ADS that were EPIC FAILS.

Today in class we discussed ethnic media and advertising. Mainly, we discussed and viewed those ads teetering along the lines of racism. Are so they appeared.


Often, stereotypes are drawn from a complete absent knowledge of the world around you. Basically, people who have not had enough worldly experiences draw their own conclusions on race based on what little they have seen on television and movies. I try to give most people the benefit of the doubt until their luck runs out. Thus, it's one thing to see a questionable ad from a company and dismiss it as "thoughtless" or "senseless". It is another to see a continuing ad campaign rooted in bad stereotyping in which then perhaps one could start throwing accusations in the direction of the company and the underlying message(s) they are trying to convey.


Overall, I honestly feel as though the ads seen in class today were more "thoughtless" than they were "racist." As a result, I decided to also post two other controversal ads that created quite a rise out of people.


The first is an Intel Ad from 2007. Some may argue that the "runners" represent speed and the new-advanced speed of Intel products.

Some even joked and went as far as to suggest that it says "White men run slow."


Most, however, saw the Intel Rep. as an overseer and the Black men as "bowing to him."




The second Ad is for Playstation. Created in 2006, the message is.. quite questionable. It doesn't leave AS much room for interpretation as the Intel Ad does.

So what do you all think?


My answer is simple. Are these ads racist? No. Are they really stupid? Yes.