playing, and amid the engine sounds and Freddie Mercury screaming his heart out in the background, you think to yourself ‘ Wow, that’s a great car! I love all the features...maybe I want to go for a test drive.”

An hour later, You’re watching Real Housewives of Atlanta- the same commercial comes on, only Barry White or Issac Hayes is playing in the background. And you think to yourself ‘ WTF? Why are they playing Barry/ Issac in a car commercial! That doesn’t make me want to drive fast, that makes me want to get it on in the backseat!”

Alright, so maybe you aren’t feeling getting it on in the backseat..but as a black person, I am really getting sick of these ads that are supposed to appeal to us, when really I feel they are more irritating than appealing. Mcdonald’s is good for it- The spoken word about a quarter pounder, a bunch of kids hanging on some east coast stoop rapping about Big Macs and fries. The Cadillac commercials with the group of black men using the latest slang while talking to each other- while riding in a pimped out Escalade.

I get they want to appeal to minorities, but these companies need to realize that we do regular stuff, just like white people!!!! You don’t have to have soul music in the background, or people doing ‘URBAN’ things for us to relate! To prove it, That commercial that you have with a white family, doing stuff that the average family does...and replace them with a black family... Don’t add any rap music, or a basketball player making a dunk in the magical hoop in the parking lot. No breakdancing competition or little kid coming to the dinner table listening to the cha cha slide ( which was hilarious, but it didn't matter what race the family was, it was funny)....and it will still register with the black community.

I get so sick of advertisers thinking we only respond to shucking and jiving. We do regular stuff, just like the rest of the people in this country...and not that people don’t relate to some of these commercials, some people do- but many of ‘us’ are sick of them. Just add a black or hispanic or asian family to a commercial without all the nonsense.

I never usually tackle any topics regarding race or different cultures in my blog. Not because I'm afraid to, I just don’t. That’s not what my blog is really about, but every now and then, I just have to comment on things that bother me.

And with that, I leave you with one final comment- Lenny Williams playing in the background is not going to make buy a Chrysler 300!

Drama- I Rebuke You

Anyone that truly knows me, knows I have absolutely no tolerance for constant whinging/complaining/negativity...bad character and disrespect. I have no time or energy for it in my life, and as soon as I hear it coming into the conversation, I find a way out of the conversation.

One thing I hate, is when you have chosen to not talk about something because it just turns into a big argument, and someone continues to try to FORCE you to talk about it. ESPECIALLY, when they are apart of the problem which caused the drama.

I have no compassion for self inflicted drama, nor do I have respect for anyone who plays the victim and never admits to any wrong doing. I do believe some people are more diabolical than others, but at the end of the day- when it comes to drama, whether it's diabolical or not...it's not healthy and I will not pollute my psyche with garbage that doesn't enrich my life.

And with that...I bid you adieu...and have a wonderful week! LOL

Why I Should Have Been Born A Gypsy.....

I'm not sure what the deal is with my maternal family, but I can't say anyone of them has lived in one place for more than 10-15 years. Which could explain why I always feel the need to get a move on after a certain amount of time. I never do, because I have a child...but if it were just me, I'm sure I'd probably never really 'SETTLE' anywhere. I say I should have been born a gypsy, because all of the signs ( according to me) are there:

- I love Bohemian looking shit! Large gaudy rings & earrings, Baja hoodies paired with a ton of golden bracelets, long maxi dresses with ethnic prints, fancy pashminas, and long skirts that flow with every move.

- I've always wanted a pimped out motor home. Yes, yes...I realize that most Gypsies don't own pimped out, tour bus styled motor homes...but if I had one, that bitch would definitely have pom-poms on the dash and would smell like bundles of sage and essential oils and whatnot.

- I love men that have that dark, mysterious Johnny Depp look. Long hair, a beard or sweet ass goatee. Maybe a Connoisseur or Gringo mustache and maybe a pork chop side burn or two ( he better have two). He also must play some sort of sweet ass instrument- a harmonica, definitely a Spanish guitar, and Banjo is acceptable.

- I have a sick ass switch blade my grandpa gave me when I was 13..Sure, I know that's not an ideal gift a grandpa gives to his granddaughter, but he wasn't an ideal man. Traditional gypsy women looked like they would cut someone's nuts off for trying to pull a fast one on a member of their caravan. Like, really....be honest. They always seem too look like they can kick Chuck Norris' ass in a street fight.

I could go on about how awesome of a gypsy I could be, but I'm pretty sure I'm generalizing and believing the hollywood image of a gypsy. I'm also sure there is a possibility there is a real gypsy reading this and they want to kick my ass. I mean no harm, I just think they're pretty fucking dope.