Stereotypical Vomit

That's exactly what this December 2007 Hanes ad campaign is:

Some person's purge of stereotypes onto a canvas, for all the world to see.

Apparently these images have been abuzz in the Blogosphere. Ofcourse, 4 months after the fact. Fellow blogger Ana (blackbrown and queer) posted this and I had to add (no pun intended) my two cents.

Like her, I agree that the concept is kind of clever. But clever is as clever does. And it's definitely a stretch.

"Tags" and "labels" are a FAR CRY from SLURS.

This is definitely not the kind of material that should be pumped out on national or international scales. Some folks will see the wit, and others will have a laugh at the people they routinely see fit to marginalize, debase and judge.

I should qualify that by saying, I appreciate art that challenges us to look closely at ourselves, the views we hold, but not everybody looks at art in the same way. Not everybody gets that they are being challenged (nor do they care). And frankly, SOME people don't want that challenge.

Furthermore, it does nothing to move us beyond stereotypes. These images conjure up the very worst and the most problematic iconography about gay, Black and Pakistani people. It re-ifies stereotypes by compiling icons that can be vaguely correlated with the communities at which these slurs are hurled.

And lets be clear, these aren't just LABELS or TAGS, Hanesbrands.

They are SLURS -- stylized in Photoshop.

And sure McCann Erickson designed them, but it just "happened" to appear with your official logo on it? GET REAL!

Senator Obama is a GROWN @$$ Man... Dawg

“I’m going to tell you something: That boy’s finger does not need to be on the button.” -Republican Congressman Geoff Davis

Many have repeated this but I will insist again... RACISM is ALIVE and well.

While most of my peers, sometimes categorized as "Generation Y," were not alive during Jim Crow and were babies during periods like the Reagan administrations, where the black community was so blatantly vilified, most of us young black folks pick up on those subtle not so subtle gestures that are drenched in racism.

So it should come as no surprise to anyone that I was bothered... better yet flat out PISSED OFF to find out when I hear about Congressman Geoff Davis referring Senator Obama as a "boy."

He made quick work of apologizing for the misstep, but REALLY?!

BOY?

According to Wikipedia Congressman Davis is only about 3 years older than Senator Obama, so it couldn't have been about his AGE!

Let's be real people! That is flat out disrespectful and I am not about to sit here an accept that nonsense apology.

To think, Senators Clinton and McCain could really drag the "bitter" comment out, but Congressman Davis gets a PASS?! (And the peanut gallery will say "But he's not running for President.") But he's attacking someone who IS.

His critiques of Senator Obama could have been left as is, if not for the "misspeaking."

They made personal taunts at Senator Clinton as well:

Back at the dinner, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton didn’t escape the men’s attention either. While saying her candidacy seemed to be teetering on the brink, he added “I hear she hasn’t been this worried since a new Hooters opened near her home with former President Bill Clinton."

Everybody laughed, according to Ryan Alessi, political reporter for the Herald-Leader.

It's clear they were out to roast folks and were stupid enough to think no one was listening.

A few people were. For some reason I wish there were more; even if I have no clue what difference it would make.

-urB'n skoLa