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WHY, REALLY?
LET'S BRING IN POP CULTURE
EXPERT JOHN MURRAY FROM
ALWAYSALIST.COM.
SHOULD WE HAVE BEEN SURPRISED AT
THE VENOM THIS AD RECEIVED IN
2013?
>> I KNOW PEOPLE IN MY AGE
DEMOGRAPHIC LOOK AT THINGS WITH
ROSE-COLORED GLASSES.
THIS IS THE POST OBAMA AGE.
HERE'S A NEWS FLASH.
MULTIRACIAL FAMILIES BIRTHED THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY KNEW
THAT.
BUT I THINK THIS IS A WAKE-UP
CALL FROM OUR GENERATION THAT
RACISM IS STILL VERY PREVALENT
IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND THIS IS THE NEW NORMAL.
THIS IS THE MODERN FAMILY.
THIS IS ALL THOSE THINGS THAT
SITCOMS ARE MADE OF.
BIRACIAL FAMILIES, THAT'S WHAT
WE SEE IN AMERICA.
YOU SEE IT ALL DAY EVERY DAY
WALKING DOWN THE SIDEWALK.
THE NUMBERS HAVE INCREASED.
AND I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT
CHEERIOS RELEASED A STATEMENT
THAT THE POSITIVE COMMENTS
OUTWEIGHED THE NEGATIVE 10-1.
IT'S JUST THAT THE ONE COMMENT
IN THE 10 OF THEM WERE SO MEAN
AND MEAN SPIRITED THAT IT DIDN'T
FIT THEIR FAMILY FRIENDLY
ENVIRONMENT.
>> YEAH.
I JUST SEE A FAMILY, A CUTE
LITTLE GIRL, A GUY ON THE COUCH
SLEEPING.
DO YOU THINK THIS IS KIND OF A
BRILLIANT MARKETING SCHEME BY
CHEERIOS, JOHN?
DO YOU THINK THIS WAS THOUGHT
OVER AND THOUGHT ABOUT, THAT
THIS WOULD CREATE THIS
CONVERSATION?
>> YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF
THAT'S WHAT THEY THOUGHT GOING
INTO THIS.
BUT THE ONE THING I APPLAUD
GENERAL MILLS AND CHEERIOS FOR
IS BOTH HOLLYWOOD AND THE
ADVERTISING INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE,
THEY ARE OFTEN CRITICIZED FOR
NOT EMBRACING DIVERSITY.
WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THE LACK OF
DIVERSITY THAT MAGAZINES LIKE
"VOGUE" AND THE "HOLLYWOOD
REPORTER" DISPLAY ON THEIR
COVER.
SO FOR THEM TO SHOWCASE A
MULTIRACIAL FAMILY IN A
COMMERCIAL LIKE THIS, IT IS
CREATING A DIALOGUE THAT NEEDS
TO BE HAD IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND SOMETIMES BEING IN A BIG
CITY, ATLANTA, NEW YORK, L.A.,
WE ARE IN VERY DIVERSE
POPULATIONS.
WE FORGET ABOUT THE PEOPLE IN
REGIONS THAT AREN'T AS ENGAGED
AND EXPOSED TO DIVERSITY.
>> GOOD POINT.