Race stereotypes exist everywhere through media, especially in commercials. It became one of the important factors to appeal consumers. The RBK commercial “I Am What I Am” that I found in Youtube.com portrays a basketball player, Allen Iverson, who is black and he have been looked differently because of his race. The stereotype of race that this commercial tries to explain is related to Omi’s idea of race.
People who are black have the stereotypes of being aggressive and inferior. As Omi notes, minority groups usually engaged in social problems in television and films. Black characters appeared as tough, aggressive and sexual assertive. (“In living Color: Race and American Culture”, Michael Omi) People have stereotypes of minorities, which are usually aggressive and mad. These stereotypes are thought as characteristics of people other than white. Hence, black people portrayed criminals or threats in films. These stereotypical films made people believe these are characteristics of black people, so they are looked differently by others. As Allen Iverson says in the commercial, “People think I’m…always on the tough side, trying to be somebody I’m not. I’m not a gangster; I’m not a thug; I’m not even trying to be hard.” He also says he is hard and tough in the basketball court, but off the court, he is not. (“I Am What I Am”) Basketball is a sport which sometimes people may be hurt and aggressive. However, when people look at him, they do not think about the essence of basketball; they only think he is that kind of person because of his color which is black. He was colored with stereotypes of black, even though he is not that kind of person.
People have stereotypes of Allen Iverson not only because of his color, but also because of his clothes. As Omi notes, “Racial Symbols and images are omnipresent in popular culture.” (“Living In Colors: Race and American Culture”, Michael Omi) Clothing, printings, and music can be symbols of a culture. They present everywhere. In the commercial, he is wearing loose T-shirt and jean, which are considered to be the racial symbol of black, because this is their hip-hop culture. He says that, “I don’t want my kid s to say my dad is a gangster; my dad is tough…because I look the way I look, I act the way I act, I dress the way I dress.” (“I Am What I Am”) When he says “the way”, this suggests the culture that he lives in. The way he looks, acts and dresses are reflecting his culture and his personalities. He shows he is not the black person as people see in films. The culture of black became symbol of gangster and thug due to the stereotypes of black and media dissemination.
Resource from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXJkeoDwBrs&NR=1
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