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Monday, December 06, 2010
That's the question a lot of people seem to be asking. I haven't personally seen the commercial air on television that is quickly finding itself at the center of this online debate, but I know people who have and they all seem to be split on it's intended message.
In the commercial two black men are seen dancing together extremely close in a club while a woman who appears to be the girlfriend or love interest looks on as one of the men holds two Burger King chicken sandwiches in his hands. If this ad was supposed to entice the viewer to buy the sandwich it's doing everything but that...the sandwich is clearly an afterthought.
Here's what some black readers over at the notoriously homophobic AOL Black Voices had to say about the ad:
RxBlackAmerica: "Is BK endorsing down-low enjoyment? This is absolutely disgusting! I am appalled that Burger King even thought to create this, and that these actors would go along in participating in this! WHY do we have to have Black men behave?and be?depicted in this manner? And people wonder why Black women are tired of some of this mess. The down-low insinuation is more than clear in this piece."
kreal11: "Okay, although when I first saw that commercial the first thing came to mind was "damn, why dude gotta be all up on other dude like that" but then again, it's just a commercial about buying some damn nasty sandwich and getting another for free, and having both hands full, I dont see it as promoting down low activites. Dont get me wrong, there's possible subliminal messaging going on, but i doubt its really that serious."
Is it serious? Well I guess that depends on who you ask. But consider this line from the ad spoken by the black woman to the two men as they "bump and grind" on the dance floor: Woman: "This is kinda weird." Man: "It can get a lot weirder." And let's not forget the title attached to the video "Very strange black man."
Maybe the ad isn't to be taken seriously, but it sure provides a topic of discussion around water coolers and sadly ammunition for black homophobes.
Get into the video below:
7 Comments:
Wow I was thinking the same thing. I saw the commercial last night. I was thinking first off that looks gay and like some DL Shit. Then I'm like I don't want that nasty ass sandwich anyway. However, I do see the depiction of DL black men "preying" on Black Women.
December 06, 2010 5:08 PM
The commercial is definitely weird, but I don't think there are any racial intentions. There is a similar Burger King commercial with white actors airing. It features a man, with another man directly behind, about to play tennis with a woman. I think the woman makes a similar "this is weird" remark. Oddly enough is saw it air on BET. lol. This commercial reeks more of homophobia to me. I think this black community is just being hyper sensitive because of all the recent media attention to 'the down low'.
December 06, 2010 8:02 PM
Honestly, I do not see anything wrong with the commercial. If anything, there is always black men/women represented in any commercial dealing with chicken lol. That is not the only food we consume, lol. I think as a community, we have a problem with black men embracing one another which is the root. As young men of color, this is what we have been conditioned to believe that if you embrace one another, then it is "gay", "weak", etc. Some take that same concept into adulthood. I honestly dont see nothing wrong with the picture.
December 06, 2010 10:11 PM
I think the commercial is a little weird, but I really don't see a DL connotation to it. Quite frankly, BK has been a little weird with its commercials anyway. The "King" from BK's prior commercials still freaks me out. He's just a little scary. So, this current commercial simply fails in line with BK's theme of weirdness.
I am more turned off and offended by that woman who is the head cook or whatever in the Popeye's commercials. She bothers me a lot.
December 07, 2010 1:39 PM
i am trying to figure out what the big deal is. it is a silly commercial that doesn't really hit its mark. people who have problems with it are just projecting "their own" issues into it.
December 08, 2010 5:00 AM
I'm giving the poster on Black Voices the "blank stare" and "side-eye" because she is clearly projecting her own issues on to this stupid advertisement. Burger King has a similar commercial with a white couple that aired during the summer, so what is her point? I swear some 'folk' will whine and bitch about anything, but doesn't stand up for the right things like how there is so much sanctimonious behavior in black communities.
December 08, 2010 11:54 PM
Hmmm, it's really interesting how people see things so differently. I recall seeing the "white" version of this commercial and the thought of those guys being DL didn't occur to me nor did it occur to me when I saw the "black" version of this commercial. It's just a commercial. Nothing the guys did in either of the commercial indicating that there was a sexual attraction or interest in each other so what's the big deal?
December 14, 2010 11:52 AM
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