Whitewashing in Target ads

[Ultimate Paragon]

https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/targets-annie-ads-spark-controversy-106620776087.html

When LaSean Rinique first saw an ad for Target’s new Annie for Target clothing line last weekend, she was sitting at the computer with her 8-year-old daughter, an Annie superfan. The girl in the ad was a young white model, wearing a red dress and a locket – the iconic Annie outfit. But the Annie in the current movie – the one who inspired this new line – is black, and this wasn’t lost on Rinique’s daughter, who is biracial.  “She saw the ad and said to me, ‘That’s not what Annie looks like. How come the new black Annie isn’t good enough? Does that mean I’m not good enough?’” Rinique tells Yahoo Parenting.

Rinique says her jaw dropped. “I explained to her that the original Annie was white, and that both Annies are beautiful, and that sometimes people make mistakes and have to apologize for them,” the Delaware mom, who is a regular Target shopper, says. “Then we started singing ‘It’s a Hard-Knock Life’ while she got back to doing her chores.”

In hopes of getting that apology, Rinique posted a petition on Change.org. She writes: “Your recent Annie ads and in-store displays depicts a misleading depiction of the movie as it shows a Caucasian young lady opposed to the star of the film- Quvenzhané Wallis. Though the model is quite professional, she does not speak to the relevance of the movie or main character. When the original Annie came out, everything was about Aileen Quinn or a character/person that emulated her…why not now Target? If you can show it online, show it in ALL of your stores with multiple signage with different girls not one!”

This isn't just racist, it's kinda dumb too.  Seems to me like it's bad business to not have the ads match the movie.

[rookie]

Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's...a non issue!

[ironbite]

You mean like half of UP's 250 threads?

[niam2023]

^ Keep the "trash Ultimate Paragon" thing to the flame and burn thread. You seem to like bringing up your detest for him everywhere.

[rookie]

And with that, lets see some cat memes!

[jackdaw]

[Askold]

...Am I the only one who thought that UP had a point? If they are advertising the new Annie it would make sense to make the toy line and advertising match it.

[Svata]

...Am I the only one who thought that UP had a point? If they are advertising the new Annie it would make sense to make the toy line and advertising match it.

No, you're not.

[rookie]

Ok. But is that racist like UP says? Really, because the new Annie is black and the old Annie is white, and Target had old Annie is that racism? Can we agree that the Popeyes commercials featuring the black lady cooking the fried chicken is racist as well? Or how about that Jackie Chan meme that says his mind is full of fuck?

How about we can agree that things can be dumb without having an -ist attached? Is it possible that Target made a poor decision, not an evil one?

[Svata]

Ok. But is that racist like UP says? Really, because the new Annie is black and the old Annie is white, and Target had old Annie is that racism? Can we agree that the Popeyes commercials featuring the black lady cooking the fried chicken is racist as well? Or how about that Jackie Chan meme that says his mind is full of fuck?

How about we can agree that things can be dumb without having an -ist attached? Is it possible that Target made a poor decision, not an evil one?

Oh, no question there, either. Stupid, yes. Racist, no.

[Sigmaleph]

Ok. But is that racist like UP says? Really, because the new Annie is black and the old Annie is white, and Target had old Annie is that racism? Can we agree that the Popeyes commercials featuring the black lady cooking the fried chicken is racist as well? Or how about that Jackie Chan meme that says his mind is full of fuck?

How about we can agree that things can be dumb without having an -ist attached? Is it possible that Target made a poor decision, not an evil one?

I think you're right, but also think it's worth commenting that a fair amount of racism is stupidity rather than evil.

[rookie]

That's interesting. I've always associated racism with intent. The attitude of we are better, they are worse, because of skin color. Its the difference between inviting a buddy over for some fried chicken and inviting him over for fried chicken because he's black. One is racist, the other not so much. I could be wrong though.

[SCarpelan]

That's interesting. I've always associated racism with intent. The attitude of we are better, they are worse, because of skin color. Its the difference between inviting a buddy over for some fried chicken and inviting him over for fried chicken because he's black. One is racist, the other not so much. I could be wrong though.

Unfortunately you are; if that was all that racism is it would be much easier to fight it. The more complicated forms of racism are much harder to get rid of because people don't always realize the less obvious racist implications of their thinking or behaviour.

[guizonde]

That's interesting. I've always associated racism with intent. The attitude of we are better, they are worse, because of skin color. Its the difference between inviting a buddy over for some fried chicken and inviting him over for fried chicken because he's black. One is racist, the other not so much. I could be wrong though.

Unfortunately you are; if that was all that racism is it would be much easier to fight it. The more complicated forms of racism are much harder to get rid of because people don't always realize the less obvious racist implications of their thinking or behaviour.

my first reaction: who in their right mind doesn't like fried chicken? second, i'm with scarpelan, with one caveat. on occasion, they know and realize it, but don't care or think it's justified (like the klan, for example).

[Sigmaleph]

That's interesting. I've always associated racism with intent. The attitude of we are better, they are worse, because of skin color. Its the difference between inviting a buddy over for some fried chicken and inviting him over for fried chicken because he's black. One is racist, the other not so much. I could be wrong though.

That's some of it, yeah, but it's not all. If someone has subconsciously absorbed the idea that black people are not as smart as white people, and then are faced with two candidates for a job, one black and one white, they are going to be biased towards the white candidate, all other things being equal (and probably without even realising why). I think this is pretty clearly racism, but I don't think the person involved is evil. They hold a mistaken and stupid belief, but it's not like they are trying to hurt the black candidate.

I shouldn't need to add this but obviously that doesn't make it OK, and we can talk about how the person should confront their subconscious biases and such. But I think this illustrates the point of stupid vs. evil.