Stereotypes need to go away

[merhawk]

Look, I'm all about getting to a world we have enough representation of various groups that these sorts of videos are just random coincidence and aren't representative of subconscious biases. Until we get to that world, however, can people please check themselves before putting something like this out?

It's not like it's that difficult to check on this one. Blond hair, pale woman purchasing car? Check. Black choir in the background singing to support the white woman? Check. The singing is supporting her buying on impulse & emotion instead of facts about the car? Check. Is this commercial using tons of stereotypes? Check. Should we revamp it to be less stereotyped? Yes!!

If only they'd done that last check before putting this out on the national stage.

2016 Honda Fit | Honda Summer Clearance Event

Comments

[canyonwalker.livejournal.com]

I don't understand which part of this commercial is the offensive part.

Is it that the main character is a woman? (Huge improvement showing women buying cars without being subordinate to, or even having to be helped by, men.)

Is it that the woman is blond?

Is it that the choir members are all black?

Is it that black and white people are in the same frame together? (Obviously only racists would object to that.)

Is it that the buyer's decision is based on impulse? (Note: there are two kinds of car ads, those that use numbers and those that use feeling. This is obviously the latter, and it's common.)

[kateshort]

Okay, it's not just me.

I would have loved to see a black woman buying instead of the white chick. That might have made it a little better.

I considered whether having a mixed-race choir would work, but that's also problematic in that it's potentially appropriating black culture.

[merhawk]

It absolutely is not just you. A mixed race choir would have made it less yucky, but you're probably right re appropriation.