I just watched a commercial where an ordinary white guy is made to look like an idiot. When I was a kid, I remember ads that cast housewives in a negative light. I also remember movies and old TV shows that disparaged African Americans. I understand and support the prohibitions against negative stereotyping of members of oppressed groups. Kids are impressionable and tend to believe what they see in the media. The thing is that, the way it is now, the only group that can consistently be portrayed as congenital idiots is white males. The ad agencies love poking fun at stereotyped images and their talents have now been turned on the only allowable target-white males. If it's all true about kids believing what they see on TV, isn't a new generation going to grow up believing that all middle aged white guys are morons? I know that the cheap punch line is that all middle aged white guys are morons, but let's pretend that this doesn't work. We shall overcome? Sent from my GT-P1010 using Tapatalk 2
I wonder if Paxson thought the same thing before he squirreled himself away into a position that absolves him of accountability? I bet this type of talk gets a lot of play around the golf course.
I think the driving factor in all of this is that they're simply the only target left that you can make the butt of a joke without major controversy. Thats a generalization but, generally, its true. If you make the woman, minority, oppressed group, etc. the butt of the joke then you run the risk of that group accusing you of bigotry and causing a stir. White men don't give a shiet if they're made fun of. Even if they did they would have no support behind them. As a white male, I don't care of other white males are made to look like fools in the media, because in society we've still got it the best out of everyone, have the most opportunity, make the most money, are respected, etc. And this isn't just commercials, its Homer Simpson, Peter Griffin, Al Bundy, Phil from Modern Family and a ton of others. Comedies need buffoons and fools and its easy to make them white males. I also think that the fact that white males do not victimize themselves plays a role too. I am a white male, and I assume most of the posters who responded in this thread are white males. None of us care that white males are the butt of jokes on commercials. The fact that white males do not have a reaction to this kind of thing empowers them to a degree, because they don't even respond to stuff like this. Of course its different for people who are in minority groups that do not enjoy the same status and privilege as white males, but IMO its a dynamic that reinforces itself.
