Old Navy Advertising Race FAIL!

by JuJuBe (Joanna)

Wow, how offensive can an advertisement get?? The commercial shows a Black female mannequin, two Black child mannequins and a Black male mannequin. There is also a white child mannequin, and a white human female. While the advertisement is for the outerwear, the white woman wants to possess the Black male instead.

How many times have we seen this same tired imagery? A Black male as a sexual object for the pleasure of a white woman, rather than as a human being. Nothing new there. This commercial takes it a step further though, because not only is this man objectified by the lustful white woman, but he is literally an object.

He is a lifeless mannequin, which she feels perfectly justified in dragging home with her. Pulling him away from what I can only guess is supposed to be his family. And to add even more insult, this is a sale; 50% off! Kind of brings to mind a slave auction. A white woman purchasing a "Black buck" to serve as her (sex) slave. And the Black female and children and left behind, silenced. They can not say a single word in protest as the man is dragged off by this predatory woman.

Note that only the two white females in the commercial are living, breathing human beings. In most of the Old Navy commercials, all of the characters are mannequins. But not in this one. In this one, the white women are given their humanity, while the Black family are merely decorative objects. Apparently, in this day and age, Black people mannequins have no rights which white women are bound to respect.