COLONIALISM Lingers in ADS

          In the same way that ads sell a sense of belonging, it also establishes differenences and "norms". Advertising and consumer culture stem from history, colonialism, and the emergence of capitalism. They are part of what make our country what it is (or maybe I am just defending my consumer habits!) Racial stereotyping is not an issue of the past, and is quite prominent today- especially in ads. I can admit in the past I've thought, "maybe we're reading too much into this"- but I am beginning to understand how the presence of racial stereotyping is directly related to history. Traditionally, race has been used in advertising to present a kind of exoticism and foreignness; ironically, advertising seems to encourage conformist behavior through consumption. Increasingly, race and ethnicity are used in advertising to demonstrate social and racial awareness, and give products a sort of cultural awareness. Although some ads seemed to be geared towards racial inclusiveness, we never really know if the intention is truly such. 
          I hope I don't offend anyone by saying I don't necessarily see anything wrong with utilizing stereotypes in ads, but I see where the danger lies- and I don't believe in using stereotypes that are malicious and offensive. The scary thing is if people believe everything they are exposed to. While power struggles are presented in ads, no one is actually superior to anyone else, so why do we chose to depict people in this way? Through advertising, we are helping people shape images of themselves. What kind of image do we want to sell? Are we morally obligated? Is there room for sarcasm and humor in public messages or have we gone too far?

          Some argue that ads condition us to accept stereotypes, which I am tempted to disagree with. Ads don’t create stereotypes they simply reflect them. It is evident that racism and stereotypes are prominent today, thus are also prominent in advertising. Whether it is wrong is another debate. Personally, I enjoy a good laugh when the going gets tough. I believe advertisers have ethical responsibilities when creating ads, but I also enjoy humor and irony in ads that challenge our human flaws- but not everyone gets it, so this puts us in a predicament.

Please visit this link to what business insider considers to be the 10 most racist ads of the modern Era.