CNN just called me for an appearance on American Morning. They wanted to know if I think that these McDonald's ads are racist. Please watch them and tell me what you think:
CNN just called me for an appearance on American Morning. They wanted to know if I think that these McDonald's ads are racist. Please watch them and tell me what you think:
7 comments:
I think the commercials get across the love two people share for Mc Donald's Chicken McNuggets, that is all.
I don't these are racist at all, I just don't see it. They are corny and silly but not offensive.
If so. It has escaped me. But there are times when subtle racial biases can get by me
Dr. Watkins, I don't see any other comments. (There might be some glitch.)
I looked at the links to the McDonald's commercials. YES the commercials that I watched are racist in that they seem to operate under the opinion that Black must have rhythm and blues music in order for the item to be appealing. Maybe teenagers like that kind of music, but not everyone (Black nor white) is a teenager. It's not necessary to use improper grammar and/or have some sexual rendezvous atmosphere to get Black people's attention. Please tell CNN and McDonald's that neither McDonald's nor any other "white" product (made by white people FOR white people - oh yeah, we need to get the Black people's attention!) must use some Black singer seducing his "lady" to sell hamburgers to Black people. I am Black and I hate that kind of music unless it's being played at a performance of that type. McDonald's sells hamburgers and chicken nuggets and cinnamon rolls, coffee, etc. Stick to your McDonald's theme songs. I always feel that a vendor who uses that type of scenario is being condescending. Your plain McDonald's music will do. You can just use Black faces in commercials - not just white people. We Black people eat, we go to college, we have 2 parent families, white collar jobs too. Most of the Black people I know fit the above description. Just put Black people (and Asian and Brown) into your commercials as you have, and that will be fine.
We speak the same American English that white people speak. We don't say "we be" (however, we would say "we'd be" -- as in "we'd be offended if you put these ignorant commercials on the air").
I didn't find either commercial racist, just narrowly targeted to a particular audience. It appeared that the attempt was to avoid racial stereotyping by moving it out of the 'hood' and into a nice home w/ nice car and a ski lodge. The music sounds like the music many young African Americans are listening to and I don't view as negatively stereotypical.
Would I like to have seen some inference that this was his wife sneaking out of the bed to McDonalds rather than maybe just a girlfriend? Yes.
Would I like to have seen a brown-skinned woman rather than a light- skinned sister to play down the skin color consciousness of our people? Yes.
I can't blame McDonald's for that, but I can blame the black folks working for McDonald's that created them and perpetuated these failings.
Definitely corny and sappy, but racist? No. What I DO KNOW is ain't nobody singin' over no chicken nuggets!
Racist? No. Rip-off of video by generic R&B artist? Yes. We have much bigger problems in our community. We don't need to waste time on crap like this! This is just white folks playing like they are concerned. If it was really racism they would be making excuses and saying how black people are the only racist in this country.
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