Racist Ads Suck

I´ve been thinking a lot about racism and sexism in Ecuador.  I want to take some photos of some of the racist advertising specific to this country, but for now here´s an example I found in the April Vogue Latinoamerica. 

 

In the magazine´s defense it is one of the most aesthically pleasing magazines available in Quito for less than $8.  That is why I bought it.  Beautiful design, however, does not makeup for this ad.  It is an ad for a new perfume by the Spanish designer, Jesus del Pozo, called In Black.  Choosing a black model for a perfume called In Black seems racist in such an obvious way that I cannot believe the peple who created the ad were unware of the implications of this choice.  Furthermore, the black model is portrayed as exotic (a common stereotype of black women in advertising) and is wrapped in beads that resemble some sort of bondage outfit.  The fact that it is in some ways a very beautiful photograph makes it even more disturbing for me.

Jesus del Pozo, I just looked at your website and you have designed some beautiful clothing.  Too bad, as I won´t be buying anything from you unless this ad campaign is changed.

Comments

[Ulla]

Risa, you do have a way of finding thought provoking links... I agree, this is tasteless, and a shame... Good for you, for pointing it out... Its sad how racism still is so prevelent all over the world...

[lisa]

i took a class in grad school called visual rhetoric and did a big paper on travel ads similar to this. very interesting stuff.

[Camille C]

As just a regular ole' multi-racial (black, white, native american) girl from the US, I need more information about why this is racist. I don't understand your point in saying "Choosing a black model for a perfume called In Black seems racist in such an obvious way that I cannot believe the people who created the ad were unware of the implications of this choice." But I guess the advetisers didn't either. Maybe I am just looking superficially at the lovely artistry of the picture (as you said). What is wrong with black women being portrayed as exotic? I guess what you are saying is that there is no diversity. Like maybe you don't see a lot of ads with black girls as regular college students? Anyway, I hope I don't come off as ignorant to this issue. I always appreciate a good debate. I recently came across your blog and I really enjoy reading it, by the way.

[David Wilson]

is it just me or my browser or have you not posted the ad itself? i am not familiar with the magazine you mention

but - based just on what you have said it looks like you are setting yourself up for some kind of victimhood, second law of structures is 'rigidity attracts moments', whatever, i will see if i can troll up the ad with google and have a look

i didn't think you were even allowed to call black women 'black' anymore, i thought it had to be 'woman of colour' or something, no?

[risa]

thank you for your insightful comments! this is all very interesting to me!!! it is true, camille, that my critique of the portrayal of a black woman as exotic comes from the larger advertising world where black women (and other women of color) are often missing altogether, and when they do appear they are overly sexualized and often appear with animal prints and other jungle motif...if there was more diversity than of course individual ads like this would not disturb me in the same way. also, after having lived in a very racist society for awhile now i may be somewhat jaded. perhaps i am not giving the advertisers th ebenefit of the doubt they deserve but i am still suspicious of why a perfume that has black in its name but has nothing to do with race has to have a black woman in its ad.

[David Wilson]

ok, i looked and found the GV email in my trash, found your site again, still no picture but looked at the html and found the jpg, downloaded it, (whew) ... so now i am looking at it.

you are right, there is something about this image that does not sit right ... i still don't have a problem with the obvious symmetry of the words, trite but not offensive, but there is something (?)

she is so skinny but she does have hips, bunda, so just about naked and bound up in stylized chains as you say, and - the word i would use for her expression is 'soi-distant', ie with her 'self' intentionally not revealed, withheld, have to say i don't get it, and all this surrounding stuff - birds, flowers (?), silk that looks like smoke, a perfume bottle that looks (excuse me) like a flaccid male part

so who buys this stuff? do women buy it for themselves or do they get their men to buy it? how much is it? expensive? is it young girls who buy it? who reads Vogue anyway? who is the model? any idea?

i have to laugh, the first comment says something about 'thought provoking' and at the time i dismissed it :-))

what she says to me is "i am hurt, this skinniness is not accidental, i am exploited but you can not help me, i would not even ask you to help me, i would not let you help me", some kind of twisted power thing somewhere ... dunno

be well

[Monica Andrade]

BTW, as far as I know, Vogue Latinoamerica is not edited in Quuito, so it is not an Ecuadorian magazine.

[David Wilson]

lol, the pic in your blog now shows up in my browser !?

the model is Patricia Namayira, no details found, the photographer is Juan Gatti an Argentinian now living and working in Spain, you can see more of her at: http://www.mfilomeno.com/juan/artdirector/In_Black.html

[Alistair Richardson]

don't think you're never ever gonna buy something of jesus del pozo, as per your opinions, don't seem the sharpest tool in the box, therefore i would dare to guess that you don't have a very good job, therefore not a very good income -not enough for such a sofisticated and expensive label. or even if you had, you would lack the taste.
love :)

[Alessandra]

I really don't see the racism in this ad, I'm sorry, but I don't. The ad campaign, in my opinion is very beautiful and portrays the woman in a respectful way, remembering, of course, that it is an AD campaign, designed to attract attention and be provocative. Also, why is his use of the term BLACK as the name of the campaign racist? I don't get your logic, I really don't.

To be clear, I am a very proud US born Afro-Latina and I am very active in the movement to enhance respect for African women in general and Afro-Latinas in particular. For me, the test of whether an ad is racist or not is, does the advertiser promote ads using non-Black women in the same way? and/or is the Black model engaged in conduct in which non-Black women would never be used to portray? I've seen women of other ethnicities dressed in beads. Though such representations can be risque, this one is relatively modest. Is there a suggestion of sexuality, yes, but ads for women's fragrances and attire often are. I don't see anything out of the ordinary represented in this ad. The Benetton ads of a few years back were clearly racist. This ad is not even in the same league with that garbage.

We shouldn't be so sensitive that we can't recognize the difference between portraying a Black woman as a hypersexualized jezebel/saphire (racist)whose nakedness is exploited for objectification and to demean, and that of a Black woman portrayed in a manner consistent with Western ideals of femininity and sexually. Maybe that way of thinking is sexist, but I don't see the racism. Truth be told, many heterosexual (and probably homosexual) women desire to be sexually appealing in a very conventional way and that is why these ads, targeted to this audience, emphasise female sexuality and femininity.

What is the alternative? Portraying Black women as plain jane beings? Then there would be complaints that Black women are being portrayed as Mammys, unfeminine (by Western standards) designed only for work and not deserving of affection.

I recently came across an ad by an Italian designer, whose name I can't remember unfortunately, who had 8 or 9 practically naked, darkskinned Black women in a clothing ad ironically, all photographed together in very odd poses, with one having her naked rear end fully visible in a sexually suggestive way. He did other ads with blonde women and asian women all of whom were fully clothed and posed in very feminine positions, suggesting refined sexuality. I saw the racism in that ad very clearly. This one, not so much. In fact, I don't see it at all.

We have so many genuine attacks against us as Black women, that it is really ashame when we spin our wheels by wasting time conjuring up and/or seeking out non-existant ones.

I for one will write to the designer to thank him for the beautiful ad campaign. If the purfume is still in production and available in the US, I'll be sure to buy a copy.

Peace,

Alessandra

[denise]

I am a black woman myself and I think this is beautifully advertised. There will always be racism in the world and there is nothing anyone can do about it. So, the way I feel is if we can't beat em' join em'. She is beautiful and maybe the advertiser's knew that this was racist though I must say it is a very interesting theme. What can I say it got all of our attention and comments.

[Sciatt]

It's not portraying her in a negative light. That ad isn't racist at all. I suspect you don't even know what racism is and you're just looking for it to start a fuss about something. Keep in mind that political correctness hasn't gone crazy everywhere else in the world as it has in the US

[Sam]

Don't be so silly, there is nothing racist about this ad, is it not true that all models are portrayed as exotic? I thought we had moved on from sticking labels on everything. Don't be so narrow minded!

[Sarah]

I disagree with your comments on this advertisement. I think that it has been beautifully photographed, the model looks elegant and contrary to your comment, I think that the advertisement celebrates the beauty of black women, which can be nothing but good! regardless of race or colour of skin, the advertisement is successful in my eyes because it is beautiful, elegant and mysterious.

[ll]

omg, can people chill about racism...
i'm in no way saying it's not still a problem, but people totally miss the point, and they look for it everywhere...

many many models are portrayed super sexy, so i don't agree she's exotic because of her skin color...

anyway, why doesn't anyone talk about why a black woman is posing for that ad if it could be considered offensive?

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[T]

I think many of the comments that deny the visible racism in this ad are probably in denial and/or not educated enough on the issue to recognize racism--which unfortunately is one of the reasons why racism continues to have such a stronghold in the world.

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