The image above is an ad for a computer company. At first glance, the ad looked like any other. It was not until after looking closer I realized the issue. The purpose of this add is to show the streamlined faster service however the outcome of the ad is different. This add is very controversial to me for several reasons. There are several stereotypes the add feeds into.The first thing wrong with this image is the use of race. In the image there is a white man with his arms crossed in business casual attire. The white man is clearly in charge of the rest of the people. The "Workers" are all black men; to make things worse they are in a posture that looks like they are bowing to the white man. All the black men have they're faces down in reverence of the white man.
Another controversial part of this image is the fact that all the black men are genetically the same looking, all athletic and muscular. All the black men are in less clothes than the white man. These facts highlight two different issues to me. The first being the stereotype that all black men are athletic and superior in sports. The second issue with the black men has to do not only with the image itself but with the tag line for the add.
All the black men are not only athletic, but they are exactly the same. All the black men are scantily dressed and bowing to a white man. The tag line states that a company can "Multiply computing performance and Maximize the power of employees." The use of the words multiply performance and maximize power; along with how the black men are dressed and postured is controversial. The combined effect of the image of the black men and the tag line make slavery come to mind for me. During slavery times white masters used to breed or "multiply" stronger slaves to maximize power and performance.
The purpose of the ad may have been to sell a service but the outcome was controversial. Even if the maker of the ad did not intend the ad to offend malicious, I do find it offensive. I do not think it is over the top because the ad is subtle but once you look deeper at the issue the issues it brings up are controversies that continue to plague our society for centuries. Race relations, especially between black and white people are usually tense, ads like these do little to help the issue.
I agree David. the advertisement is going a bit too far and the company should find an alternative for advertising the product or whatever it is they are trying to put on the market.
ReplyDeleteWOOOOOOW!! What were they thinking?? I am too shocked to write much else. Great paper! Thanks
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the ad is implying that all black people are the same. It looks like that is only one person, 'multiplied'. The guy is not scantily dressed, he is dressed as a sprinter. He is not bowing, he is getting set on the blocks before the race starts. I don't see how race is an issue. It shouldn't make a difference if the guy in the center is white, black, brown, or blue. Africans owned African slaves long before white Americans. I understand what your saying, however I don't think that it applies to this particular ad.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the image is quite stereotypical, the "boss" looking over employees, African-American athletes, the athletes are in starting pose for a race however the placement could easily be interpreted as bowing. I understand the overall concept of the ad, I think they had a poor choice of imagery.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you're right about this, but I almost think that it seems far fetched. The idea that a company in this day and age would run an ad like that seems wrong.
ReplyDeleteDo you know which company ran the ad and what product it advertised? It's possible that it was meant to appear exactly as you described it, as a satire rather than an ad. Although that seems pretty unlikely as well.
Assuming that it is a serious advertisement, I think they're supposed to be preparing to run rather than bowing. That sort of explains it a bit more reasonably, and as John M said, they're all supposed to be the same person, as the ad clearly says "multiply computing performance."
I just think it seriously unlikely that someone would get away with running an ad as you described it. It's possible that you're right, but I think in these situations we should just take the ad at face value rather than looking for racism everywhere. As you said, the intent was probably not racist, and that is really what matters.
It definately is controversal. I don't if the attempt was to make it seem that way. Also im not too sure this advertisement was very productive especially for those that find it offensive, but to be honest I dont find it extremely offenseive.
ReplyDeleteDavid, I have to disagree with you on this one. The ad is simply implies that an employee can effectively work as fast as the world's greatest runner (Usain Bolts) by the employer maximizing the usage of the computer. Also, I believe this ad is no different from the ad of a sports drink with the famous athlete posing on it. However, this is a great piece of work. Keep up the excellent work, David!
ReplyDeleteI almost completely agree with you on this, and the racial part of the ad was the first thing i noticed. You pretty much summed up everything there is to say about it.
ReplyDeleteThank you to everyone who has commented so far. I understand that some of you think I am wrong for viewing the ad in the way I posted. In all honesty if this was in a magazine I was reading, I probably would have flipped right past it. For the purpose of the class, I think this ad is great because people are arguing about it. I think the ad can go either way, either you look at it at face value or you look at the "hidden" meaning. Great arguments from the opposing sides, except for the comment "Africans had slaves way before Americans did." I have heard that before, does that mean that because Thailand puts children into the sex slavery trade, that Americans have the justification for doing the same? I guess that's another a topic for a whole new argument.
ReplyDeleteI think you misinterpreted what I said. My point was that it shouldn't make a difference what color the guy in the center is. I don't understand how you could read my comment and take it that way. Oh well it's just english
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGood job spiking debate.
ReplyDeleteNote to all: let us please remember that we are all different thinkers so while we may certainly hold different opinions, at no time should we make anyone else feel badly about it. Further remember, cyberspace is a wonderful but also intimidating tool.
Be nice to each other please!