Racism or Not?

So, a lot of discussion is generated (in my own apartment alone) about what racism is, what counts as a racist act (vs. ignorance), or what racism even means. Now, my roommate sent me a video in the middle of the night last night entitled, “What the Fuck, I don’t understand.” Naturally, I was intrigued, opened the e-mail, and watched the following video, which is an advertisement for Twin Lotus Herbal toothpaste out of Thailand. A lot of discussion is circulating about the video in Youtube comments, and the title of the video itself is “Funny/Sad Commercial.” Although I don’t give much credence to Youtube discussion in the way of debate, it is interesting how the “haha funny” comments and “this is so racist” comments mingle. Check out the video:

A blog about the commercial is posted here at Kiss My Black Ads. Most fo the commentators do not seem offended, although none of them point out that the ad is not racist at all, they seem to merely accept that racism is a topic which, if touched upon, is likely to lead to offense.

My belief, as a white woman, is that the commercial is so obscure that I wonder what the toothpaste company was even thinking. My assumption goes something like this:

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Ad-Man 1: Our toothpaste looks like dog crap. How can we explain this in an ad?

Ad-Man 2: We could compare it to other things that don’t look good, but are good.

Ad-Man 3: Like licorice, or spinach, or mushrooms…

Ad-Man 1: Black people. People don’t like black people, they’re black, and they aren’t necessarily bad.

Ad-Man 2: Yes, but how can we show this in a commercial about toothpaste?

Ad-Man 1: Well, people don’t like black people because they think they’re like monkeys. And they’re more athletic. And they’re poor.

Ad-Man 3: What does that have to do with toothpaste….

Ad-Man 2: Yes, we could show a black man climbing up a tree to retrieve a kitten, but receive no thanks because he’s black and then he could go home, sad, and brush his teeth with our toothpaste!

Ad-Man 1: Scrap the cat in the tree–overdone. Make it a metal pole, to really bring out the inhumanity. And a balloon, something irrelevant. And, instead of brushing his teeth with our toothpaste, lets tie the whole thing together with him as the toothpaste.

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Now, maybe that isn’t how the conversation went down. Maybe there was some real thought involved, some interest in showing the public that racism is as ridiculous as crying about a balloon and being afraid of another man. Maybe they meant to point out that sometimes something that is different isn’t always bad, but can in fact be quite good. Herbal toothpaste is to your teeth, as a black good Samaritan is to your balloon-retrieval — nothing to fear.

But, is the very concept itself racist? The use of a black man, and black stereotypes, over innumerable other black or brown objects that could have been compared to poop-paste? I’m thinking of facial masks that look like mud but make your skin healthier, oatmeal baths, putting strangely colored and textured shampoo in one’s hair, mud wrestling, caviar, etc. All of these things seem more comparable and appropriate and relevant, and I have only been thinking about this for about a minute.

So, is this ad racist by the mere act of mocking racism itself, or is it humanitarian and comedic at the same time? Can racism be comedic? These are questions which our society faces, and often refuses to discuss out of fear of offense. But, the offense has already been made.

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