Research paper 2 OSB

Advertising is one of the most inspiring/influential, informative and persuasive tools used in creativity for centuries. Ads communicate messages and meaning to what’s being created. Mostly, these ads are to give a form of identity to the creators and to the world. There are a range of subject matter that advertisement produces, however the ad that I will be discussing are the stereo-typical/racial ads.

In the 19-20 century ads started to become popular and brought money to a business. Ads also brought awareness to what’s going on or being seen. Blackface advertising was used to offend black people by white people painting their faces and playing in shows such as theater and comedy. According to https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/blackface-birth-american-stereotype Blackface: The Birth of an American stereotype, Minstrelsy, comedic performances of “blackness” by whites in exaggerated costumes and make-up, cannot be separated fully from the racial derision and stereotyping at its core. By distorting the features and culture of African Americans—including their looks, language, dance, deportment, and character—white Americans were able to codify whiteness across class and geopolitical lines as its antithesis. The worst part about it is, they made money off it too, especially around the Civil War when it was peak racism in America.

Billy Van, the monologue comedian, 1900. This image is available from the United States Library of Congress’s Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID var.1831

Designs like these were targeted to black people to portray them as animals, stupid, crazy and overall non human. The goal during these times was to dehumanize African Americans. And advertising added fuel to the fire with the ridiculous laws during that time as well.

In addition, there was a well known entertainer whose infamous for creating blackface ads during the 19th century and his name was Neil O’Brien. Neil O’Brein was the mind behind a good amount of blackface plays. Thus influencing more Americans to hate black people.

According to https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/blackface-minstrelsy-in-modern-america/sources/1423, This poster advertises a minstrel show created by Neil O’Brien, a popular blackface actor. The image shows a man in blackface with a giant rooster in the background, perpetuating stereotypes of African Americans’ relationship to chicken. Ads like this one impacted African Americans identity and I would say personally, African Americans self esteem. I could imagine how some felt during those times. Not only to not feel accepted but to not be respected as a human is very traumatic to a race. 

Another offensive ad with similar racism and stereotypes was the aunt jemima ad for syrup. According to https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/17/business/media/aunt-jemima-racial-stereotype.html,  For decades, Quaker Oats knew that one of its major brands, Aunt Jemima, was built on racist imagery. In addition to that, according to https://www.motherjones.com/anti-racism-police-protest/2020/06/aunt-jemima-is-not-a-black-role-model/, In 1889, Chris Rutt, heard the song Old Aunt Jemima at a minstrel show and decided to name his pancake flour after the song. In 1893, after Rutt sold the company, the new owner hired Nancy Green, a former slave who was working as a cook for a judge, to act as Aunt Jemima and sell the pancake flour. Escudé was likely referring to the misinformation that Nancy Green, the woman whose likeness Aunt Jemima is based off of, died a millionaire. There is no evidence of that. A few years back in the current 21st century, Quaker Oats fixed this decade issue and finally decided to rebrand and replace Aunt Jemima. Dipping back to https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/17/business/media/aunt-jemima-racial-stereotype.html, the company inched toward fixing the problem over the years, replacing the kerchief on the Aunt Jemima character’s head with a plaid headband in 1968, and adding pearl earrings and a lace collar in 1989. Quaker Oats, which has been owned by PepsiCo since 2001, announced its decision on Aunt Jemima days after a TikTok video describing the brand’s history was shared widely on social media. In retiring the name and character, the company acknowledged that Aunt Jemima’s origins were “based on a racial stereotype.”

In conclusion I think my personal reading of the ad is negotiated because it honestly depends on the particular ad. I also believe  that advertising is indeed an art form. Some arts are intentional with the message and some arts are subjective where you get different interpretations from the audience. Yes there are ulterior motives to certain ads, however in this world we live in, not everyone thinks or feels the same towards certain ads. In the words of Tinker Hatfield, “if your art doesn’t have a positive or negative opinion, then you haven’t done that much yet.”

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