Rianna

"For years advertisers in the United States reflected the place of non-Whites in the social fabric of the nation either by ignoring them or, when they were included in advertisements for the mass audience, processing and presenting them in a way that would make them palatable salespersons for the products being advertised."

Advertisements of earlier times were far more racial than you see today, or so it seems. Is it because we as a people are more socially aware of what cultures different from ours are portrayed, or do we just not pay attention. Advertisements have played off of what the majority deems socially correct for many years, and minorities didn't always have the man power to speak and be heard on behalf of their race.

There have been many incidences with Native Americans and advertisements. Along with the examples in the book, there was also the case against Outkast for their song Hey Ya! In a concert, their whole set up on stage was of tipis and people dancing around in Indian costumes. Natives found it degrading to their culture. I know of a couple more incidences having to do with high school masot names. They were names of tribes and had to be changed because their culture was not affiliated with those tribes.

I find it amazing that years ago advertisements were so set in focusing on the standard way of thinking, or what was considered the way of all minorities. Whites were the dominant audience and advertisers had to find a way to satisfy the majority but not completely offend the minority. I think there are still those stereotypes in advertising today, but they don't go as noticed. Advertising is definitely more subtle and there is a lot more consideration for cultures and ethnic backgrounds, but there are still things that go unnoticed.