From way back in the day--A Few Words About Race-- May 5, 2004

A Few Words About Race
This weblog is not only concerned with frivolous things like quilts and graphic sex scenes with important members of the government, it is also concerned with the important issues of our day. Today's post will be a frank and earnest discussion of race relations in America, and I will focus this discussion around two important questions.

1.) As far as the whole "portraying black people in a positive light" thing goes, didn't the Cosby Show sometimes get a little silly?
I'm not saying they shouldn't have portrayed black people positively, but I think they could have sometimes done a better job making their positive portrayals of black people fit in with the story. For example, the other day I watched an entire episode about how Denise wouldn't lend Vanessa a sweater, and then for some reason in the last two minutes of the show the whole family gathered around the television to watch the "I have a dream" speech. What did that have to do with the sweater? Or Vanessa's problem with studying? Or Cliff's winning a tub of popcorn from Claire in a bet, only to have her eat it when he fell asleep in the movie theater? I'd have liked it if they could have integrated the last two minutes more with the other twenty-three. Perhaps Denise and Vanessa could have argued over the value of non-violent protest instead of a sweater? Or perhaps Cliff could have fallen asleep watching the "I have a dream" speech, and Claire could have eaten his popcorn then. It's called craftsmanship, and I don't think it's too much to ask. (Thinking about it, I realize that The Cosby Show did that a lot, tacking on two minute scenes at the end that had little or nothing to do with the rest of the episode. Those scenes were normally about Cliff and Claire getting it on, or dancing to jazz music, or engaging in some other married behavior, so I guess superfluous Martin Luther King is better than superfluous old people sex.)

2.) Why is Sprite marketed to young black men almost exclusively?
Consider Sprite's current ad campaign, featuring a puppet with an afro (This is not the first such commercial. I distinctly remember another commercial, this one for sneakers, that was targeted at young black men and involved a puppet. Do young black men like puppetry? How do they feel about the Muppets?). This puppet is shown interacting primarily with young black men, who are usually asking the puppet questions about why it likes Sprite so much. The puppet explains why, and usually throws in some joke about also enjoying girls with large bottoms. This kind of ad seems to be clearly targeted at young black men. Why? Is lemon-lime soda popular with young black men? I have known a few in my day, and I don't remember them drinking it much. Why isn't Coke marketed to young black men? Or for that matter Toyota Corollas?
I wish more products were marketed exclusively to black people. Hopefully someday we will live to see commercials where little black puppets with afros will be used to sell cars and prescription drugs, as well as lemon-lime soft drinks and sneakers.

The question, "Why market Sprite to young black men?" continues to haunt me. Recently I asked my black co-worker Melvin about it.
"You know A-Money," he said, "I never thought about that, but you are right. I wonder what the dilly is with THAT? Know what I'm saying?" And I said "Fo' shizzle," and then we locked fists and embraced.
I am tight with black folks.