Several bloggers, myself included, have been accused of overreacting to the KFC commercial (featuring a fatherless black family) that we discussed a few posts ago. I don’t think that expressing concern about potentially negative images in the media is overreacting, especially since white folk, black folk, single folk, and of course all kinds of parents have chimed in wondering what the fried chicken folk were trying to get at. Plez and Chelle have called for boycotts in the comments they left, but both for different valid reasons. Clearly at the very least some of us do not want our social commentary to come from commercials.
The question is: What do we expect from the media? I personally don’t mind commercials that tell me about a product that I may have interest in using. What I don’t need is the extras. The only time I feel like I’m on the beach drinking a beer is when I’m on the beach drinking a beer. Don’t tell me I’ll get the same feeling when I’m plopped in front of the TV in the dead of winter in NYC. If the car is safe, tell me it’s safe. I don’t need to know that I’ll be the envy of other families because of it’s stylish new design – that simply isn’t an issue when you’re buying a minivan, or a Hyundai. And stop telling me it’s the best whatever ever, because the competition is saying the same thing and they all are annoying me and coming off as liars.
I also don’t need arguably negative black images in prime time or in commercials. Let’s be real, don’t we get enough negativity from the morning news, the 12:00 news, the 5:00 news, the 6:00 news, the 10:00 news, the 11:00 news and COPS? Do I really need it broadcast almost 24-7 on BET, sporadically on every other channel, and now in fried chicken ads? While I’m at it is it really any of my business that Lindsey Lohan had sex in rehab, or that J-Lo had trouble starting her family? (I just wanted to throw that in to make sure we cover all the bases.)
Also, can a dad buy his kid a juice at a newsstand without being bombarded by women, often black and Hispanic, bending over or squatting on the cover of random magazines? At what point did ass magazines become the central display of Manhattan newsstands?
Don Imus is coming back to radio on December 1st. Now what? Al Sharpton has asked for everyone and their mama to apologize for everything they’ve ever done. What’s his point? It doesn’t matter what his point is, the media loves him and his inane soapbox. What drives me crazy is that some reputable media outlets shy away from the big issues and opt to leave important topics to be dissected by imbeciles with TV and radio contracts (think Bill O’Reilly). If it weren’t for House and Everybody Hates Chris(with the best father I’ve seen on television in ages) I’d probably call for a TV boycott.
At the end of the day I don’t know exactly what I want from the monolith known as “the media.” I made that apparent from this scattered post. I guess we’ll have to tackle this topic on a case by case basis.
Keith,
you’re the best father on television!
…well, at least in the blogosphere! *smile*
I think there are two sides, at least, to everything. Sure, the media does a bunch of stupid and questionable stuff, and at the same time there are a lot of people that are way too thin-skinned.
You’re right, people don’t want news, they want sensationalism. Somebody is buying it.
If we boycotted every company that is run by idiots we’d be hungry and really bored.
I’m just sticking to the practical stuff, like boycotting lead toys.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong in holding the media to a higher standard than they typically exhibit. If anyone plans to boycott, you might want to contact the company(ies) and let them know you’re upset and why. KFC is owned by YUM! Brands. Edelman is its PR firm.
Here’s another thought. You might want to contact special-interest groups to gain a louder voice. For example, the NAACP has the STOP campaign, which “seeks to ?STOP? the demeaning images of African Americans in the media, particularly with respect to the portrayal of African American women,” according to its site. Or groups that specifically deal with advertising and how it affects children (for example, Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood). Would any of these groups take up the KFC commercial? It might be worth picking up the telephone and asking.
I think the media forgets that it’s dealing with actual people, not just mindless consumers. Enough folks out there are buying the garbage, so they keep shoveling it.
BTW, I like the new look of the site.
I think that it is insane for companies to “target” certain groups and then play crazy when that group notices and comments/complains/etc. KFC made a commercial which solely featured black actors and actresses. We noticed. We also noticed the absence of a father. Bloggers blogged, commenters commented. I don’t think that taking note and writing about something amounts to overreacting. But hey, I’m also the lady who plans on sending a scathing letter off to a local bakery later on this week for what I deemed horrible customer service.
As far as my expectations – I expect to be marketed to in a manner that acknowledges that I have intelligence. And I’m finding less and less of that in all media forms these days – television shows, advertisements, music.
If anything, the best reason to boycott KFC is because it’s garbage. Or to put it another way, why is some of the worst junk we eat always called “feel-good food?” Then again, I’m lucky, my wife’s a great cook and we only order out on rare occasions.
As for the TV boycott, there hasn’t been anything decent on for years, really. My wife and I went without TV for 18 months, got satellite to see if we were missing anything, only to get sick of it and cancel the service. We just download the few shows we do enjoy and watch at our leisure.
Without a TV, you learn to do other, more productive things. We still watch movies and play games via Netflix and Gamefly, but we actively choose the content. There’s no zoning at the “boob-tube.”
PS- I love your blog, we’ve added you to our blogroll.
I’ve never seen the KFC commercial you mean, but if it depicts a happy, healthy Black family with no apparent father-figure, I don’t necessarily see that as a problem.
There are plenty of single-parent households out there, Black or otherwise. I don’t see that as a negative depiction so much as a realistic one.
Of course, I don’t want ALL commercials with Black families to fall short of the ideal. I also don’t think ad-makers can stop doing some of the things you mention in your post without putting their businesses in jeopardy.
I agree with you about the ass-mags, but I don’t know what the answer is. Covering them up seems like an overreaction to some skin, but putting them on front-street seems problematic, too.
I’d hate to be worried about my (hypothetical) kid seeing a bunch of crotch shots as I walk by a magazine or news stand.
The really unfortunate thing, though, is that, for all the protests and blog-bound criticisms of these kinds of things, Americans still eat it up. As long as that is the case, these trends (ass-mags in full view, style-over-substance car ads, celebrity gossip, etc.) will continue.
Thank you for writing what I felt when I saw KFC’s outrageous ad. I don’t think people, black, white will see this ad and think there’s nothing wrong with it. I’m a white, Jewish man, 50 and felt outraged the moment I saw it just as all the writers here have expressed.
I haven’t read all of the comments here to form my opinon but I will add my 2 cents worth.
In a real and perfect world I am sure if the masses expressed thier displeasement with the KFC commercial, KFC would quickly take care of that matter.
And even if they did, it is small compared to what mainstream america should respond to. Don Imus being the bigger of issues…As you can see he has come back. Which says when we African-Americans shout out foul, they give us the band-aid, wipe our tears and say “now go back outside and play” until something else happens.
I have actually lost a little confidence in Mr. Sharpton being the appointed voice for Black America just like I say Oprah has jacked our woman up and rolled out.
It seems to be the norm now to push the envelope or shall I say come right out and say it, then apologize for saying it just to say it again. But it takes this kind of medium to let it be known because the blogging community has grown an lot.
Keep sayin it…