Following the foot-steps of gender bias in ads, is the racial/color bias in ads in India & America. While on one hand, we say that America is the melting pot of all the cultures, or rather a 'Salad', and that Indians do not vouch for white males & females in ads anymore, we see each of these nations not scaling all their citizens on the same scale.
Each ethnic group is stereotyped in a certain way or other. African-Americans are considered unintelligent, less skilled, lazy, and that they live off of welfare. Hispanics are often looked upon as illegal immigrants who are lazy and involved in criminal activities. Caucasians and surprisingly Asians are often stereotyped positively. Asians are portrayed as hard-working, competent, serious, and well-assimilated people.
Based on these stereotypes, these races advertise different categories of products on television. For instance, African-Americans are found in ads for snack/food products or products of low value, while Asians are found in commercials for products that symbolize affluence, and work life, and rarely in ads for home products. Caucasians are not associated with particular product category but they have been found in ads for toys or products that are often perceived to be more discretionary in nature.
Emulating the beauty standards of the western culture, is the Indian culture, telling its viewers via ads that you can be successful only if you have a lighter complexion. The climate in India gets hotter as you move from northern part of India to southern part, thereby browning the skin color of the people, as you move down. Be it for job, or for marriage, fairer looking women always have better chance. Reflecting these societal views are the Indian ads, the examples of some of which I have mentioned in my previous blogs.
However, amidst these stereotypical role portrayals and under-representation of certain races, come ads that celebrate diversity and bring them all on same platform. Android (Be Together. Not the Same) is the latest one in the series of few ads which released this year, which gives a message no matter who you are, where you are, and what your sexual orientation is, 'Be Together. Not the same.'. Coca Cola (Big Game), with its lyrics in all the possible world languages and showing different colored faces shows how beautiful America is.
Going back to Indian ads, no matter what ad you pick (afaqs.com), you won't find any ad that has really dark women or men or people from Eastern part of India, who have features similar to Chinese people. A significant population of the India (southern part) comprises of population that do not match white beauty standard but they are much Indian as the people from the rest of the states are. Same holds true for people from eastern states, who have almost negligent presence in television commercials.
While brown America is gaining acceptance (owing to increased Asian & Latino population in America) by Caucasians, partially, if not completely, the originally brown India needs to accept its own people and redefine its definition of beauty and make every single person feel beautiful, irrespective of its caste & color.
However, amidst these stereotypical role portrayals and under-representation of certain races, come ads that celebrate diversity and bring them all on same platform. Android (Be Together. Not the Same) is the latest one in the series of few ads which released this year, which gives a message no matter who you are, where you are, and what your sexual orientation is, 'Be Together. Not the same.'. Coca Cola (Big Game), with its lyrics in all the possible world languages and showing different colored faces shows how beautiful America is.
Going back to Indian ads, no matter what ad you pick (afaqs.com), you won't find any ad that has really dark women or men or people from Eastern part of India, who have features similar to Chinese people. A significant population of the India (southern part) comprises of population that do not match white beauty standard but they are much Indian as the people from the rest of the states are. Same holds true for people from eastern states, who have almost negligent presence in television commercials.
While brown America is gaining acceptance (owing to increased Asian & Latino population in America) by Caucasians, partially, if not completely, the originally brown India needs to accept its own people and redefine its definition of beauty and make every single person feel beautiful, irrespective of its caste & color.
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