| Home > Community > Forums > Etc. > What do you make of this ad? |
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| What do you make of this ad? |
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artgirlx says: |
Someone thought it was very racist:
This is a horrible, cynical picture. As a black woman, I am usually thrilled to see a model with very dark skin on an ad. But on this one they made her look like a old caricature of a "negresse". The lipstick, the clothing, the dead eyes, the reference to chocolate cake... It's so obvious what they were aiming for with this photo. I was shocked by its blatant racism as soon as I saw it in the AA newsletter. Coming from Senegal, I have uncles who died during WWII, used as canon-fodder by the french army, and aunts who were raped by french officers. The French would often represent our people in caricatures in the same way as this picture does, as "savages" with exaggerated bright lips and dead eyes, in order to ease their conscience about raping them and sending them to death for a war that was not theirs. The message these caricatures would send was something like "Look at their faces, these people are monkeys with no brains, who cares about them". It's 2007, when I see that images like this are still being made, it feels very much like a slap in the face, a denial of the pain that many black families have gone through. No, it's not about self-parody or "taking something historically negative and turning it into something positive", or "encouraging ehtnical diversity in fashion". This picture is just plainly insulting for any person of african descent with a minimum of knowledge about the history of black people. And it's NOT up to art directors or to non-black people to decide for us that certain ways of representing us are suddenly ok and "ironic".
I am aware that AA did not produce this picture, but I think they should have protested against it and should definitely not be using it in their newsletters AT ALL. And I'm never ever again in my life going to buy an i-D mag. |
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Posted at 2:24 pm, August 20 2007 EST - Report this post
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QuincyPearson says: |
I just recently watched the pbs art 21 piece on Michael Ray Charles. His work deals a lot with how african americans are used in advertising in the past and in the present. I almost found myself saying "oh it's not so bad now" and then I got this in my email. I understand that it is being done on purpose, that it might open dialog etc. But they are selling t-shirts not making art...
Am I missing something? Seriously, does anyone else have another take on this? |
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Posted at 2:36 pm, August 20 2007 EST - Report this post
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TeaNoir says: |
Personally, I think it's just an off-putting ad. I wouldn't buy something based on that - in fact, I'd rather avoid it. To me, that's bad marketing, racist or no.
But then, I don't understand half the fashion ads out there these days. I don't find them at all attractive... |
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Posted at 2:37 pm, August 20 2007 EST - Report this post
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SamariaProject says: |
OH MAN....this company has amazingly comfortable clothing...but their photo's are disgusting and unnecessary!
I can't even look in the women's section without seeing a barrage of nudeness! YUCK! Wear a freaking bra! |
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Posted at 2:39 pm, August 20 2007 EST - Report this post
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barflybling says: |
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I feel creepy just looking at it. I definitely will not buy from them. |
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Posted at 2:40 pm, August 20 2007 EST - Report this post
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SamariaProject says: |
It's sad because like I said, they have really nice clothing...just not the right people doing the advertising and photography...
Does anyone else get offended by chicks that don't wear bra's in ads? |
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Posted at 2:41 pm, August 20 2007 EST - Report this post
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MoTowne says: |
Ut oh.
I have two paintings in my shop named Michael Ray Charles...
:-\ |
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Posted at 2:41 pm, August 20 2007 EST - Report this post
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Krystan says: |
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All of their ads are stupid/irrelevant to the clothes. It's all about the attention. |
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Posted at 2:43 pm, August 20 2007 EST - Report this post
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