Thursday, March 11, 2010

Thank You Advertisers!

I hate to play the race card but I've been disturbed by the Mirena commercials.  For those that don't know, mirena is a method of birth control called an iud or intrauterine device. It's supposed to prevent pregnancy for five years, but can be removed at any time before then should you chose to do so.
Anyway, I'm writing this post because I don't agree with their method of advertising, especially when they show the African American family's version. So, the caucasian family is standing outside of their house looking happy with three young boys and the background changes to suggest they go on family trips, how they change for the seasons, blah blah blah. The point is they look happy and decide to have a fourth child, which ends up being a girl, hooray.
The African American version doesn't seem so "happy." Their commercial depicts rambunctious children that the mother can't control. Oh, by the way, we don't know that there is a dad until the end of the commerical, unlike the caucasians, minor details. Anyway, the commercial, in my opinion, suggests our children of color are unmanageable and wild so having more would be bad. Oh, and the dad at the end is portrayed as the type that isn't too involved and just lets the children partake in whatever frenzy they please while he reads his newspaper.  He doesn't seem like he really helps out and I don't believe they ever show the mother and the father together, also unlike the caucasian family.
Maybe I'm reading too much into these commercials, maybe not. I just want equality. You be the judge.


2 comments:

  1. I never looked at those commercials that way kudos for that but i will say this tho those IUD's are not to be used if you have a black husband I had one back when they were stillmade of copper and lets just say it kept poking my husband lolllllllllllll

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  2. Thank you!!! I was thinking the SAME thing about the father and the kids when I watched the commercial. :( :(

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