SMACK-K-K-K!!! Put it back. Keep your hands off muh Mumma, keep your hands off muh Doritos!
That commercial was straight gully [ghetto in a very bad way]! But I loved it! My personal favorite or guilty pleasure. I may get my black license taken away for this, but it wasn't so bad. Was it an accurate representation? No. Was it demeaning? On a small level perhaps. I feel it really stands out as a commercial and not so much a comprehensive (reprehensive) tell-all of Black life in America. It's just too outlandish. Also this kind of spot usually gets in trouble for its over reliance on stereotypical behavior. Besides the "Brother" taking an extra hard disrespectful peep at the mother as she walks away, I really don't see a bunch of stereotypes. Conversely, that behavior is attributed to all men, perhaps a bit too much when it comes to Black men, but all men none-the-less.
After that I feel the commercial launches into a world of exaggerated comedic fantasy. This pint-sized protagonist, in his wildest dreams would never have the moxie to just cold slap a grown man. Or rehearse his threatening litany at point-blank (spank) range. Is it disrespectful to ever show a child ever slapping an adult? Yes, but only within a certain realistic context. I think at the "slap" is when this commercial feels the most unreal to me. At that point my mind says this has left the realms of my acceptable reality, this is simply comedy, maybe a tad rude, but comedy, not real life.
It's funny and sends the wrong messages and maybe that's enough to make it a real problem or even racist. But I'm a little torn on this. My opinion is evolving and I may have to repost about this.
NOTE TO AGENCY: If the mother speaks very "proper" the little boy would actually speak the same way. It's things like this kind of oversight that make you wish for waaaay more diversity in the advertising industry.
[Counterpoint]
Anonymous said...Not too sure about this one, for a couple of reasons. First, given the childhood obesity epidemic – particularly among minority kids – is it smart to show a youngster with an entire bowl of Doritos? Is the face slap funny – or wildly disrespectful? Even having the date checking out Mama’s ass is kinda bullshit. They went all out to make Mama’s house upper-middle class (at least two computers and tons of books). When compared to the other Doritos spots – which had broader and more exaggerated humor and effects – this one seemed out of place. Back in the day. McDonald’s produced a Black spot called Mama’s Date, depicting a first date with a divorced mother. It would be interesting to contrast the spots, as the McDonald’s spot took a much more traditional Black agency perspective (i.e., warm and fuzzy and respectful).
P.S. There are already cries of "racism" over the Doritos spot. Do a Google search.
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8 comments:
Not too sure about this one, for a couple of reasons. First, given the childhood obesity epidemic – particularly among minority kids – is it smart to show a youngster with an entire bowl of Doritos? Is the face slap funny – or wildly disrespectful? Even having the date checking out Mama’s ass is kinda bullshit. They went all out to make Mama’s house upper-middle class (at least two computers and tons of books). When compared to the other Doritos spots – which had broader and more exaggerated humor and effects – this one seemed out of place. Back in the day. McDonald’s produced a Black spot called Mama’s Date, depicting a first date with a divorced mother. It would be interesting to contrast the spots, as the McDonald’s spot took a much more traditional Black agency perspective (i.e., warm and fuzzy and respectful).
P.S. There are already cries of "racism" over the Doritos spot. Do a Google search.
Great counter point. You go on the front page. I thought of a lot of the same offenses in this spot. I just laughed out loud when I saw it.
Ah..
If you want to dissect 30 second commercials for any trace of racism and bad messages, uhh.. good for you.
I just thought it was funny. Most commercials are exaggerations of something that may or may not be true, anyway.
It's not like ads are required to tip-toe around anyone's feelings. I doubt you'll see lil' kids slapping grown men like that unless their parents have failed to teach them better. It's not up Doritos commercials to make your kids respect you, and it's not up to them to magically stop the child obesity issues.
After all, the parents are the ones going into Walmart buying the damn Doritos in the first place. AND buying the juice loaded with high fructose corn syrup to wash them' chips down with.
Pfft. Check those lunch boxes.
Ahem. Yes this spot was awful. Yes we need more diversity in advertising. And, yes, show the Doritos. It's a commercial for Doritos. Doritos is the client. Show a big ass bowl of Doritos.
If I remember my Ghostface, he had a skit called "Bad Mouth Kid" off the Fishscale album. It's the real ghetto version of the Doritos spot but the premise is loosely same. I'd say the creatives, in some late night blunted brainstorm had it playing in the background and thought "This'll do!"
its wildly disrespectful (and funny). in my opinion.
is it genius? no. tasteful? no. memorable after a year? no. but its the superbowl. thie ad was made to live in superbowl realm.
People have been taking me to task all over the internet because I said I laughed. I did laugh... and then I thought about what I saw.
I don't think it's racist, just playing into easy cliches like you mentioned. If he just watched after her with a dazed look on his face (instead of her sashaying butt and him with the DAYUMMM! look on his face). and if the kid turned into, i don't know, an enraged cartoon character instead of talking about "my mamma"-- and was his name Little Man?
But as a Black woman, i am hella tired of our attractiveness being reduced to our sashaying behinds. Too many men already think this ish is cute in real life.
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