Five Black Ads That Drive Us Nuts
From The BVX — After ignoring black consumers for decades, companies have realized that urban marketing is smart business. But while we love seeing black folks in media, it defeats the purpose if they die during the opening credits, are complete buffoons or otherwise reinforce negative African American stereotypes.
As a group, blacks possess about $1 trillion in buying power, and we’re inclined to spend our hard-earned money with companies that treat our community with respect. A lot of companies get it; for too many others, though, it still hasn’t seeped in. Take Toyota’s infamous “gold tooth” ad as proof that there are still way too many television commercials featuring African Africans that reflect the worst about black culture. Here are a few that really rub us the wrong way.
1. Annie, the Chicken Mammy
We could chuckle at Paula Jai Parker and Dave Chappelle’s ‘Chicken Ho’ in the birdbrained ‘Woo’ because of the unlikelihood that any white person on the planet would ever see that film. But the Popeye’s Chicken ad campaign featuring a new-growth-scratching sassy black woman who introduces herself as Annie “the Chicken Queen” is but a biscuit and strawberry soda away from being a full-on minstrel show.
2. Mandingo Meets Cujo Meets Godzilla
No, it’s not the story Glenn Beck tells his children to make them eat their broccoli. This ad is part of Old Spice’s shirtless black man marketing campaign starring Terry Crews (‘Everybody Hates Chris’ and one of them ‘Friday’ movies). A stark contrast to his suave counterpart, Crews simply scares white people. Bigger than a building, flexing every muscle and clad in just some boxer briefs, the brute delivers a roundhouse kick to a skyscraper that causes an explosion. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
3. The Magic Negro
Over the years, the Pine Sol lady whose real name is Diane Amos, has levitated and awakened people from comas as she delivered her catchphrase “That’s the power of Pine Sol, baby.” In the most recent TV spot, titled ‘Visitor,’ Pine Soul Sister No. 1 drives along the shore and arrives at her lavish mansion where she follows a trail of rose petals to a boudoir where she finds… a black man mopping the floor. Go figure.
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I don’t know if anyone else notices this, but I am tired of hearing fast food commercial ads (namely McDonalds) that are supposed to cater to an African American audience. While I appreciate McDonalds’ 365 Ad Campaign, celebrating AA history 365 days out of the year, I believe their ads are so stereotypical. Most of their ads with a young black person in it involves rapping, singing, or reciting poetry about Mickey Ds. There’s nothing wrong with it b/c as a community we do have a “little extra spice” (as my mentor puts it) but I wish they could just include black commercials without all of the beat-boxing and singing and just do something plain and simple.
Like Calvin! lol just kidding. I totally agree with you on that. And that R&B video they made about chicken nuggets and the girl not sharing, really did it for me. I don’t eat McD anyway tho, and you shouldn’t either is bad for you! lol
@Kym AGREED. I don’t know what McDonald’s are thinking with their commerical sometimes.
They hit the NAIL ON THE HEAD with these commericals. I don’t know why but these commericals irks the heck out of me for some reason, I change the channel whenever they are on because it is just annoying. They should add to the list the new safe auto commerical too.
[...] Five Black Ads That Drive Us Nuts | Clutch Magazine: The Digital … [...]
Yo, I thought I was the only person who hated that damn Everest guy. Sometimes I wanna talk back to the tv, like “homey, I got a job and I go to a REAL college”. Anyway, yeah, it’s very stereotypical, especially since the commercial typically comes on during programs targeted to black viewers so you know what they are trying to say.
ok…so I dont get it…can we as black people only laugh at it, if white people havent seen it? The article was stretching…only a biscuit away from being a minstrel show…gimme a break!
Wait a minute! I think it’s romantic when men clean up the house. They get more sex that way.
cannot stand that Popeye’s commercial. Ugh! Modern day Mammie is right!
The black women are rounded,motherly/mammy(sexually unattractive?) figures and the black men are half naked, wild(sexually dangerous?)musclepumped;straight out of old racist sterotypes 101.
Love this feature Clutch,agree with your assessements.Oh and Terry Crews should be ashamed of himself.Did he need the money that bad?What’s he gonna do next,play a cannibal with a bone through his nose?Shame on the shuckin’ and jivin’ fish mama too,I know actors have to work but this has to be soul destroying;being directed to ‘MmmHmm!’ and sass your hands like it’s 1933.
Really?! You guys were stretching it on this one. The Terry Crews old spice commercials are meant to be a total joke and if you had done a bit of research they were created by the guys behind the Tom and Eric Show on Adult Swim. If you have every watched the show you would get the ridiculousness behind the ads.
And seriously, scarring white people?! That’s a little bit prejudice to assume the commercials would scare anyone just because it features a black man flexing his muscles. If you’ve ever seen any of Crews past performances you know that he’s not ashamed of showing off his body.
Also, didn’t you think that the Pine Sol commercials were a play off of the Porn for Women books that came out a while ago? I also thought the ad was interesting because they showcased her in a slightly more sexual way than they have in previously.
“Building Kick!”
I concur Mina! I for one am tired of being made to feel embarrassed about every single thing other black people do. It’s a shame so many people of color feel like they need to impress white people. For what?!? I REALLY don’t give a damn what white people see/don’t see, think/don’t think about other races. When I walk out my door, I represent my self (and maybe my family)…that’s it!
If anyone, white or any other color, decides to generalize all black people based on the actions of one, they’re an idiot anyway and need not be paid attention to.
PS: That Old Spice commercial is funny as hell.
[...] Black consumer, companies still don’t get it. African Americans are forced to endure demeaning ads latent with stereotypical characters or the complete absence of Black people at all–there is [...]
mcDonalds commercials. man they irk my nerves also on the Nickelodeon the reeses puff cereal commercials ALWAYS have black kids and families and there is ALWAYS rapping. I guess that makes them down? and me down with their product? no especially when the rapping sucks
[...] Black consumer, companies still don’t get it. African Americans are forced to endure demeaning ads latent with stereotypical characters or the complete absence of Black people at all–there is [...]
Ok I hear what everyone is saying but to play devils advocate, aren’t we keeping these stereotypes alive by recognizing them as that? I mean if companies who advertised to black people in this negative way saw that they were not gaining sails from this segment, I think their tactics would change. So obviously there are a significant amount of black folks out there that buy these products OR not enough that do not. Either way, until these companies aren’t makin money, this nonsense will continue.
[...] Yes, if you’re willing to forget about the slightly darker skinned, slightly more aggressive, shirtless black man who used to pitch Old Spice, and whom P&G shunted off to the side in favor of the current Old Spice Guy. That Old Spice Guy [...]