People are weird...

[elisi]

Via my flist. This advert is rather adorable:

I showed it to Darcy, and then explained why comments had been turned off on youtube (interracial couple = avalanche of racist abuse). I then had to replay it for him, as the fact that the mother was white and the father black hadn't even registered the first time he watched. Goodness knows we have a lot of problems here, but that at least isn't one of them. Sure we could do with more black people on screen, but advertising is pretty colour blind. (Icon used to celebrate one of the most popular pairings on our screens, the inter-species lesbians! <3) But seriously though - is this actually the first interracial advert in the US? Apparently not. This is good.

All of which reminded me that I was going to post this fabulous Rosa Parks song by Horrible Histories. (Warning: You'll be humming it all day!)

Comments

[urb-banal.livejournal.com]

Twenty years ago, a friend who was from the States said, "There are two Americas, a Black America and a White America." I had NO idea people there felt that way. She was Jewish from New York State.

I really resent "America" being used to describe the United States. I live in Canada and some people live in Mexico and we are in North America. Somehow the US has tried to claim all of two continents by calling itself America.

We three countries are very different. North and South America are even more diverse. The only country not respecting this is the United States. Please when you see "America" ask yourself, "do they mean the United States?"

[elisi]

Thanks for the heads up - will amend the post.

(We use the terms pretty much interchangeably... I guess it's like the difference between England, Britain & the UK?)

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

That's why I generally try to identify myself as 'from the US' or the 'US of A'. I can't blame Canada and South America for being annoyed with this. We are rather pushy about damned near everything...

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't take it too personally, most of this was decided over 200 years before we were born.

1. Canada doesn't have America in its name, nor does anyone else. The USA does. It's the "United States of America" - the USA's founders weren't as clever with names as the other countries and basically put the word "united" before the European words for the country: "states" and "America". Stupid founding fathers. How hard is it to come up with a distinctive name???

2. Europeans came up with the name ( or a German writer to be specific):

http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/bookmarks/americas_name/

And according to wiki, the Europeans decided to call the US - America. They don't really appear to like calling the United States of America, the USA or United States for some reason or other. They prefer "the States", "The Colonies" or "America" - I think it used to be an insult or irreverance - the refusal to state United. Keep in mind the USA became the USA after a prolonged and very bloody war with Great Britain. That was proceeded and followed by Wars with Spain and France. (The War of 1812, and the French and Indian Wars). There was a bit of animosity there.

3. I have to admit I prefer the song This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land to America the Beautiful in part due to all of the above, well amongst other things.

[teragramm.livejournal.com]

Cute commercial! It's the first interracial couple I have ever seen on a commercial, not sure if it's the first one ever in the US.

It has always amazed me that Rosa Parks was tired from a long day of work so she "sat on a bus" and made the history books. The country was a strange place in those days. Thank goodness we have made some advancements. (Although, from the turned off comments on youtube, not enough.) The song is very catchy and I probably will have it in my head all day. ~_^

[elisi]

Cute commercial! It's the first interracial couple I have ever seen on a commercial
This is just so strange to me! Not that we don't have our share of problems, but in commercials it's such a non-issue that I can't even think of one off the top of my head, because I so rarely notice. It's probably more common to see interracial commercials than purely black ones...

And I'm glad you liked the song - Horrible Histories is awesome! And one say we'll be OK, I hope!

[liliaeth]

Actually, I read an article once a few years ago, that Rosa Park's protest didn't come out of the blue. She was already a member of the civil rights movements, and they'd been looking for someone to do such a protest. The only problem is that they needed it to be someone with an untainted past, so that her previous history couldn't be used against her or the cause.

[promethia_tenk]

That is very cute <3

But seriously though - is this actually the first interracial advert in the US?
I wouldn't think so, but it's certainly rare enough to attract notice (I specifically remember one for cleaning products that caught my eye and me thinking how unusual it was to see, though that might have been a print ad . . .) Also for the fact that it is visually unambiguously white woman + visually unambiguously black man, unambiguously married, that's a very clear "statement"? I don't think you'd get the same response if the racial mix was different (white + asian couple), the skin tones more ambiguous, the situation less clearly outlined, etc, etc.

[elisi]

It's one of those really weird cultural differences then...

Mind you, with a different combination it might attract some attention over here too, but certainly not to that extent.

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

No, it's not...but we still have idiots here. This commercial I would likely have just 'awwed' over and not really noticed the interracial couple, because it has actually become rather common the last couple of decades, but the comments at YT only go to show there will always be asshats somewhere. UGH. Makes me ashamed of my country.

On another note, I actually know the actor here - he played Victor Hendrickson in Supernatural, lol!!

This was an adorable commercial - whoever dreamed it up is an advertising genius!

*HUGS*

[elisi]

Bigger country = more asshats?

:)

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

No it's not the first interracial commercial in the US. We have a lot of them.
They actually are quite common now. Been that way since the 1980s. The first movie and tv couples go back to the 1970s.

We also have interracial couples on tv shows in Prime Time and Day Time soap operas.

Examples: Olivia Pope and the President in SCANDAL (Night time) and
Alexis and Shawn in General Hospital (Day Time Soap Opera).

How do you know the negative comments originated in the US? I checked and they are disabled...which means the could be coming from other countries too?

[elisi]

No it's not the first interracial commercial in the US. We have a lot of them.
Thank you! I thought that surely they had to exist!

And I know about the TVs shows (which is why the commercial thing was so odd.)

How do you know the negative comments originated in the US? I checked and they are disabled...which means the could be coming from other countries too?
I just pass on what was told me... But then I've never heard of something like this happening over an ad before, so... Just weird.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

This is not in any way a pointed comment, I am genuinely curious - where else might you expect complaints about an ad in the USA to come from?

Also, it's just occurred to me - do they have region specific ads in the USA? It would seem quite reasonable now I think about it, as different areas must have different interests.

I guess if they do it might explain why the other person whose FL I saw this story on said that she, personally, had never seen any other TV ad featuring one white parent and one black parent. Could the TV companies actually feel they can't show something, which we would regard as so normal that the colour of the parents wouldn't even register, in some parts of the states? That would be very sad.

[lynnenne]

HA. That ad is adorable.

The thing I find most surprising about it isn't the interracial couple - it's that the mom is clearly not in her 20s. You can see lines on her face when she smiles. That NEVER happens.

[elisi]

So they like all mums to look like teenage mums? ;)

[jerusha]

Adorable commercial, adorable kid.

Personally, I think that it's YouTube, which is notorious for its trollish comments. They will always find something to bitch about, and it's usually race, gender, or weight, interspersed with threats. No telling who the comments are coming from, other than asshats.

[elisi]

Exceedingly adorable! :)

And yeah, there are too many asshats in the world. Sadly.

[cindergal.livejournal.com]

No way is this the first interracial ad! There have been many, and more and more ads are featuring gay couples as well. There is an adorable one playing right now for Amazon Kindle.

http://youtu.be/S-7IA54-tmE

I'd say this is more a product of the fact that there a lot of assholes on the internet than Americans being shocked by an interracial ad (which we're not). Almost anything posted on Youtube gets stupid comments, unfortunately.

[elisi]

No way is this the first interracial ad!
I am very happy this is the case, as it struck me as utterly strange.

I'd say this is more a product of the fact that there a lot of assholes on the internet than Americans being shocked by an interracial ad (which we're not).
You have helped lay my mind to rest.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Cute commercial.

[elisi]

It works almost too well...

[eaweek.livejournal.com]

The Rosa Parks video is made of awesome!

[elisi]

She sat on a bus! \o/

[eaweek.livejournal.com]

I had a funny experience once when my mother and I ran into another woman with a mini-schnauzer. We were all excited about the dog. Later, my mother said something about "the black woman with the schnauzer." I was like, "she was black?" My mother was amazed I hadn't noticed. I kind of sheepishly admitted I was paying too much attention to the dog. : )

[elisi]

Heh. But I'd say that's definitely a good thing. :)

[geekslave.livejournal.com]

I think at this point in time I don't even register when a couple is interracial in an ad or not. I was shocked that there was controversy over this. But like others have said if most of the comments are originating from YouTube that makes sense since there are a plethora of idiots on there.

Stacey

[elisi]

That's why I posted, because it seemed so STRANGE! But then that's youtube for you...

(Am loving all your wedding preparation posts btw. Am no good at commenting, but am loving them all the same.)

[flowsoffire.livejournal.com]

Pretty appalled at the idea that comments had to be turned off for that lovely little ad, but people are full of hatred… *sighs* However, the Rosa Parks song is full of win! \w/ \w/
(New icon, 'cause this is as good a time as any to grab some Skins ones. Those shiny two and a teen!femslash OTP—this show has its lovely things ♥ I'm more and more getting your point: FIFTEEN ICONS WHY?)

[elisi]

Haters to the left, Rosa Parks ftw!

And your icon is very shiny indeed. Never watched Skins, but heard good things about it. And I have 282 icons. It's still not enough.

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

[elisi]

THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS! :D

Oh that was great thanks for sharing!