A Deep Dive Into “Why doesn’t your mamma wash you with Fairy Soap?” – DR

Stereotypes have a long history of being used in advertisements, marketing, visual communications, and popular culture. From the 19th century to the present, advertisements have used ethnic, religious, racial, and gender stereotypes to sell products. Brand executions have historically leveraged race and ethnicity to depict minorities in a way that would violate contemporary norms and expectations (Leak et al. 445). Racial stereotypes in media have been a powerful tool in reinforcing systemic biases by shaping the public’s perception and legitimizing discriminatory attitudes; however, media can also catalyze challenging racism and reshape the cultural narrative when creators subvert the stereotypes. 

In advertising and media, racial biases are frequently reinforced when harmful stereotypes are used to influence how society views different racial groups. “Most of the visual images (until World War II) featured African Americans as stereotypes and caricatures, created by white advertising agencies for white consumers as a way to reassure whites in the midst of intense political and social change” (African American in Advertising). For example, during the 19th century, the N.K. Fairbank Company manufactured soap as well as animal and baking products that heavily played on stereotypes. One of their most successful cleansing product lines, Gold Dust Washing Powder featured the Gold Dust Twins – the faces of the line represented by two young black children cleaning up together in a washtub in their early printed media. The message being sent to the audience is that, like black children, the soap will do all the work and cleansing (Newspapers.com). In later productions of the product and advertisements, the twins are comically depicted alongside huge stacks of dishes, with one twin cleaning and the other drying. One other specific original Fairbanks creation was Fairy Soap, and the advertisement created around 1910 reinforces stereotypes of the time, consisting of both coded and non-coded messages that indeed shaped public perception to sell the product to the target audience. 

The ad for Fairy Soap was made around 1910 by the N.K. Fairbank Company intended for white consumers to buy their soap products. Upon first viewing the ad, we see two children, one black (fig.1) and one white child (fig.2), facing each other. While the white child is dressed in clean clothes and holding the fairy soap in one hand, innocently posed, the black child is portrayed with dirty clothes, not holding onto anything. The white child is wearing shoes, and the black child in the image has none. The children also appear to be in some field, behind them is a cart of some sort, and at the very bottom of the ad, the text reads “Why doesn’t your mamma wash you with Fairy soap?”. Underneath the headline, we see “Made by the N.K. Fairbank Company, and a list of seven cities: Chicago, St. Louis, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore. 

There is only one non-coded iconic, and that is the image of two children. Whereas, there are many coded iconic messages displayed in the image that work with the linguistic message to convey a racist message. The linguistic message “Why doesn’t your mama wash you with Fairy soap?”, stated by the white child (fig.2) tells the viewer that the white child believes that the African American child (fig.1) is darker in skin because their skin is dirty and that the mother does not use Fairy soap and if they did they would not be darker-skinned. The coded messages we receive from the image are shown by the use of racist tropes such as associating darkness with dirtiness, which implies that Black people are inherently less civilized. The text ties heavily into the image by implying there is a racial hierarchy and the idea that soap can “cleanse” darker skin to a lighter, and desirable state, linking it to the concept of purity. The soap in this context is a signifier of cleanliness and whiteness. When we think of soap, we think of clean, white, and pure. We can interpret the racial hierarchy by the way the white child is presented as questioning the practices of the black child’s mother, putting the white child in a position of superiority. We can also interpret this social hierarchy by the way the children are dressed and their physical positioning. The white child (fig. 2) is dressed in clean clothes and wearing shoes, conveying the message that the child comes from wealth, and the child even stands a bit more upright. However, the black child (fig. 1) is barefoot in visibly dirty clothes and is bowlegged, signifying that the child is poor. These types of messaging and stereotypes reinforced the public’s perception of African Americans at the time and continued to legitimize discriminatory ideas toward the group. 

These types of stereotypical representations can contribute to internalized racism and systemic inequality by shaping how individuals perceive themselves and others. As Ramasubramanian notes, “African Americans are often still depicted stereotypically, which can have severe negative consequences on African Americans” (10). Cultural theorist Stuart Hall argued that the media functions as a site where ideologies are created and sustained (Al Jazeera English 1:21). In this case, advertisements and media content reinforce racial hierarchies by presenting stereotypes as reality. The portrayed “reality” suggests that African Americans are less civilized, lack cleanliness, and are inferior to white individuals, who are depicted as symbols of purity and superiority. Research shows that Black youth who are consistently exposed to these negative depictions may internalize these stereotypes, which can damage self-esteem, reduce motivation, and impact overall well-being. Moreover, systemic misrepresentation can diminish the perceived cultural value of marginalized groups, influencing broader patterns of inequality in education, the workplace, and other institutions.

When media deliberately subverts racial stereotypes through diverse, complex portrayals, it can mitigate bias and reshape cultural narratives. Unlike stereotypical depictions that reinforce systemic racism, inclusive media representation has the potential to challenge viewers’ assumptions and promote empathy. Today’s global audience would likely respond to the chosen advertisement very differently from the original intended audience. At the time of its release, the intended audience could identify with the advertisement because its messaging aligned with dominant societal views—slavery had recently ended, but the belief in Black inferiority persisted. In contrast, a modern audience is more likely to recognize the ad as a harmful example of how the media has historically contributed to systemic racism and the normalization of racial hierarchies. My reading of the advertisement falls under the negotiated. I understand the dominant message; however, I do not accept what the message is trying to convey. Advertisements like this one not only serve the purpose of selling the product itself, but also continue perpetuating the idea that being black was to be inferior, and being white was superior. 

To shape public perception and legitimize discriminatory attitudes, racial stereotypes have been used in the media as a tool to reinforce systematic biases. Whether the portrayals are subtle or overt, they contribute to internalized racism and unequal treatment across institutions. However, when creators consciously subvert stereotypes, media can become a tool for social change. For example, today’s works like Black Panther reimagine the black identity by using pride, loyalty, and technological advancements that go against the narrative of colonialist depictions. Another example of this can be seen in media through casting strategies such as Bridgerton, which amplifies underrepresented voices and disrupts white-centric storytelling. These examples show how intentional representation can reframe racial narratives. Media that reflect the complexity of a marginalized community can disrupt dominant ideologies and foster understanding. Advertisements, campaigns, films, etc., serve as both a mirror and a shaper of societal views and have the potential to either reinforce and sustain racial ideologies or dismantle such ideologies. The Fairy soap ad is an example of an advertisement that reinforced racial stereotypes during the time of its creation and distribution. Creators and consumers today must be aware of the cultural power of media and choose to amplify authentic narratives. 

Works Cited

Al Jazeera English. “Stuart Hall – Race, Gender, Class in the Media.” YouTube, 2 Mar. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWP_N_FoW-I.‌

“African Americans and Advertising · Race & Ethnicity in Advertising | America in the  20th Century.” Raceandethnicity.org, 2025, raceandethnicity.org/exhibits/show/african-americans-and-advertis.

“Gold Dust Twins.” Newspapers.com, 12 Nov. 1902, www.newspapers.com/article/arkansas-city-daily-traveler-gold-dust-t/5017650/. Accessed 15 June 2025.

Hall, Stuart. THE WORK of REPRESENTATION. 1997,
Stuart Hall PDF

Insider, Business. “Timeline: Race and Advertising in America.” TheJournal.ie, www.thejournal.ie/timeline-race-and-advertising-in-america-792262-Feb2013/.

Institution, Smithsonian. “Why Doesn’t Your Mamma Wash You with Fairy Soap? Advertising Card.” Smithsonian Institution, www.si.edu/object/archives/components/sova-nmah-ac-0060-s01-01-soap-ref661.

Leak, Roland L., et al. “Does History Really Matter: Investigating Historical Branded Executions’ Effects on Contemporary Consumer Attitudes.” Journal of Consumer Affairs, vol. 55, no. 2, June 2021, pp. 445–63. EBSCOhost,
https://doi-org.citytech.ezproxy.cuny.edu/10.1111/joca.12379.

Pages, The Society. Vintage Ads Depict African Americans as Dirty – Sociological Images. thesocietypages.org/socimages/2008/08/24/vintage-ads-depict-african-americans-as-dirty-simpletons/.

Ramasubramanian, Srividya, et al. “Race and Ethnic Stereotypes in the Media.” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication, Jan. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.013.1262.

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