Super Bowl Commercials of 2010

Well the Super Bowl is over and the Saints have their first win in team history. Great news if you are a Saints fan, but since I and most are not, no big deal. Which is what can be said of almost the entire game and oddly the commercials as well.

Normally every Super Bowl is accompanied by some of the most innovative and high-end commercials of the entire year. Considering the price tag of a 30-second spot, those companies that get a placement make the most of their time. Companies have had vast reversals of fortune based on just one Super Bowl ad. But the commercials of 2010 were about as compelling or interesting as the game itself. That's not a compliment.

Bud Light was probably the product with the best commercials. Of all the commercials the scientists celebrating the impending end of the world was the most upbeat and funny.



The Boost Moble ad may have been the worst of the bunch. The Bud Lite T-pain video was just dumb and an obvious rehash of "Whazzup".


Coca Cola had the decent Simpsons commercial, which was countered by the boring and dumb sleepwalking man in Africa commercial.

Denny's had 3 seperate commercials declaring that Tuesday a free meal can be had from 6AM until 2PM that seemed popular among those around me at the time. Of course the high emphasis on screaming chickens might have added to that opinion.

Perhaps the most perplexing commercial was the Dove for Men commercial. Who wrote that? Not one guy liked the commercial or found any reason to ever consider the product. It was rushed confused and completely missed the target audience. Someone is sure to have lost a job over that waste of $2.5 million.



I really liked the use of Ain't No Sunshine for the upcoming Dante's Inferno video game. A real good mix of music to the visual theme. And no doubt it caught the attention of all the games out there.



Taco Bell with Charles Barkley was just embarrassing.


The Vizio commercial with Beyonce just fell flat. There wasn't a single person that figured out what was going on. And several, once it was revealed what the commercial was about booed. Sales will not be up for them if that's a nationwide reaction.

The Sketchers ad, shown 2 times, was the most boring waste of $5 million I could imagine. I know the economy is bad, but seriously. Wrong target market, boring ad, for an overpriced product. Who greenlighted that idea?

But to end on another positive note, Snickers had the likely second best commercial of the whole Super Bowl. Watching Betty White and Abe Vigoda (who a friend remarked thought was dead) get tackled just looked wrong, and incredibly funny.



Given that 2009 was a horrendous economic year, and 2010 looks to be about the same. Even so, the performance of almost all the commercials was like JV leagues compared to the pro quality we have become accoustomed to. The Super Bowl may have been less than inspiring, but the commercials were far more disappointing than the interception of Manning in the 4th quarter.

Family Guy breaks Windows

If you have seen the show Family Guy, and at this point that would be most anyone from age 45 and down, you know what you are going to get. The jokes are hardly tame, the show is about as close to All in the Family as Archie was open-minded. But there is no question that this is all a given.

That's why advertisers love this show. Most of the time. Because they can reach their target audience, plus other people equally flush with cash. And almost every product can fit into the theme of any episode. It's just that sometimes the advertisers just can't handle an episode or a dozen.

Microsoft is the latest of advertisers to balk at the content. After making major plans, and potentially a lot of money, to have Seth MacFarlane hawk Windows 7 in the upcoming Family Guy special Microsoft lost their nerve. Either that, or the execs that loved the demographics of the show never bothered to watch a single episode before they made the deal.

But once they did get to watch a special taping of what they would be involved with, well the deal broke. It seems that deaf people, the Holocaust, feminine hygiene and incest are all topics that Microsoft can't find humor in. Not that any of these things are new subjects for this television program to tackle. I suppose they really would have lost their minds if it included the recurring BDSM themes of the show (or maybe they would have liked that??)

Honestly this makes me wonder only one thing. How stupid can the brains at Microsoft be? All they had to do is watch less than 30 minutes of television and they would have known if this was the right kind of show for them. A quick Google search (or MSN if they want to lie) and they would have found no end to the topics that some object to on Family Guy. Instead they look dumb, snobbish, and insincere.

Somehow I think Microsoft will get a bit of advertising in the end. It may not be this episode (though I think it will be) but I think that Seth MacFarlane will trash talk the computer giant - with references to broken windows or more directly to the landmine that was Vista. Somehow I don't think Microsoft will like the attention, and I'm sure it won't add to their bottom line. But it will probably be very funny.

So I look forward to seeing that in Family Guy.

Oh, for Microsoft. I have advertising space available for you on my blogs, if you can handle what I say. Give me a call.

Fake boobs offend Ohio town

I hate hypocrites. Seriously, what is worse? Here is one example.

In Ohio, there is a guy who owns a burger joint. Like everyone these days, he is having trouble with making sales. So in a bit of inspiration, he decided to place a life-sized mannequin outside his store. So far I don't think anyone has a question.

But the mannequin is a woman. And clothed in a bikini. And the hypocrites came out in a storm.

"It's a sensational ploy to attract gawkers," neighbor Chris Broering said.

Are you kidding me?

Let's see if we got this right. In a nation where Levi's advertises spontaneous unprotected sex among 20-somethings, throughout the day in television commercials, in a nation where kids have access 24/7 to music videos objectifying women and glorifying drugs, a mannequin in a bikini is sensational?

I have to wonder if anyone has watched a soap opera in the last 2 decades. Maybe they have failed to watch a PG movie in the past 15 years. Somehow they have avoided television commercials going back to the early 80's. Because every one of these are far more provocative and explicit than a mannequin in a bikini.

Hell, where do you think Kenny Tessel got the idea for his K.T.'s Barbeque from? Going to church or companies that make billions of dollars and have tens of millions of viewers? I bet that if I open a local magazine for clothing, look at local billboards for perfume, cars, music, and/or movies I will see more suggestive and revealing images than the mannequin. But no one is complaining about that.

The local town council has said the mannequin is ok if it has a tshirt on. I'd gladly donate my Wanna Ride t-shirt for the mannequin. But considering that sales for Tessel went up 40% since having the fake model, I suggest he go right back to what was working. If the town doesn't like it, they can buy the store from him.

I wonder how the latest Bond movie, or any number of movies with gratuitous sex or cleavage did in Reading. Because if they made any money at all, I'd not only tell them what to do with their ideas for a business they don't own, I'd sue to hammer my point home.

2009 Super Bowl ads: Best, worst, and original

Like so many of us I too had a bit of a hangover after watching the Super Bowl yesterday. I honestly did not think that would happen as I had expected Pittsburg to win. By the end of the 1st quarter my expectation was that it would be a blowout game. The 100 yard run by James Harrison at the end of the first half locked that idea in my mind. [Unlike the voice in the video, I think Harrison did a phenomenal job.]

Up to the middle of the 4th quarter there was nothing to question a Steelers win. Then it got interesting. And then the drinks came.

Such was the experience that most of the people in the bar with me had as well. So I think we all can understand being a bit slower today than usual.

Still I think some of the commercials in the Super Bowl were the result of some people celebrating far too soon. Generally I would say that this year’s commercials were by and large uninspired. Either that or spending $3 million a spot left no money for the writers to think with.

Of course there were a few good ones. To me the best were the following:

Conan O’Brien was spot on here. Sarcasm, wit, self-depricating humor. This was the best to me.



Following closely was the competitive and way over the top commercial for Cash4Gold. Who knew that Ed McMahon and MC Hammer could be so funny?



Doritos makes the better half of these commercials only for the final seconds of the commercial, which had me laughing out loud.



Normally Budweiser is the king of Super Bowl ads. They tend to have some of the best ideas and most unique way of displaying that idea. This year Bud missed out on each try, except this one. Considering the cost I would have expected a bit more.



And another big winner was Bridgestone. They had the music, the feel, the idea of 4-wheeling on the moon, and getting your tires jacked. It just worked great.



E-Trade had commercials just not worth reliving. Pepsi bombed. And Godaddy was cute, but boring.

The worst may well have been the ‘revisioning of the classic Mean Joe Green Coke ad. It was horrible, and felt every bit the ripoff it was. Yet another reason I hate revisioined anything (which Hollywood seems to adore versus original thought these days).



Of course there is the new Transformers sequel movie trailer. It too looks as boring and uninspired as the original. Sure to make tons of money since as a friend says, “It has lots of explosions and big graphics. Who needs a plot.”



Under a similar theme is the trailer for Fast and Furious. Overall the trailer was ok, except for Michelle Rodriguez and Vin Diesel in the last seconds. That alone makes the movie seem interesting. But box office smash? I doubt it.



But the most original 2009 Super Bowl ad had to be the one from Careerbuilder.com. This was an original idea, got the message across, was entertaining, and funny.



So there you go. That’s how I rate the 2009 Super Bowl ads. What did you think?

Top 5 list of Super Bowl ads

Now I cannot have an entertainment blog, and not discuss the Super Bowl ads before the big game. It just can’t be done.

As the ads for the big game are getting finalized, cut back, or eliminated (like PETA's porn ad) – most due to the economic freefall – I wanted to look back and mention my 5 favorite all time Super Bowl ads. Some you will agree with, in fact I think everyone will agree that they are all top ads which is rare in any list ever made. You may not agree with the order I pick. But you are more than free to correct me if you wish.

Number 5

I hate, with extreme prejudice, Grand Theft Auto. But I have to say that Coca Cola did a great job to twisting the hyper-violent, stereotyped, insulting game into something everyone can watch and enjoy. Though I still prefer Pepsi to drink.



Number 4

There is no office more interesting to watch than the one with Terry Tate. The mix of the monotony of daily work and the excitement of football is something that was truly inspired genius.



Number 3

It was hard to decide if this should be higher or not. But I settled for 3. Michael Jordan, and the equally famous Larry Bird, doing what only they can do – sink a basket like almost no one else. It just wouldn’t work with anyone else. And you just have to wonder who missed first (my bet is Bird would miss first).



Number 2

Now this one may get me a lot of heat. It is the first Super Bowl ad that I can remember. It is classic in every aspect. It was the true usher of the Super Bowl ad competition we all enjoy today. It is famous across the world (and copied without pause as well). But I place it 2nd.



Number 1

It’s artsy. It’s got a message. It was groundbreaking. And it was used to crush a Democratic Primary hopeful (thankfully) some 24 years after it was made. What more does it take to reach the top?



Of course there is one other Super Bowl ad that I must mention. It is separate of all the other Super Bowl ads. Created by Budweiser, it displayed the heart of the nation. It must be mentioned in any list of greatest Super Bowl ads, and is separate of any ranking.



So there is my list of the top 5 greatest Super Bowl ads. Now if I were to make the list go to 10, what else should I add? And what order would you have chosen?

And maybe, we can hope, the economic breakdown inspired something that can make my list next year. But with these greats, it’s hard to imagine.

Audi television commercial says we are all not the same

Ah the holiday season. It’s a time of credit card debt, long lines at shopping malls and department stores, and occasionally a truly inspired television commercial. I recall somewhere in the back of my mind a time around now that would be called the Thanksgiving and then Christmas Holidays and family gatherings, but that’s a bit fuzzy and a long time ago. And it’s not my point.

The television commercials promoting the purchases you need to make to ensure the happiness of your loved ones are interesting. Often television can provide dramatic insight to the real mood and thoughts of the nation. This is never more true than during a holiday, or the Super Bowl. And Audi really made a statement early into the season.

Now I have to admit that I did not notice the problem in this commercial the first time I saw it. It was a friend of mine who saw it on Friday and asked if I had noticed something glaring in the commercial. I finally found a copy of it and I wonder if you will see the problem.



You only need to pay attention to the details of the commercial to get the message. It’s subtle and visual, and only on for 2 seconds.

Need help? I did at first too. Look at the road that each guy gets. It’s not the design of the road, it’s the size of it. And that says a lot, especially when each home is considered too.

The Black couple have a piece of the road, a very small piece. They have a decent if not plainly decorated home. There is no extravagance, and their clothes are neither new nor impressive.

The next couple is White. They have a far bigger piece of road. The style the room is decorated in seems to imply an apartment while the art, furniture, lamps, and books imply white-collar professionals. That means the apartment is a condo. And this implies a higher income than the Black couple.

The last couple are also White (or at least the man is, and the woman could be argued to have some Latina traits though I don’t see it). They have a huge home, and an equally large section of road.

I realize that Audi included middle-class African Americans in their commercial. I know they are projecting an image of success for them as well. And obviously they want African American customers. But that’s just a secondary thought. They really are saying that they want White customers. And that they value White customers over Black ones.

Some might say I am overly critical of the television commercial. I think not, because when you have only 30 seconds to make a statement everything that is seen is part of your message. There are teams of people making more than I do each, pouring over every detail in this commercial and then another group of even better paid people that approve the idea and pitch it to Audi. And then Audi’s really well paid people go over it all before it gets a greenlight.

Audi doesn’t care if Billy Joe working at the gas station likes the commercial. They don’t care if Santiago working at the printing company watched the commercial. They want people with money and tons of it. And that is reflected in the commercial.

What the commercial really says is if you are Black and can put some money together you might be able to own an Audi. If you are a yuppie in the city you can own their car, and if you relax at the country club you are a member of on the weekend and live in the suburbs you need to own this car. Because it’s the White guy with the big house that gets the car in the end.

Now I will say again that I didn’t pay attention to this commercial the first time I saw it. But I have watched it since a few times. And I’m happy that Audi has joined the growing number of companies targeting African Americans for their products. It’s nice to see that at least commercials are willing to acknowledge the existence of, and buying power controlled by, African Americans. They are ahead of television programming that continues to emphasize a view of the world more akin to 1960 than 2000.

But that does not mean I enjoy the message they are sending out. It’s not as bad as the insulting commercials that McDonald’s puts out that are obvious in their targeting of African Americans via stereotypes in the media. But the message is not as positive as it could have been either. Simply having all the pieces of the road the same size (hell they could have used the same piece for all it mattered) would have been enough. A simple statement that all the customers that could afford an Audi are equal in their eyes, and welcome. But that isn’t what they believe according to their commercial.

Again, commercials are the window to the thoughts in the back of the collective minds of the nation. It’s the backhanded compliment (like when Colin Powell and President Obama are called clean and articulate), or the obliviousness of using terms based on racial segregation and Jim Crow that thankfully stopped being used 25 years ago (Lindsey Lohan ring a bell?).

I’m not saying that every commercial has to include African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Native Indians (who you really never see at all) and every other group in America. But I am saying that when the majority of commercials exclude all these groups, and when the small portion that do show us imply imperfections and secondary status, I speak on it. It means to me that America still has a long way to go. That it’s not just people in Pennsylvania or West Virginia that have problems. That the world continues to feed upon the negative images our media provides, diminishing the nation by diminishing parts of our nation.

Do I like the Audi? Yes I do. Would I buy one after seeing this commercial? I might. But what I would rather see are commercials for whatever product that includes people just like me, in exactly the same manner as they target anyone else. Because I have the same Rights, money, and dammit I have earned it.

Copies and cop-outs on terlevision

I was speaking with a couple of friends today and I noticed 2 television commercials. The commercials were very different, dealing with separate networks and programs, but they had one thing in common. They both exemplified the fact that Hollywood is completely and utterly devoid of any ideas. It reminds me that the fact that there was a strike by screenwriters was utterly pointless, as they don’t deserve to be paid to rewrite ideas already created by someone else (and done better).

The first commercial is for the show Life on Mars. Now this is a good show. It’s unique and catches your attention. A cop may or may not be transported back to 1973 for a purpose that he is not sure of, but someone or something does. He has to learn the purpose in order to make it back to our time. The catch is the fact that the cop is in a coma in our time. So is it real or not?

Sound interesting? It should be. The show was a hit on the BBC a couple of years ago. If you want to know what will happen in the series just check here. The show is only 2 season long, but since broadcast television is enslaved by reality TV anything that has any intelligence is a welcome change. If you don’t get the BBC, I can tell you that the show is very good.

The American version will likely change the slang, and some of the situations. Expect a different take on racism, sexism, and the drug culture from England. But other than that, much like the Office and Coupling, this will likely be a virtual word for word copy. Invariably the British version is better.

The other commercial is for the new show on the Sci-Fi channel. Actually 2 as I have just seen. Chase and Estate of Panic. Both of these reality network rejects have nothing to do with science, though it’s full of fiction.

Since the Sci-fi channel was bought there has yet to be any original thoughts beyond Eureka! The channel is a waste of brain cells. They remake the oldest and worst science fiction movies and call them original. They thrive on the concept of the giant animal movie, ala 1950’s b-movies. They have covered every angle of nature gone mad films from the 1970’s, twice. It the execs on this channel had any original thoughts they would be dangerous.

Chase is just what it sounds like. A bunch of people run around a set while a bunch of people dress as Agents from the Matrix movies tries to catch them. The last one gets money. Even people who drive only with left turns, and those that watch them, will be bored to tears in the middle of the first episode. I hate to say it but American Idol (also a British transplant) is filled with more entertainment.

Estate of Panic is basically a remake of Fear Factor in a house. You go through rooms with challenges set to freak out the player and those watching. Hidden in the rooms is money. The more you collect the more you keep. If you freak out too much you can get out, but you lose the cash.

Now does any of this sound remotely like science fiction? The channel would be better off showing reruns of the Buster Keaton Flash Gordon series. The only real question I have is when will this channel completely fail so someone else can buy the name and get something even moderately bad, but in the genre, on the air.

And the real joy is that in January there will be 500 channels because of the forced move to HD television. That means even more opportunities to see this swill that is supposed to be entertainment. If these are the best that television can come up with I suggest reading a dictionary.

The 2008 Super Bowl ads I liked - 2.4.2008.1

So here is my list of Super Bowl Ads. Mind you I’m still more than a bit hung over. Yet there were a couple of ads that stuck out.

Top of the list of the good,

The Sobe Water lizards – nice take on Michael Jackson’s Thriller



The Audi R8 – that’s a nice looking car. Nice homage to the Godfather too.



T-Mobile with Wade and Barkley – Be careful what you ask for



Of course worth mentioning

Any commercial that makes fun of France, small European cars and Napoleon all at once has to be noted.



Shaq is just having too much fun



And of course there is Bud



And that sucked?

Both of the ads from salesgenie.com There was just nothing about them that I liked.

Overall it was an ok Super Bowl for ads, but the game was great. The Giants Rule! So much for that preposterous 12 point spread.

BuzzologySurveys has viewers choice awards for best television commercial in 2007

Was there a television commercial in 2007 that’s stuck in your head? Something that had you talking to your co-workers at break, or made you cringe everytime it started? Something that made you feel good about yourself, or insulted your race, religion or family values?

You are not the only one. Especially if you are African American. There are many commercials that piss me off. I’ve spoken about a couple that I particularly dislike due to the portrayal of Blacks, and the not-so-implicit stereotyping that occurs within them.

To that end, a blogger I know and respect (writing for BuzzologySurveys) is holding a Best of 2007 Awards. These will feature television commercials submitted by you the reader. Commercials promoting your favorite celebrity and entertainer. Ads on your favorite product. Sexy ads, dumb ads, television commercials that blatantly assume Black consumers are less intelligent than any other. Good or bad, the submissions are up to you.

My thought of a funny television ad came from Verizon, a good idea that isn’t worth the time from laptopgiving.org just made me sad. And Time Warner just pisses me the hell off.

"The boss is standing next to a water bottle with a clock in the background that shows 9:20 or 9:23 on it. Up walks a tall 20-something, perhaps thirty year old Black woman. She’s dressed well and holding a coffee cup. She walks right up to the boss and states, “Is 9 am a starting time, or is it a guideline?” Thank you Time Warner. Nothing like throwing in a stereotype for absolutely no reason."

But that’s me. Submit your own ideas and see if the rest of the internet agrees with you. You have noting to loose, and it’s more entertaining than all those reruns and American Idol.

An Arby's remix - 10.12.2007.3

Ok, I just had to add this. If you've seen the Arby's commercial with the monkeys that do the Irish Dance, and enjoy it like I do then you will enjoy this. It's a good remix.

Tiger Woods and his putter - 10.2.2007.2

In a bit of light conversation, has anyone seen the latest commercial by Accenture? It’s a rare thing these days when I notice a commercial that causes me to write about it and I’m not upset. This one qualifies.

If you haven’t seen it yet, Tiger Woods has just putted a birdie from 3 feet in an unnamed tournament. The green is a peninsula surrounded by water, and the caddie is standing by the water’s edge. After Tiger sinks the putt, the caddie bumps the golf clubs and knocks them in to the water. As Tiger and his caddie look into the water at the sunken golf bag, clubs no where in sight, a crocodile swims up and groans. The next scene, we see tiger coming to the 18th hole to drive and his caddie hands him his putter. Tiger proceeds to drive, to the cheers of the crowd.

Maybe it’s because I love golf (been playing for over a decade now) but I just had to laugh in watching this commercial. It’s fun and a compliment to the fact that this one man is arguably the greatest golfer ever.

Look for the commercial and let me know what you think of it.

A quick question about my video clip - 7.19.2007.4

On a side note I want to mention something. As you have all noticed by now, I have a short video clip on the site. I am developing a couple of commercials and a special item and need your help.

What do you like, or dislike, about the video clip? Good music choice? Too short? Too fast? Tell me your thoughts.

I have a few ideas, but there is nothing better than your feedback. You tell me what you think and I will work on the best/most frequent comment.

Oh, if you don’t want one of the over 200 items I have available for the store but you want to still contribute to the blog sites, you can always donate whatever you wish. Dollars add up, though $20’s are faster. But honestly it’s your choice.

I’m listening intently.

More than 3 decades of reflection - 4.3.2007.1

Well another year is about to be added to the time I’ve lived on the planet and I want to share some thoughts on my experiences in my nearly 4 decades of life. One of the first things is that once you start turning grey (which started for me at 33) you can get grey hairs everywhere. You can imagine my surprise coming out the shower thinking I had a string on me and finding out it was actually a grey hair. I’m an intelligent guy, but I had no idea.

But on more serious observations, from the 70’s to today I’ve seen the world change dramatically. Black culture has had no less of a profound evolution for lack of a better term. In the 70’s there was no internet, or computers, cell phones or cd’s. These were good things not to have. I love my computer and the internet. I enjoy the anime I can see due to the creation and expansion of cable television. Yet, they are superfluous at best.

With the growth of interconnectivity on an almost instantaneous level, there has been a loss of real connection between people. Worse has been the hardening of hearts, if you will, that has taken place. Today we can send out a text to hundreds of people, but the time spent with close friends in person has dwindled. We have become more superficial in our contact with each other, or so it appears to me.

As a Black Puerto Rican I have seen this play out to see the wholesale commoditization of the culture. Being African American today is more about clothing styles, speech patterns and social interaction in the most visible sense. Millions across the world adopt the same mannerisms as what appears to make African Americans Black, because it’s a trend and fad that can be taken for a while without any of the negative repercussions it confers to those of color. It’s a waste in every sense of the word.

In the seventies I recall an ad on television by the NAACP about a Black man not being able to go to college. The key phrase I recall is, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” It seems too few saw this public announcement as today we have the highest levels of high school drop-outs than ever before. Think about that for a moment. We have the ability to access information about virtually any subject, from almost anywhere in the world, almost immediately, and our children and peers know less today than a decade ago to say nothing of 2 or 3 decades. We have fewer kids going to and graduating from college than ever. Knowledge, the greatest tool and treasure, surrounds us and yet few are reaching their hand out to take it. I do not have words for my anger and sadness on this fact.

Over past decades of my life I saw drugs move from a shady and reclusive item, hidden from children and the public at large, to a normal daily fact of life. It’s so pervasive and accepted that kids today grow up with dreams of becoming dealers, as opposed to wanting to be doctors and lawyers. If that isn’t a fundamental breakdown I’m not sure what is. How did this happen? The subtle and persistent acceptance by law enforcement, and the culture, of drugs in low income areas. The acceptance of drug dealing money in our neighborhoods. Lastly because we failed to educate ourselves and our children, instead blaming other sources for the failures around us.

Continued in part 2...

Should this be in USAToday's list? - 4.2.2007.1

So USAToday has come out with a list of the top 25 quotes from the last 25 years. Several of the quotes that made their list are quite good and memorable. Of course there are a good number that just shouldn’t have made the cut. Rather than take apart each of their choices I will just mention a couple of items I think should have been in there instead.

This is your brain on drugs – Widely used as a joke rather than the serious public announcement against taking drugs, popular in the early ‘80’s

I’ve fallen and I can’t get up! – It’s sad in a way that this is an even bigger joke than the previous quote. Part of an ad meant to sell a device to aid the elderly and disabled this was keyed upon by teens and 20-somethings across the nation. Even today it holds the ability to get a laugh, especially when matched with a pratfall. Cruel but funny.

Hi, I’m Joe Isuzu – Yes another commercial. What can I say we are a consumer society. This introduction was the hallmark of the most honest advertising campaign ever. Joe just blatantly lied to you. Seriously. He was just openly honest about what most people feel advertisers are doing anyway.

Fight the Power – The theme of many of the songs (and featured prominently in more than one) by the political rap group Public Enemy. Headed by Chuck D, this group was the spearhead of rap music with a plan of the late 80’s early 90’s. Controversial for their views and lyrics, they were a massive influence in rap hip-hop until the emergence of ‘gansta’ rap. Very motivational or intimidating depending on your view.

President Bush hates black people – Inflammatory without question, and inappropriate as it was spontaneously spoken by entertainer Kayne West during a live televised Hurricane relief concert. Still millions shared the same view, especially after seeing the complete failure of the government on all levels in protecting the mostly poor Black American populace of New Orleans.

What if this is as good as it gets – another quote from the highly talented Mr. Jack Nicholson in a film (As Good As It Gets) addressing the awkwardness of not fitting in and the need for love.

Good Night and Good Luck – The signature saying, and title of a film, by renowned and respected broadcaster Edward R. Morrow. The film is a sobering reminder of the responsibility that the news media has to inform the public and the potential for abuse by the government.

Duoh! – The ever so eloquent Homer Simpson’s catchphrase. Not only one of the longest running programs on television ever, but also the first non-children oriented animation program to gain wide acceptance in the United States. Stoners, and regular families alike, have grown up with this family that eerily seems too close to our own.

Take the Blue pill and you wake up and believe what ever you want, take the red pill and see how far the rabbit hole goes – And down the rabbit hole we all went. The first Matrix film did for this generation what Star Wars did for the prior. It set up a new wave of innovation in the film industry and the sci-fi genre that hasn’t been matched since.

While this list isn’t extensive, and mostly limited to entertainment venues, I think it captures more memories in the last couple of decades than most of the list in USAToday.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Superbowl and super ads - 2.6.2007.1

Well Superbowl Sunday has come and passed and now there will be a dirth of interesting activity for some sports plans until August. Perhaps some will check out Mr. David Beckham when he plays for Los Angeles, perhaps the household chores that have built up over the season will finally start getting done. Either way the debate has ended. Snickers went mad, Mr. Carlos Mencia is funny and getting more popular, and Dorito’s has been paying too much to the wrong people to make their television ads.

I can’t leave out the fact that the Bears lost. I had no expectation of that. Given the weather and the Chigaco Bears historical ability to play in cold and bad weather, plus the defense, I was sure they would win. So much for that $20 bet. I was really surprised, as many I was watching the game with were, especially after the first quarter. I don’t think there has ever been such a high scoring first quarter. By the 8th minute of the game we thought it was just going to be a blow out. I have to give it to Mr. Peyton Manning and Mr. Tony Dungy, they really rallied and took back the momentum of the game.

Of course one of the other major events that happens simultaneously to the game are the commercials. There were some stand-outs, and more than a few that just shocked. There were also several disappointments. Schick, T-Mobile, Prudential and Snapple couldn’t even bother to give us a new television ad. I assume that T-Mobile wanted to recycle their Mr. Charles Barkley ad to highlight Black History Month, just as Coca Cola and Frito-Lay did. Of course all 3 ads were boring, forgettable and uninspired to me.

The shocks were more limited. If you haven’t seen the Snickers commercial by now you haven’t had the television on. I have to say that everyone who was watching the game stopped and gasped when that commercial aired. It just caught us all, and not in the comfortable fun kind of way. It’s the kind of humor that occurs when you see a guy kicked in the groin, when its setup and done right you can laugh and still get the discomfort it provides. When it doesn’t you are just unsettled. Everyone, including the women watching the game, were unsettled.

On the upside, one of my favored comedians, Mr. Carlos Mencia gained a lot of recognition and provided laughs for his 2 ads. The best of the 2 has probably happened to every guy at least once and we all wish we could have done what he did. It was classic. If you haven’t seen his comedy before, this is just a small tame taste of it.

Probably the best 2 ads were the Dorito’s ad made for $13 dollars [someone needs to hire the guy that created that] and the Bud Light ad with the axe-wielding, Bud Lite case carrying, hitchhiker. Hitchhikers can’t be that bad if they have Bud Light right? The next best I think is the take on Grand Theft Auto, ala Coca Cola. Very well done, and visually appealing.

Not much else to say about that really. If you missed the game, it was a good one. Pretty close til the end. If you missed the television commercials, I’ve found a site that not only has them all it also has commercials for the Superbowl going back to 2002.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Remakes, I told you so - 1.20.2007.2

Well don’t say I didn’t warn you. Reviews are out for the re-made movie, The Hitcher. Without any shock I see that it is almost universally panned. I knew it when I first mentioned from the promo shots what I thought of the movie. The villain is far less intimidating than Mr. Rutger Hauer’s Ryder. The protagonist is now the woman (of course) and even less believable that Mr. C. Thomas Howell’s unlucky lead. Gore has replaced actual plot or interesting action. Like most of the re-makes in recent time this only serves to motivate a trip to Blockbuster for the best version.

Of course there are even new lows in the world of re-makes. It seems that the various advertising companies have lost any hope of new ideas, or at least the one that made this decision. I’m speaking of the new Orville Redinbocker Popcorn commercials. For those that don’t know, there was a real man by this name. He did own the company, and the picture on packages is his. He did many commercials for his company in the 80’s, until he died.

But dead is only a temporary setback for ad creators without vision and on a deadline. There are now commercials that have brought back a computer enhanced version of Mr. Redinbocker. That’s just sad. It says something about the company and the ad guys, and in my opinion that’s not a good thing. One thing for sure, I won’t buy their product. If they can’t respect the dead, nor their own company’s founder I have doubts on what they think of the living. Using a corpse to hock their goods is just low class, and the bottom of the barrel in my opinion. Maybe you disagree, or didn’t know. My bet is that they are counting on the fact that the youth of today have no idea that the man existed. I hope Wendy’s doesn’t follow on this poor taste bandwagon.

In more hopeful thoughts the movie Smokin Aces seems good. While it is a January film (usually not a good sign) and it does have 2 hip-hop entertainers [Ms. Alicia Keys and Common] in it (incredibly bad sign) I hope it will be good. Mr. Jeremy Piven is quite an actor, as is Mr. Ryan Reynolds, Mr. Ray Liotta, and Mr. Andy Garcia. It looks to be stylish, with some type of plot and really good music and effects. Either way I will check it out. I might get surprised and the hip-hop wanna-be actors may be good, or at least have incredibly small roles if they aren’t. Anyone want to take odds on their performances?

This is what I think, what do you think?

Verizon commercial and Trump vs. Rosie, why? - 1.10.2007.2

Before I mention how annoyed I am with the “Trump vs. O’Donnell” garbage, let me ask a question. Have you seen the Verizon Wireless commercial with the Black American family? I like it. It’s funny. In this commercial the father asks his kids (a son and daughter) how they like the Chocolate and EV (I think) phones that he got them. The kids think they are great and are happy. The father asks what they got him, and the daughter mentions “We got you cologne.” The father replies, “No. Dad got hosed.” Now that is funny. One of my best friends mentions similar thoughts every Father’s day, his birthday and Christmas. The way the Black man mentions it, I have to guess he is a dad in real life. Finally a commercial that is not insipid or berating that stars African Americans. There aren’t many, but it’s nice to see it and the reality based humor works too.

But, going from a funny thought to something so stupid it should be funny yet it isn’t. Yes I mean the whole back and forth with Ms. Rosie O’Donnell and Mr. Donald Trump. While I agree that Mr. Trump was wronged first, it’s long past time for it to end. The whole thing is a waste of time, and more importantly a waste of news airtime.

Here is what is annoying me about it. So far this has been going on for about 20 days now. [see my post The odd and dumb before the holiday - 12.21.2006.2] Virtually every day there is commentary and reports on who responded and what they said. There have been debates on who started it (which is obvious) and whether whatever statement is true or not. It’s taken up what I estimate to be about 2 or more hours of news time for almost as many days as it’s been going on. Doesn’t sound like a whole lot, except you may not realize that in a regular day most items only get about 30 minutes of coverage in 30-45 second soundbites.

Think about it, as I estimate, there has been almost 40 hours of time spent on this one story over almost a month. [based on 24-hour news networks] The death of President Ford barely got more coverage, but it was in about ¼ the number of days. And he was a former President. News coverage for the murder of Mr. Sean Bell lasted 2 days and had maybe 6 hours of coverage. The actions of Michael Richards captured all of 4 days and 12 hours of attention. Am I the only one wondering what is being tossed out to cover a battle of words among 2 celebrities that affects nothing.

Seriously, this changes nothing. It’s minor gossip on television. There is nothing that will be improved or affected in the average American’s life, yet this is being covered more than almost any other story. I’ve seen coverage of too many stories in 45 seconds as opposed to the average 3-5 minutes this gets. It’s bad enough that news has been relegated to mere soundbites and partisanship, but now it’s becoming even less interested in actual news.

I’d love to know more than 30 minutes in a single day about why Mr. Al Sharpton is considering a run for President. I’d enjoy more than 2 ½ hours on Senator Obama, and not spending that time on how good he looks for being a smoker and African American. I’d occasionally like to know a bit more on, perhaps. what African American children have been abducted or are missing in the nation. [I’ve seen maybe 3 stories since the beginning of the year about White children that have been abducted. It’s a good use of news time; I’m sure more can be done to cover such stories and perhaps covering some of the other racial groups that are having this done to them as well.]

Television was meant to entertain and educate. It’s evolved to just provide entertainment. News has always been held to be the exception to that rule. Until now. I don’t think I’m the only American with intelligence. I think we all deserve more respect, and should be able to get a full news report on things that matter. I don’t think gossip and ‘drama’ need to be added, life has enough of that. Entertain me when I watch a comedy, or drama, or sci-fi. Inform me when I watch the news. Is that a lot to ask for?

This is what I think, what do you think?

The upseting start of 2007 - 1.2.2007.1

On a separate note I’m upset by a commercial I saw for the first time today. Time Warner Business Class has a new commercial out today. I really didn’t notice the first 20 seconds of the television commercial, but the last 10 got me. The television commercial is a knock-off with no real drive or importance. Time Warner is touting their greatness and how valuable they can be to small business. Fine, whatever. A business owner states how is difficult to manage the employees of his non-descript business. A guy complains about someone stealing his pens. Then Time Warner tells us how great they are at helping out running the tech portion of the business. Then comes the part that annoys me.

The boss is standing nest to a water bottle with a clock in the background that shows 9:20 or 9:23 on it. Up walks a tall 20-something, perhaps thirty year old Black woman. She’s dressed well and holding a coffee cup. She walks right up to the boss and state, “Is 9 am a starting time, or is it a guideline?” Thank you Time Warner. Nothing like throwing in a stereotype for absolutely no reason.

I’ve heard comedians joke about c-p-t (colored people time) and I’ve heard racist mention it. I’ve rarely heard it mentioned anywhere else. But out of the blue a major corporation comes out with a commercial where they just buy into the thought. I’m not saying they are racist. But is it insensitive and building on an old stereotype, definitely. Did they need to, definitely not.

They could have had anyone in that role. Someone thought up the line. It works in context of the commercial. But someone decided that the character in the television commercial needed to be African American. They decided that they needed to promote the stereotype. Why? Why not have the African American be the person complaining about the pens that were being stolen? If I have heard of the stereotype [I’m 38] I’m sure the people greenlighting, casting, and directing the commercial know it too.

It’s not a racist commercial. But it is disappointing. Those responsible for this should are aware. They knew what they were doing. They knew what statement they were making and it was unnecessary. Had anyone else portrayed the character making that statement I’d have ignored it completely, like I did the rest of the commercial. But they made a decision and I am reacting.

Maybe there are some who are younger than me who have not heard this racially biased comment. But I have and I know those older than I have heard it often. Targeting smaller businesses, obviously non-Black businesses, is no excuse for such a statement.

I hoped that 2007 would start without a negative incident. Already there have been 2. The loss of Mr. Darrent Williams of the Denver Broncos was senseless. An argument that seems to have not involved him leads to a cowardly drive-by shooting. Stupid and horrendous. And on its back I get to see the actions of Time Warner. Some think racism and racial insensitivity are a thing of the past. Some say I am overly sensitive. And I think that some things are being done, almost subtly and in the guise of innocence that prove to me they are not things of the past but the present.

Maybe the year will improve. The proposal after the win by the Boise State player is a great image of the future. I’ll keep that in my mind focused on that. But in the back of my mind is the reality that some chose to act in a cowardly manner for no reason, and some wish to promote images that are archaic and wrong-minded.

Perhaps the thought for the year that has just begun will be that time has passed, but people may not have. Trends come and go, but some come back. And if we forget we will not travel back in time but relive the failures of the past. But I will try to keep the thought that the unexpected can be positive and invigorating. Those sweet and innocent acts can happen any day at any time. Boise State proved it, as did the player that is now engaged. I hope the executives at Time Warner saw it too, and learned. Maybe the rest of the year will follow their example (Boise). I can only hope.

This is what I think, what do you think?

First entertainment strike to American Express

Only 5 days into the new year and it's happened again. Yet another commercial I believe to be offensive, brought to us this time by American Express. I realize that this is the 3rd television commercial that I find fault with, you can see my thoughts on Burger King and Malibu Rum. Still I think it is important to point out problems and suggest the solution of removing television commercials of this nature, so that at least that aspect of tv and American life can improve.

In this television commercial we are shown a young Black African American sitting in a classroom, circa the 1970's with a grainy film techinque from that time, while an announcer introduces her to us. The announcer states that the Black African American girl was 'always born to be a shopper' and we hear her ask her teacher "Where did the Pilgrims go to shop." She does so while looking quite pensive and ernest. We see another scene in which the girl (same age) is standing in line with other children as a White nurse (in the traditional nurse uniform which includes white shoes) passes by. The young black girl follows the woman as she passes by, leaning over to watch her go past. She then turns quickly to the young white boy next to her and says "Can you believe she is wearing white after labor day!" Next we see the child sitting in a room, with what we must assume is a psychiatrist (based on the era)behind her desk flipping ink blot cards. The young black girl states that each item on the ink blots looks like an item found in a store (one was called a lip gloss or purse and the blot looked very much like a butterfly style dot to me, as I recall). The female psychiatrist turns her head with a dumbfound look on her face to the parents, both roughly late 20 to 30ish Black African Americans, sitting together on a couch and shaking their heads in disdain (or so it looked, it could be embarrassment I'm not sure). We then see the girl fully grown in a shoe store, handing an unseen attendant the Amex carrd. Behind her and facing the screen are to black babies in a side by side stroller (I'd assume they were twins and the stroller was made for that as they appeared to be the same age). The now-woman black character seems in my opinion to be completely un aware of what is happening to her children behind her, there is no one else in the store (from that angle anyway) though. After a cut scene to show the new American Express card, we come back to a white woman who is looking at the black children and comments "Oh they are lovely." The Black woman exclaims, as she looks down at her shoes, "Don't you think! I have another pair in green."

Now really think through this commercial. What does it really say. We see that the child is either being taught improperly (thus meaning that school is unimportant) or that she is stupid (meaning she was given the proper information and she chose to diregard it). An implication that Black women are (or are taught) materialistic and that this is the most important fact of life is also made. From the next scene we can see that the child cannot focus on the situation at had (distracted by someone walking by), that recognition of a female nurse is unimportant (a woman with a title is unimportant), that the only concern for a woman is her apperance (regardless of situation or position), and that gossip is very important. Lastly for her as a child we see that her perception is materialistic, skewed, and unrealistic. The white psychiatrist is unsympathetic to a child in need (institutions don't care about Black African Americans), and finds blame with the parents (they raised the child to be like this). The parents for their part are bewildered (a common theme these days repeated on most youth oriented television shows and some movies, especially with African Americans, Hispanics or other 'minority' families. Ie. Moesha, That's So Raven, Home Alone, et al.)

As an adult we can derive that American Express, at least, believes the value system of this woman is perfect as they have given her a card. I didn't get a clear look at her hand to see if she was obviously married (which plays into the political family values issue). Her values are obviously off-center as she keeps her back to her children in a store (bad motherly attributes in these days) implying she doesn't care. Materialism is the theme of the commercial thus the shoe store, of course it is also restating the old stereotype of women and shoes. The Black womans disregard for her children and bad values is enforced when she takes a comment on her children to be about her shoes. Black women priorities are on their possesions and not family.

While this distasteful ad has much the same affect no matter the race of the woman/girl, it take additional meanings when a minority (especially one that is black) is presented. At least in this country as I have come to understand in my 35+ years of life. Even without the race issue, this is a repugnant television commercial and American Express normally has far greater taste. This also brings the question on why in an ad targeted to Black African Americans, and specifically to Black women, does not match the higher standards usually held by this company.

I would love if anyone from any of the companies mentioned, or their advertising companies, were to contact me or comment on my observations. I cannot think that no one in any of the companies or departments involved with the approval of these ads could not see the further meanings of the commercials. It is one thing to make programs and television commercials that are geared to the lowest common denominator [which is an insult to the intelligence of the average American viewer] but to further monetary gains by promoting stereotypes and ill-formed conceptualizations of groups is quite another.

I firmly believe that these and worse commercials will become more rampant and touch upon more minorities and other groups as no one calls them on their actions. I bet that part of why each of these thoughtless commercials contains Black African Americans, and others Hispanics and various other 'minorities' is that the statements would be felt more harshly to white America. Fear of lost sales is not a motivation to unfairly present any group.

I do not, nor will I ever, say that any advertisment, on television, a movie, radio or any other medium and form of entertainment cannot be fun and/or sarcastic. I believe firmly in the right to free expression. I also believe that you cannot treat people fairly part of the time and expect that there will not be a deep psychological and real impact from the rest of the time.

I wish that companies, and the govenment for that matter, would just try to treat me like a man, not a category. I am a man, an American, and a Puerto Rican Black in that order. Don't you wish for something along the same lines, or do you assume that that is how they already view you. I'm sure my 'minority' readers agree with me.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Commercials without entertainment, but with liquor

Has anyone noticed the latest rum television commercials out lately? In particular I mean the Malibu and Parrot Bay television commercials. They are horrible on many levels. Let me describe the commercials and then you may see what I mean.

In the Malibu rum, there is an old beat-up gray bus that looks like the yellow school buses seen in many cities and movies. It drives down a dirt road, with a dingy looking shackish looking town in the background. There is no confusing the town with a prosperous city of any sort. A middle-aged heavier set black woman (west indian decent - jamacian at a guess, if you know anyone from there or are familiar with the island) is waiting for the bus. When the bus stops to pick her up, she begins to berrate the driver for being 30 seconds late. The driver, a middle-aged large-ish build black man in rumpled clothes, looks at a cheap watch and states by his time he is not late. We then get to see the interior of the bus, not in anything near pristine condition, filled with black people in clothes that are simple, loose-fitting and worn (all also middle aged). Another plump woman joins in berrating the driver for being 1 minute late, to which he states again, not by his watch. We then get a close up of a man holding a fish (could be a mackeral for all I know - suffice to say it is a large fish, in both of his hands, dry with no tank or bag of water to be seen) stating that they need to go because his fish is sick. We snap back to a scene of the driver as a man, who was riding on top of the bus with the various boxes and bags, pops his head down to admonish the driver for stalling as he is late for a meeting. the view changes to outside the bus, where we can see the various people arguing and the man hanging down into the window of the bus as a voice tells us, 'if we were like the rest of the world we would never have been able to make the wonderful, blah blah, Malibu rum.' We then get a cut scene of a black man in shorts on an old scooter, behind the bus. He states in fustration 'oh great, gridlock!', looking around the side of the bus and back at his cheap watch.

Before I say anything else, the Parrot Bay television commercial basically has a party similar to Mardi Gras taking place. It seems to be in the islands as virtually all the people except as I recall 2, are black (not sure if african americans, west indians or what). Most are dressed up for carnivale (if you've been to a festival you know the outfits - if not plan a trip one day, its worth the time) and there is a popular song to be heard in the background. We cut to a woman berrating her husband (both are older and neither has been in a gym getting ready for a body building competition in some time) who is playing dominoes with an unseen player. The wife is demanding he that he get up from the game and hurry or they will miss the bus that everyone in the Mardi Gras/Carnivale is entering (another old shool bus style bus, though this one is painted on the sides with bright colors). He mentions he's getting there, and the bus pulls away and the music fades. The wife, annoyed, turns to her husband and says 'I never get to go on the bus' and storms off. A voice states something along the lines of 'Parrot Bay, where the party is. Drink responsibly, blah blah.'

As a comparison, here is the Smirnoff Ice version of an ethnic television commercial. A white man, with a sort of bad slavic accent (it doesn't sound russian to me, and I lived in Moscow for a time), young and possibly fit is dressed in a shapka and dublinka (russian style fur hat and coat) thick pants and boots in his house. He welcomes you to his well-lit bright home, it contains various modern appliances, but is not lavish by any means. He walks you quickly through 2 rooms to his kitchen where a set of 6'-ish tall stainless steel doors stand out sharply. This is his pride and joy he mentions as he opens the doors. He steps into the 'frige' and is actually outside. Snow is mid-calf deep, and a friend of his (also young and white and dressed in similar attire) is sitting in a lounge chair to whom he walks to as he states that this is his friend. He sits in a chair next to his friend, telling us how he loves to have his Smirnoff Ice outside and that the great thing about his home is the quiet. The view has panned to behind the seated men looking out on to an untouched expanse of snow, that ends into trees and mountains in the distance. Very serene. The man then leans over and turns on a 'boom box' radio and it blasts (I forget what type) music, he touches bottles with his friend and begins to relax.

Do we see differences? In both rum commercials we are told that blacks live poorly in all countries (aren't you glad you are a poor Black African American and live better than this?) with bad clothes and cheap adornements [no offense meant to anyone]. The Malibu commercial makes a point of telling us that Black people (especially those from the west indies it seems) are too foolish or ignorant, to know that a pet fish should be in water. Either that or that crazy people run around the island with dead fish. Not one person is young, we would assume since everyone on the bus is older and obviously stating they are going to work that the younger black adults are without jobs. By the way, the west indies are roughly in the same time zone and latitude as roughly florida, so the sun is WAY to high to be just going to work as I feel the tv commercial was implying with its gridlock statements, then again it could also mean that they are too lazy to get up and work when we do.

The 'we' or 'rest of the world' they mention is not targeted at me or other black/african americans. The implication is for the opposite of what is being shown, thus 'we' or 'rest of the world' means White Americans, with better than menial jobs, that don't need dilapidated public transportation, with well-fitting tailored (name brand) clothing. I don't think there is one thing that isn't racist in the Malibu or Parrot Bay commercials. The futher implications are that these lazy (remember this commercial is a dramatization of what they would be like if they were like 'us') alcoholics had nothing better to do than make some moonshine which was perfected as Malibu rum.

Imagine if every person in that television commercial was Irish. Would it still be cute? How about french wine country? Utah? Would whites in worn clothing and run down houses give you the same feeling? And for those that don't know there are many white and chinese Jamacians. Slavery ring a bell why? English empire-building come back to memory from elementary school history class? And I don't think I am reaching to make these conclusions. This is what the television commercial portrays, and on the surface says its only a joke. I'm not laughing. A commercial always makes bigger statements than just what is on the surface. If they didn't you wouldn't remember the product.

The Smirnoff television commercial, also targeted to white America, has a mid sized house (implying a decent income), bright colors, modern appliances and electricity (just like 'your' home). The spacious land implies wealth as does the lack of neighbors. The stinless steel doors don't go cheap either. Fur is expensive even in Russia, and he wasn't wearing dog. The food items in the 'frdge shelves? All U.S. domestic (imports are expensive everywhere). Does that compare to the closed in, poor feel of the rum commercials? Even the color suggests that life is better for the Russian. The Smirnoff televisin commercial is inviting you to enjoy the good life, and while you don't have his wealth you can have the same drink as him.

As I've said before in my discussion of the Burger King ad, "My ultimate test when viewing commercials I think are badly portraying ANY minority is to view them as being white and everything happening exactly the same. Would that commercial ever be run? Would that commercial have the same meaning? If not, what is that commercial actually saying?"

I'm insulted that these television commercials not only exist but seem to be a trend that is growing. Perhaps when they start portraying others besides blacks (African Americans or otherwise) and other 'minorities' as stupid, crazed, alcoholics and poor there will be a change. I just wish they would be stopped long before then.

This is what I see and think of this attempt at entertainment. What do you see?

Burger King ad

Has anyone noticed the new Burger King ad? It's part of the promotion of their new breakfast line, which may only be regional I'm not sure. The ad is similar to their television commercial with the lumberjack, but in this case its on a construction site, a man is riveting bolts into a steel beam high in the sky. On the opposite side he hears someone else working at 5x his pace. He peeks to the side as the King character does the same. The construction worker, who was perplexed smiles and the comercial goes to a discussion and scenes of the new breakfast menu.

Ok here is a difference already. With the lumberjack, the woodsman cuts down a tree and on the other side to his surprise is the King character with something behind his back. He reveals his hand to award the Lumberjack a breakfast sandwich. Then as above is a cut to the new breakfast menu.

Did you notice the difference in the commercials already? With the lumberjack, he is doing his job and is rewarded. In the construction worker the 'King' does his work for him at a better pace and confronts him. While some may say this is too subtle to draw an inference, I disagree.

Teams of advertising personnel work on every aspect of each commercial and pitch them to the client. They may or may not explain every detail but they are aware of the demographic response they will get. Like the stupid jean commercials for Jordache in the 80's (I think it was them with Brooke Sheilds in them) which were made inane on purpose. But if someone can give me a good reason, why one person doing their job is rewarded and another doing a seemingly half assed job is not and it not implying something about those individuals, please let me know.

The television commercial continues with the white lumberjack and the 'King' on a log rolling it in the middle of a river/stream/lake that is calm and unobstructed. That seems like a hearty approval to me. But in the Construction worker (and this really is the part that irks me) the "King" is standing on the girder beside the worker and hits/shoves the black/african american man hard enough to shift his balance forward and make him wiggle as if he might fall before he regains his balance. The worker looks concerned as he rights himself, the 'King' gives a shrug (as if to say - Just playing!) and the worker smiles and stands straight up.

That is not a fun time in my mind. Perhaps there are steel girder construction workers out there who can tell me different, but I imagine that if someone shoved me and nearly made me fall X stories to the ground - a shrug and "Just Joking" isn't going to get me to smile. More likely I would deck the guy.

Are these television commercials equivalent? NO. Do they show the the same sense of comeraderie? No. Do they imply that a hard working white lumberjack or hard working 'King' deserve a special breakfast? YES. Does it imply that a slacker worker should be ridiculed and/or persecuted? Seems so.

How can I be sure of this. My ultimate test when viewing commercials I think are badly portraying ANY minority is to view them as being white and everything happening exactly the same. Would that commercial ever be run? Would that commercial have the same meaning? If not, what is that commercial actually saying?

Not every television commercial has the problems the Burger King construction worker has. But when they are that bad, and in my view blatant, then they should be addressed as such and people should pay attention and say something about them. Why, because the meaning is being told to children, visitors from other countries and cultures, and sometimes broadcast in those other countries around the world. And because of that and other visuals of similar nature the assumption is made that "X group should be treated in X manner, because that's how they are treated in America. If they weren't then this television commercial wouldn't exist."

What do you think?