Wilson And Gutierrez Advertising And People Of Color

I’m In “Advertising and People of Color” by Clint C. Wilson and Felix Gutierrez, the text explains how people of color are severely discriminated against, and portrayed in many racist ways in advertising history. Audiences that consume racist advertisements are made uncomfortable because of unethical prejudices such as stereotypes and jokes against a targeted race. In this paper I will be examining how people of color are portrayed in racist advertisements from food advertisements featuring a black servant cook, to suggestive marketing techniques featuring suggestive portrayals of Asian television models. I will explain how Wilson and Gutierrez make people uncomfortable to alert them of these advertisements. I will also be explaining how these …show more content…
According to Wilson and Gutierrez, advertisements throughout American history have “reinforced the preconceived image that many white Americans apparently had of Blacks, Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans,” making their point valid because there are, indeed, many stereotypes against people of color (Wilson and Gutierrez, p. 168). More specifically, black people appearing in many suggestive and stereotypical food advertisements. For example, Wilson and Gutierrez elaborate that their advertisements are targeted towards a majorly white audience; “over the years, advertisers have employed Latin spitfires like Chiquita Banana, Black mammies, like Aunt Jemina… to pitch their products to predominantly white customers” (Wilson and Gutierrez, p. 168). In the Aunt Jemima advertisement, it reads; “Lawsee! Folks sho’whoops with joy over AUNT JEMIMA PANCAKES,” and Wilson and Gutierrez bring attention to this because it is meant to make the audience of advertisers uncomfortable (Wilson and Gutierrez, p. 168). The authors do this intentionally to appeal to the ethics of the reader, making them question if the advertisement is appropriate and possibly making them feel guilty for making assumptions about an entire race. Wilson and Gutierrez are credible authors, because they are both people of color …show more content…
Asians and Native Americans are, too, as Wilson and Gutierrez show. Racially insensitive stereotypes against these groups cater to the fears and stereotypes of white America. The authors show how Asians in advertisements are mocked and made fun of, as shown in “a commercial for a laundry product featured a Chinese family that used an ‘ancient Chinese laundry secret’ to get their customer’s clothes clean” (Wilson and Gutierrez, p. 171). The authors depend on the audience’s expected knowledge of Chinese family stereotypes and their strong traditions. It is affective because most people have seen these stereotypes of Asian family values floating around in the media. Wilson and Gutierrez also bring attention to the stereotype of Asian women as sexual objects: “companies pitching everything from pantyhose to airlines featured Asian women coiffed and costumed as seductive China dolls or exotic Polynesian natives to pitch and promote their products, some of them cast in Asian settings and others attentively caring for the needs of the Anglo men” (Wilson and Gutierrez, p. 172). This statement affects the majority of white men, because Asian women are commonly objectified in their fantasies. It is affective because the authors know exactly who to address and who to get an emotional rise out of, that emotion being discomfort or even guilt. Native American imagery is also shaped