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Well, a fledgling hipster ad agency, Rhett & Link, has taken that idea to the next level. In an online ad for a local North Carolina furniture shop, the Red House, the company used race as the focal point of its marketing message.
The ad has gone viral as an awkward Internet marketing sensation. ...
This ad has generated some controversy by linking furniture sales to a discussion of racial reconciliation. Personally, I love the ad. I think it's always good when an ad or any other public event triggers a broad discussion about how our ideas on race play out. Rhett & Link go on to explain:
For those of you who think this video is racist, we'd like you to distinguish between "racist" and "racial." Racism is "hatred or intolerance of another race or other races." Racial is "of, relating to, or based on a race." This video is very obviously racial as opposed to racist. This video doesn't promote or feature hatred or intolerance. Rather, it's the very opposite. This commercial promotes inclusion and reconciliation, if not in a comical way. To point out the obvious, the irony in this video is that it's completely ridiculous for people to relate furniture to their race. People of all colors are welcome at the Red House, which is something that is taken for granted today, but there was a time in the not-so-recent past during which things as simple as a water fountain were NOT for everyone. Source: Rhett & Link
Okay, if you didn't like that commercial, allow me to present quite possibly the best, quirkiest furniture commercial ever!
Vintage Racist Advertising
Top left LOS ANGELES - DECEMBER 1: Brigitte Nielsen and Flavor Flav present onstage at the VH1 - Big in '04 on December 1, 2004 at the Shrine Auditorium, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Top right: 1899 -- Uncle Tom's Cabin: Topsy Illustration --- Image by © CORBIS; Bottom right: 1930s AC spark plugs ad in The Saturday Evening Post -- Photo by The Authentic History Center; Bottom left: This cartoon image provided by the New York Post appeared in the Post's Page Six Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. The cartoon, which refers to Travis the chimp, who was shot to death by police in Stamford, Conn. on Monday after it mauled a friend of its owner, drew criticism Wednesday on media Web sites and from civil rights activist the Rev. Al Sharpton. (AP Photo/New York Post) ** NO SALES ** Credit: Getty Images / Corbi / Authentic History Center / AP
Getty Images / Corbi / Authentic History Center / AP
Advertisement for an African-American slave sale.
Although the enslavement of mankind in general has been recorded as early as 1200 BC; the first African slaves were reportedly transported to the 'New World' in 1517. This is 76 years after the first black slaves were captured and taken to Portugal.
Bettmann / Corbis
African American Stereotypes: Products and Advertising c.1880s Tin of Nigger Hair Tobacco
For decades this product was sold in stores as chewing tobacco or for smoking. It was advertised as 'pure, unadulterated, fine old burley leaf.'
Photo Source: The Authentic History Center
The Authentic History Center
1888 -- Seal of North Carolina Tobacco - The Darktown Bowling Club Poster -- Image by © Swim Ink 2, LLC/CORBIS Seal of North Carolina Tobacco - The Darktown Bowling Club Poster
Swim Ink 2, LLC / Corbis
ca. 1890 -- Zoulou Powder Poster (French advertisement)
Because offensive advertising was permeated throughout the world for many years, (and still is, as you will see in a few upcoming slides) it should come as no surprise that in more modern times 'racism has become the scourge of European soccer stadiums.'
Swim Ink 2, LLC / Corbis
ca. 1899 --- Uncle Tom's Cabin: Topsy Illustration --- Image by © CORBIS Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Topsy was a stereotypical pickaninny character in the book, 'Uncle Tom's Cabin.' Uncle Tom was a slave in the book. The term 'Uncle Tom' is recognized to be offensive and a derogatory name for a black man who is abjectly servile and deferential to whites.
Corbis
ca. 1899 --- George Thatcher's Greatest Minstrels Poster --- Image by © CORBIS George Thatcher's Greatest Minstrels Poster
Early definition of minstrel: a medieval poet and musician who sang or recited while accompanying himself on a stringed instrument, either as a member of a noble household or as an itinerant troubadour.
The black-face minstrel act was a very popular form of entertainment in 19th-century America. White audiences were receptive to the portrayals of Blacks as singing, dancing, grinning fools. T.D. 'Daddy' Rice, the original Jim Crow, became rich and famous because of his skills as a minstrel. Interestingly though, when he died in New York on September 19, 1860, he was broke.
Corbis
African American Stereotypes: Products and Advertising 1899 Durkee's Salad Dressing advertisement, Harpers Magazine
Notice the broken English purportedly spoken by black Americans, 'We're gwine ter live high ter-night ...'
Photo Source: The Authentic History Centerr
The Authentic History Center
Advertisement for Clarence Brooks and Co.'s Fine Coach Varnishes uses racist stereotypes to depict a group of African-American adults and children as they cheer and watch two shirtless boxers, one of whom appears unconscious, accompanied by the text "the Championship Fight, Sullivan Wins," late 1800s. The Sullivan in the text is a reference to boxer John L. Sullivan, who fought bare-knuckled in several famous bouts.
Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images
Advertisement for the St. Louis Beef Canning Company features an illustration of a stereotyped African-American character sitting on a can of beef, accompanied by phonetically rendered, stereotypical dialect-style text that reads: 'No Sah! dont jine no Exodus so as dis Beef lasts,' late 1800s.
Showing blacks to massacre the English language, further perpetuated the false idea that African Americans were somehow unable to be educated.
Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images
Comments: (202)
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By: VAd00d on 5/21/2009 7:09PM
I don't see the big deal with the aforementioned commercial. Walk-ons consented to the commercial, white and black people consented to the commercial, and the commercial itself didn't single out one specific race, it joked about both. If it's such a big deal, why don't we ban all of Michael Jackson's pre-pedophile attempts to say "It doesn't matter if you're black or white?" Get over yourselves, people, it wasn't a racist commercial. It was funny, albeit a little stupid.
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By: grwnzwoman on 5/20/2009 10:19AM
I think the ad is down right funny..because it is ignorant and not well thought out..I am a African American woman and that ad would not encourage me to purchase any of that furniture and by looking at the furniture it is of poor quality..Besides, they are trying to hard..just run a regular ad if a black person likes the furniture they will purchase it....that ad is a turn off and I give it a F..
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By: grownzman on 5/21/2009 3:59PM
TO UNGROWN WOMAN AND STAR CHILD - YOU ARE BOTH INTOLERANT AND IGNORANT.IT IS A SILLY COMMERCIAL AND SHOULD HAVE MADE ANYONE WITH A BRAIN LAUGH AT HOW SILLY IT WAS - IN FACT AS SOMEONE ELSE STATED IT IS NOT EVEN A REAL COMMERCIAL AND THE ONE THAT POSTED IT IS THE IGNORANT BUFOON!!! YES THEY KNEW IT WASN'T REAL BUT THEY WANTED TO STIR MORE HATRED UP AMONG THE HATEFUL PEOPLE....GUESS WHAT? THAT IS YOU TOO BECAUE YOU ARE THE ONES THAT GOT OFFENDED BY SUCH A SILLY THING.... YOU KNOW IF YOU 2 GO TO CHURCH,YOU NEED TO EITHER PRAY MORE OR GO TO A DIFFERENT CHURCH BECAUSE YOUR CHURCH IS NOT WORKING TO MAKE YOU A BETTER PERSON.
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By: Olivia on 5/20/2009 2:01PM
I think it is hard to find anyone who is black to refer to themselves as BLACK - everyone is African American. I do note, however, that recently I saw on tv a donation to the "United NEGRO College Fund". I guess it is what is most convenient for the benefit of the black race. Being WHITE, the commercial does not offend me. We do, however, need to know the options of the descriptions and when they are applicable.
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By: Tammy on 5/20/2009 3:34PM
"I think it is hard to find anyone who is black to refer to themselves as BLACK - everyone is African American"
You need to expand your circle - I'm black and so are all my friends - The problem is when you hear "Jesse Jackson" make announcements - YOU believe he is speaking for each and every black american - as you post your comment on "Black Voices" not "African American Voices"- Also - The United Negro College Fund is Older than YOU or YOUR thoughts - surely you know this organization was created in a different time in Black History
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By: cheryl on 5/21/2009 7:15AM
Well I use to work with alot of people who refered to themselves as black. Maybe because a lot of them were born in the Carribean but it didnt matter. The people born in America also used the description - black 99 percent of the time. Maybe its a NYC thing. I know how people are in the rest of the country.
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By: MrEd on 5/21/2009 7:50AM
I am a white guy with many "black" friends. They are not from Africa, so do not consider themselves African Americans. If you believe in evolution and the out of Africa theory...then all of us are African in origin so why does it matter?
As a side note the commercial was pretty bad.
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By: jan on 5/21/2009 8:49AM
I feel Blacks segregate them selves by refering to themselves as African American. If you live in America and are a citizen you are an American, whether your skin color is black, white red or any other color for that matter. Salvery is over. everyperson has a responsibility to be the best they can be no matter what color they are. I no longer use the term African American. I am a German American and have Irish American friends, where is our check box on applications?
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By: Greg on 5/21/2009 9:26AM
It's overly sensitive people like you that keep this country from moving foward and away from racism. The people who insist on being referred to as "African American" usually are the ones who seem to find racism in EVERYTHING. Unless you personally immigrated here from Africa, I believe the correct term is just "American"... otherwise every single american, no matter the color of skin, would have a hyphenated word in front to indicate which country/continent their ansestors immigrated from. Continuing to separate yourself from society with a collection of special rights designated to your (and only your) race is exactly the opposite of what so many fought for decades ago. You can't be "equal" and "special" at the same time. Get over yourself-- it's people like you that keep racism alive.
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By: Toni on 5/21/2009 12:41PM
I never called myself African American. I am a black woman. I only know a tiny percentage of folks who refer to themselves as African American. Tammy summed it up best in her response. Regarding the commercial, I'm not offfended by it. It's just stupid.
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