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Nick_A
Joined: 19 Apr 2009
Posts: 1461
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Post: #1  Posted: Fri Dec 25, 2009 10:35 pm Post subject: Gifts for White People |
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We know that there are differences in taste between white people and people of color. Is it wrong to have a page in a newspaper that advertises gifts for white people?
Would you object to such a page if it were in the NY Times for example and think it racist? Why, if they are advertising to a specific market? Read the page and the ads and tell me if you would object:
| Quote: |
| http://www.nytpick.com/2009/12/unbelievable-nyt-gift-guide-includes.html |
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Scott
Site Admin
Joined: 20 Jan 2007
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| Post: #2 Posted: Fri Dec 25, 2009 11:48 pm Post subject: Re: Gifts for White People |
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| Nick_A wrote: |
We know that there are differences in taste between white people and people of color. Is it wrong to have a page in a newspaper that advertises gifts for white people?
Would you object to such a page if it were in the NY Times for example and think it racist? Why, if they are advertising to a specific market? |
I don't think it's necessarily racist or, in my opinion, objectionable. It depends on the gifts being recommended and the motivations for specifying a racial demographic in advertisements.
For instance, hair care products may be openly geared towards and made for people of a certain race because they generally have a certain type of hair care.
Sun-tan lotion or tanning bed gift certificates may be specifically geared towards people with paler skin.
A book on how to avoid being racially profiled by the police may be geared towards the racial minority in a certain place.
In those cases, I think it would be more conducive to racism to ignore those differences and create the same products for people of both races.
But of course like I said it depends. If an advertisement said it's for black people and advertised fried chicken, watermelon and GED programs; I'd say that was racist and, IMO, offensive and objectionable. Or if a thing was advertised as "for Jews" and was about saving money, I would consider that anti-Semitic.
It's not always black-and-white (no pun intended). I personally would err on the side of not specifying a target racial demographic for a product. But capitalism will tend towards whatever sells, which may not be too different since generally people won't respond to ads that they find offensive and racist towards themselves such as the examples of watermelon and saving money, but they will respond to reasonable ads like the ones I mentioned prior to that (e.g. tanning beds and specialized hair care products).
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Alun
Joined: 11 Jul 2009
Posts: 883
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| Post: #3 Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 1:24 am Post subject: |
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I think the NYT is supporting racist (making and emphasizing a distinction between races) products, and as such propagating them. Especially odd was:
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| "Boxing Kitten Clothing," designed by Maya Lake, "draws her design influence from tastemakers like Josephine Baker and W.E.B. Du Bois." |
But some of them do make sense--e.g. a hair guide that's specifically about the hair that black people have. Also a Bollywood emulation kit is obviously geared toward a particular nationality.
Anyway, there are some legitimate distinctions to be made, since races are superficially different. The problem is the support of the idea that there are deeper divisions, and that these are explicitly racial; do black men and women really need a different couple's guide to trusting relationships? Or a different guide to get through the strain of military service? I'd like to hope they don't.
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Juice
Joined: 08 May 2009
Posts: 1919
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| Post: #4 Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 3:12 pm Post subject: |
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The first Black woman millionaire was Madame C.J. Walker who made her money selling ethnic beauty aid products, and is actually the first female to earn that status on her own merits.
I also must agree that it is in no way racist to advertise to any particular ethnic group, particularly in regards to something as mundane as beauty products.
I also don't see any problem with someone being either proud or promoting the accomplishments or celebrating the difference and diversity of their particular ethnicity, as long as everyone respects the differences in everyone else.
Instead of us trying to be so politically correct (another social justice craze) that we negate individuality, we should be celebrating the kind of cultural diversity that makes the US unique among nations.
As an individual of various inter-relational breeding (that's right the people in my family see it and do it, come what may) I see the contributions of every racial, ethnic and economic group as integral to the overall success of every American regardless of heritage, real or imagined.
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Nick_A
Joined: 19 Apr 2009
Posts: 1461
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| Post: #5 Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 3:41 pm Post subject: |
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I posted the question in this way to see if anyone would notice a difference in themselves before and after reading the link.
Does a person when reading "Gifts for white people" Have a different reaction when reading the link and seeing that it is about gifts for people of color excluding white people? My guess is that all this politically correct conditioning would create two different reactions. Am I right?
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Man would like to be an egoist and cannot. This is the most striking characteristic of his wretchedness and the source of his greatness." Simone Weil....Gravity and Grace |
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Juice
Joined: 08 May 2009
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| Post: #6 Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 4:59 pm Post subject: |
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Nick-I see the right wing Christian Conservative male as the one who does not promote or see any racial, religious, ethnic, economic or sex discrimination as long as the rights of the individual are not curtailed or diminished. Score one for conservatism!!!!
My point is that when people look for ways to make money and they find a niche by which they can become successful then they will exploit that niche for their own personal gain. What some fail to realize that when they spend money then they should at that point consider if the purchase is based on any particular distinction which humans are naturally want to be differentiated from eachother. I want a Cadillac CTS-V, not because I am Black but because I think if you are going to go fast and use up a bunch of carbon credits doing it you may as well be comfortable.
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When everyone looks to better their own future then the future will be better for everyone.
An explanation of cause is not a justification by reason.
C. S. Lewis
Fight the illusion! |
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athena
Contributor
Joined: 11 Jun 2009
Posts: 855
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| Post: #7 Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 6:36 pm Post subject: Re: Gifts for White People |
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| Nick_A wrote: |
We know that there are differences in taste between white people and people of color. Is it wrong to have a page in a newspaper that advertises gifts for white people?
Would you object to such a page if it were in the NY Times for example and think it racist? Why, if they are advertising to a specific market? Read the page and the ads and tell me if you would object:
| Quote: |
| http://www.nytpick.com/2009/12/unbelievable-nyt-gift-guide-includes.html |
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My reaction did change when I saw the ads. The ads were much more International than I expected. There are such terrible feelings between Blacks and Whites, I was expecting something more noticeably hostile to Whites.
However, cosmetics is something that must be advertised according to skin tone and hair texture, because there are clearly distinct needs. That is like having a shop specializing in large size clothing, or for tall people. But fashions?
I think there is a better way to present them than excluding some groups, but can understand it to be a good marketing ploy to fill a niche that hasn't been fill, and could catch the attention of people who might otherwise ignore the ads. However, I didn't notice an appeal to Latinos or Porto Rico, or any South American countries. Did anyone else? It could be interesting to interview the advertiser about the choices made for this presentation of ads. How did they come to these decisions? |
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