Some may view the content of what I’m about to say as racist. I assure you, in the most fundamental way, that’s not the case.
But, I’ve been observing something that’s made me look at television’s vast advertising power in a different light.
First, a little background. I don’t live in a community with a large Black presence. Aside from the military and some years in Washington D.C., I’ve not had a lot of experience with mixed-race living. Or, thinking – in personal terms – of Black and White. Until now.
Television, more than any other medium, has its difficulties from an advertiser’s point of view. But, also, it has powerful impact. Yes, it reaches a vast audience. Still, one of its drawbacks is the difficulty of using TV for targeted viewing.
Radio has Black-oriented stations. And Cuban and Mexican and many others. All aimed at specific target audiences.
While there are TV stations that try to do the same thing, they are few and far between. My small community lies within the mass market coverage of one of the West’s larger cities. Yet, we’re not served by an ethnically-oriented TV station trying to reach a single ethnic market. Radio, yes. TV, no. And, that’s true in most of the other parts of the continental U.S. as well.
Recently, it seems, in more and more commercials, there’ll be – by design – one or more Black actors. No matter the product. No matter the ad campaign. There will be a Black inclusion. And, that inserted Black presence seems to be growing with advertisers.
If there are, say, three guys doing something together on television, one will be Black. If the national ad depicts a baby shower, at least one woman will be Black. If teens are the subject, same thing. And, on and on.
I’m not sure why this is. It may be sponsors – from Campbell’s soup to Chevrolet – are trying to show their soups/cars are good for people of all races. Kind of a crazy thought, I know. But, that’s all I can come up with.
Here in our Western states, White is, by far, the dominant race. Look at your church – your service club – your favorite dining spot – the staff at the grocery store. On a daily basis, most of us just never come into contact with someone who’s Black.
Maybe that’s why the inclusion of Blacks in so many television ads seems unreal to me. While there may be such representations in social or business affairs in other parts of America, around here, not the case. We have few mixed communities and, as a result, we don’t usually have racial interactions. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with such interactions. We just don’t have them.
While TV ads mostly depict Whites and Blacks, another racial group is growing at a rapid rate. Hispanics. And, in our neighborhood, most of us can have regular interactions with members of that group.
For us, it’s yard workers, for example. Nearly all we’ve come in contact with. Hard workers who do excellent work. Starting to see some in local culinary, food service, wineries/vineyards, sales and other professions. Many bringing the flavors of their former home country to their new settings. And, they are most welcome.
Sometimes I wish those ads were our “mirror” image. That we did have such excellent inter-racial relationships on a regular basis. That we did have brothers and sisters in our everyday life that brought their own heritage and style.
As I stated at the outset, I don’t mean anything racist in these words. Not a one of ’em. And, there may be places in our world, where the racial mix of characters portrayed in those multi-racial commercials represents real life.
Just not around here.
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