Campaign reported on the latest 100% diverted diversity bullshit from The 3% Conference: the launch of a survey asking, “Exactly how pervasive is sexual harassment and gender bias in the advertising industry?” According to Campaign, the survey was “driven by the JWT discrimination case” involving the alleged ignorance of former JWT Worldwide Chairman and CEO Gustavo Martinez. However, The 3% Conference will play ignorant regarding the charges of anti-Semitism and racism in the case. Is a formal survey really necessary? Publicis Groupe Hairman and CEO Maurice Lévy—along with lots of prominent ad women—might insist there is no problem. The survey site claims, “Research from The 3% Movement reveals 23% of ad women have witnessed or experienced sexual harassment and 25% have personally experienced gender discrimination.” Okay, but the percentages for minorities who have witnessed or experienced harassment and/or personally experienced discrimination are waaaay higher.
3 comments:
As a woman of color working in the industry, as someone who saw firsthand how the rise of the 3% Conference meant the shutting down and shutting out of discussions around racism in advertising over the last two years, this bullshit website makes me ANGRY.
They've sanitized and whitewashed the racial issues surrounding all these white execs mouthing off, and focused only on gender.
Where does that leave women of color?
We are, as usual, totally locked out and shoved to the back of the line by the well meaning white women who only want to discuss gender when they already make up 50% in most agencies. How do I shout this from the rooftops?
STOP WHINING THAT "ONLY" 11% OF CREATIVE DIRECTORS ARE WHITE WOMEN WHEN JUST 1% OF MADISON AVENUE IS BLACK!
STOP SHOVING WHITE WOMEN TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE AT THE COST OF MEN AND WOMEN OF COLOR!
FOR FUCK'S SAKE, OPEN UP SOME SPACE FOR ISSUES OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION THAT AFFECT YOUR FEMALE FOLLOWERS ON TOP OF AND INCLUDING THE GENDER BULLSHIT!
Someone from the advertising world, talking about a topic the ad world needs to hear.
I'm looking right at your casting choices, Burrell and Sanders Wingo.
On top of giving the side eye to every white ad agency (all of them, in other words), too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvoWoMIwr-g
The racial blindness at white General Market agencies is bad.
Casting random brunettes as Hispanic even though they’re anything but (and yes I get that Hispanics can be any race but when you need them to speak Spanish and they’re a foreign model from Lithuania that doesn’t help).
Casting Italians as Native Americans because they’re “dark enough to pass and no one is going to check it out to care” (direct quote).
Purposely casting “ambiguously ethnic” so that they can get the same talent to work in both a Hispanic or an Asian market ad. Gotta pinch them pennies.
Removing Black talent from ads for specific markets, because pearl clutch if someone Black is seen as universal. They do love their “light skinned actress with freckles and a manageable afro,” tho.
But the colorism at ethnic ad agencies? Off the charts. You put 20 Black actresses in front of an ethnic agency and they go for the lightest skin option with the most relaxed hair 10 out of 10 times.
If you get too many dark skinned options in front of them they squirm out of it by using code phrases like, “We’re looking for less urban talent, you know?” or “We need more suburban friendly talent.”
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