Viewed from the great heights of 2016, in 1979 we were all a bunch of assholes.
My great hope is that in 2053 we all (yourself, and myself included) look like a bunch of assholes. Because that’s how much better I hope we all will have become.
It seems foolish to me to spend an ounce energy decrying the errors of times long past (such as Farr’s dubious commercial), while we make so many current errors of our own. It is better, in my opinion, to recognize our own extant human frailties, and try to overcome them now as Lear suggested we might, back in the bad old days of the 1970’s.
May the gods forgive us our actions, but grant us our intent, and may that be only good.
You have no more “right” to wear a kilt with a clan tartan than you do to wear an Indian headdress that signifies achievement or status in a tribe. The only difference is that the Scottish haven’t been invaded within the past six or seven centuries, or subject to systematic genocide, nor are they currently disenfranchised and stripped of their ancestral lands, so mocking them with caricatures doesn’t carry quite the same spitting-on-your-grave weight.
An Italian man and several clearly white people are pretending to be Native Americans in stereotypical garb to sell a product. It’s called “red face” at times. It’s racist in the same way that Mickey Rooney with squinty eyes and buckteeth as Mr. Yuinoshi was racist.
I do seriously think that understanding the past and even being critical of it has value, particularly since most people seem to buy into the notion of progress as being a thing that happens, rather than a thing that we MAKE happen, do you know what I mean? I think that the show (and much of Lear’s shows) illustrate that people had a consciousness about these things, as much as we did. His sit coms brought a strong criticism of working class racism, misogyny, and other attitudes. Are things better now than in the 1970s, sure. Does that mean we can’t learn from the culture of the past and improve upon it. I think even back then, this commercial was beyond the pale, and I’d bet you’d find criticism of it as well.
But I do think it’s a fine line. There is a huge problem with saying “we’re better now” because it leads us to feeling temporally superior, which isn’t helpful in dealing with our own problems now. I think it leads some to think that we should sit down and shut up when we see injustice, because at least it’s not like it was back then. Well, I’m here now and we’re not then anymore (if that makes sense). I’m not saying you’re doing that, just that some people do that.
I do seriously think that understanding the past and even being critical of it has value, particularly since most people seem to buy into the notion of progress as being a thing that happens, rather than a thing that we MAKE happen, do you know what I mean?
I do know what you mean, and I fully agree. In fact, I agree so much that I’m QUOTING YOU FOR TRUTH!
Why exactly is this commercial racist? Is it that American Indian imagery is being used to advertise a product called “Red Pop”? The non-authentic costumes? White actors portraying Indians?
These cartoonized depictions exist for just about all groups of people.
The safest thing for advertisers to do in the face of this hypersensitivity is avoid depicting American Indians at all and pretend they don’t exist.
So, that makes them right? How about we just don’t use blackface or redface or yellowface and treat all races with respect. Is that so difficult to imagine?
