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Jackson Lee blasts 'demeaning' Pepsi Super Bowl ad
The Hill ^ | 02/09/11 08:56 AM ET | Pete Kasperowicz

Posted on 02/09/2011 10:41:43 AM PST by BradtotheBone

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) took to the House floor Tuesday night to criticize what she called a "demeaning" Pepsi ad that aired during the Super Bowl.

In the ad for Pepsi Max, a black woman sitting on a park bench gets angry with her husband after an attractive, white female jogger sits down next to the couple and smiles and waves at the man.

After the man smiles back, his girlfriend or wife gets angry and whips her Pepsi Max can at him. The man ducks, and the can hits the attractive jogger in the head. The ad is titled "Love hurts."

Jackson Lee said it was ridiculous for the soft drink maker to air the advertisement during African-American history month.

"In this month of African-American history where we're trying to celebrate what is good and great, it certainly seems ridiculous that Pepsi would utilize this kind of humor," she said. "It was not humorous. It was demeaning — an African-American woman throwing something at an African-American male and winding up hitting a Caucasian woman."

(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Front Page News; Government; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: ads; domesticviolence; jacksonlee; pepsi; racism; superbowl
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To: rightly_dividing

“Life is good in Conservative Texas.”

We loved living in South Texas some years ago. Always wanted to retire there.


201 posted on 02/10/2011 2:00:58 AM PST by tgusa (Investment plan: blued steel, brass, lead, copper)
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To: PGR88
I found it demeaning to white women

Really? How so?

If you can't appreciate the pure beauty of the violin after hearing this, something's wrong with your ears.

202 posted on 02/10/2011 3:30:17 AM PST by rdb3 (The mouth is the exhaust pipe of the heart.)
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To: AmusedBystander
I thought it was black history month.

In our house we observe it as an early confederate history month. Heck with April. The ugly wench can celebrate her heritage, I'll enjoy mine.

203 posted on 02/10/2011 3:40:31 AM PST by catfish1957 (Hey algore...You'll have to pry the steering wheel of my 317 HP V8 truck from my cold dead hands)
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To: Christian Engineer Mass
Pepsi is a big dem owner.

Only Coke Zero for me.

204 posted on 02/10/2011 3:42:07 AM PST by catfish1957 (Hey algore...You'll have to pry the steering wheel of my 317 HP V8 truck from my cold dead hands)
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To: Travis McGee
Just imagine the roles reversed, so that it would be a big joke when two whites knocked out a black woman “by accident.”

AND THAT is what Sheila is reacting to.

IF the roles had been reversed (excuse me, the 'races'), the 'black' community leaders would have immediately perceived it as RACIST and ran screaming to the talk shows.

HOWEVER, none of the 'white' community leaders (nor the 'whites' who viewed it) saw it as racist at all.

I saw it, I thought it was funny. It was a shock to see the girl get hit, which was the key to the commercial's success.

Nowhere in 'my' reaction was there even the least thought about race. The biggest reaction I had to the PEPSI commercials was that they kept portraying the guys as being BIG WUSSES.

205 posted on 02/10/2011 6:44:29 AM PST by UCANSEE2 (Lame and ill-informed post.)
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To: PGR88
I found it demeaning to white women

What if the can had hit Sheila Jackson Lee in the head, instead of a white woman?

206 posted on 02/10/2011 6:49:01 AM PST by UCANSEE2 (Lame and ill-informed post.)
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To: wildbill
But I’m also wondering if Ms. Lee isn’t also suffering from and covering over the widely known anger of black women at black men who show any perceived attraction for white women.

Can you imagine being SJL's boyfriend, and having her catch you EYEBALLING some Blonde?

YES, I think SJL is the one seeing racism in that commercial for personal reasons.

207 posted on 02/10/2011 6:54:56 AM PST by UCANSEE2 (Lame and ill-informed post.)
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To: 1000 silverlings
what’s in that ad is also the idea that black men prefer white women every chance they get, and black women dont like it one bit.

I totally disagree.

Attractive is attractive, no matter what 'color' the skin is. That babe was hot. Who wouldn't look? A blind man?

If it had been that tall dark haired beauty from the State Farm commercial, wouldn't the results have been the same?

Now, maybe what you stated is how SJL sees it. I would agree with that.

208 posted on 02/10/2011 7:05:27 AM PST by UCANSEE2 (Lame and ill-informed post.)
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To: BradtotheBone

Considering we are supposed to be in a new era of civility (after the Tuscon shooting) I think Pepsi needs to apologize for encouraging violent behavior. And any network that railed against Palin and the ‘target’ map should take a stand and not only condemn this commercial but they should refuse to air it.


209 posted on 02/10/2011 7:10:33 AM PST by carmody
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To: DoughtyOne

I liked the commercial. Made me laugh. I didn’t see anything racist to it at all.

Now..... how was that commercial supposed to ‘incline me’ to buy Pepsi? Would the woman have had better accuracy with Dr. Pepper?

PEPSI... misses it’s mark. Now go buy some?

I thought it was the funniest commercial of the Super Bowl, yet the least effective.


210 posted on 02/10/2011 7:13:00 AM PST by UCANSEE2 (Lame and ill-informed post.)
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To: UCANSEE2

I just looked it up and watched it. No, there wasn’t anything racist about it. It wasn’t a slam at blacks and it didn’t portray whites as deserving of anything.

The female character shows remorse and states she is sorry as she runs off. She should have stayed to see if the women needed help, but that’s the only down side I would address.

The black woman who complained is an idiot.

I don’t see any basis whatsoever to say this is black on white racism either.

If any complaint were to be leveled, it would be women in general for being shown in that light, but anyone with a brain knew this portrayed one woman, clearly out of control.

It was supposed to be cute. Unlike you, I found it to be a bit tedious. If you were in the right mood and enjoyed it, that’s great. I have no problem with it. I can see how some people would find it funny.

Me having to look it up and view it with a critical eye didn’t exactly create a setting where I would view it casually and enjoy it for what it was.

I appreciate the comments.


211 posted on 02/10/2011 8:50:40 AM PST by DoughtyOne (All hail the Kenyan Prince Obama, Lord of the Skid-mark, constantly soiling himself and our nation.)
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To: Red_Devil 232

It’s not real. All three participants are actors. The scene was scripted (by a young white writer). No one needed to be remorseful and no one needed aid.


212 posted on 02/10/2011 9:31:59 AM PST by LightningStriker2010
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To: rogue yam

Some points. First off, the notion of the jogger being far more attractive than the wife is an opinion and I’m not sure how such an opinion of how these two individuals compare in physical appearance relates to any real and serious underlying character and behavior patterns.

Next, it is far reaching to describe a man who sneaks and eats junk food behind his wife’s back as “skulking” and I am very much unaware of black men in any way being stereotyped as “henpecked”.

Lastly, can you give evidence to the idea of a tendency for blacks to flee scenes after accidentally hurting people?


213 posted on 02/10/2011 9:56:35 AM PST by LightningStriker2010
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To: DoughtyOne

I agree with your assessment.


214 posted on 02/10/2011 9:59:23 AM PST by LightningStriker2010
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To: LightningStriker2010

Thanks LightningStriker2010.


215 posted on 02/10/2011 10:19:33 AM PST by DoughtyOne (All hail the Kenyan Prince Obama, Lord of the Skid-mark, constantly soiling himself and our nation.)
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To: LightningStriker2010

Let’s just get right to the point and stop wasting time, shall we?

Do you think the black couple in the ad were, in general, portrayed negatively?

If so, do you think that this portrayal reflected negative stereotypes of black people?

(Both Spacewoman Lee and I have answered yes to these two questions. That is why I said I partially agreed with her.)

Final question (if you answer “yes” to the above two questions): Do you think that this stereotype is completely unfair? That is, do you believe that the negative stereotypical behavioral traits that you observed being depicted in the ad are, generally speaking, no more prevalent among black people than among Americans of any other ethnic group?


216 posted on 02/10/2011 12:05:42 PM PST by rogue yam
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To: Red Badger
Isn’t she the one who wanted “African-American” names for hurricanes?..........

Of course...and that a flag is planed on Mars.

217 posted on 02/10/2011 12:14:57 PM PST by lonestar
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To: rogue yam
If we overlook the slapstick nature of the ad and take it at face value, two things were blatantly negative. The wife's aggression and violence and fleeing the scene without rendering aid.

The only real stereotype portrayed was the aggressive and domineering nature of the wife (fleeing the scene after accidently hurting someone is bad, yet not any stereotype that I'm aware of).

I'm skeptical as to whether any stereotype is “fair” based on stereotypes typically being exaggerated. There is a comparatively higher rate of physical violence within black homes compared to the three major groups, so there is probably a higher rate of black wives assaulting their husbands.

But I would say that black husbands are less likely than other groups to take beatings from wives lying down (which is probably why there is a higher level of violence in black homes) and I have no knowledge of black men tending to sneak unhealthy food behind their wives’ backs. I would also say that black wives put less pressure on their husbands to eat healthy than other groups of women.

218 posted on 02/10/2011 1:29:00 PM PST by LightningStriker2010
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To: UCANSEE2

No. Since I can’t see me being SJ Lee’s boyfriend under any circumstance, the possibility of an altercation over a blonde is unthinkable as well.


219 posted on 02/10/2011 3:08:07 PM PST by wildbill (You're just jealous because the Voices talk only to me.)
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