Happy Saturday everyone!
Good Enough Mother is a bit out of sorts today after myself and mini-me had it out yesterday so I’m feeling about as sharp as a bowling ball today.
But check out this piece I happened upon on The Daily Beast today discussing Pepsi Max’s Super Bowl commercial – and its use of that old stereotype, the Angry Black Woman. Here’s the clip below…
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mjRU6b4ecw&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
The author of the Beast piece, also a black woman, says she thought the commercial was funny and recounts when she used a harsh tongue with her own husband. But here’s where her argument jumps the tracks. She asks why people are getting upset over a cola commercial when you can see all manner of black women behaving badly on Jerry Springer or Maury. On this point, she is correct. But those shows have a fraction of the eyeballs watching. The Jerry Springer show just had its best audience in five years with total viewership of 3.2 million people. The Superbowl had its best viewership as well with 111 million people tuning in. You don’t need me to tell you with numbers like that the demographics are probably vastly different as well.
I have said it before and I will say it again. The reason this is important is because TV shapes the way we see the world. I’m tired of seeing spots like this, tired of people assuming because I come in with my big ‘fro or I don’t have a perpetual smile that I am an Angry Black Woman. And I DON’T want people to think I am in anyway like this villain of reality TV.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj-K6ysoZOI[/youtube]
So here’s today’s debate…
Did you find the Pepsi Max commercial offensive?
And what are your thoughts on the Angry Black Woman stereotype… does it drive you crazy, or do you think it’s just harmless fun?
Fire away!
