5806: eXCUSES, eXCUSES.

Love the way this ad blames others for the problem. The excuses should include: I’m a sloth-like lardass.

5805: Mad Men On The Cutting Edge Of Bias.

Not much to say about the latest installment of AMC series Mad Men. Minorities didn’t make an appearance—although it was hard to tell if Black stable workers were present where Betty Draper rides horses. The only blatant cultural jab involved the ridiculing of a client’s obese wife. This type of bias is actually ahead of its time for the show.

5804: Overreaction Of The Week.

This ad appeared in the latest issue of Ebony magazine. Of the four presidents depicted on the specially minted coins, three owned slaves.* What’s next—a commemorative coin featuring Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings? Maybe the U.S. Mint could distribute the coins for free in lieu of reparations.

*John Quincy Adams did not own slaves. Martin Van Buren owned slaves before serving as President, but not during his stay in office.

5803: Urban Expertise In 15 Words Or Less.

This actual job listing from the infamous Creative Circle warrants ridicule. Read it quickly and view the MultiCultClassics response below.

Account Planner + Research-Urban Markets

Position: Account Planner + Research-Urban Markets
Location: City of Chicago
Status: Freelance
Estimated Duration: Ongoing
Starts: Aug. 20th
Rate: $35-45/hr DOE

Job Description:
A great freelance project with an upbeat agency in the city. Our client is looking for an Account Planner to work with their team.

You must have urban marketing and research experience to be considered. The ideal candidate will have 3-4 years of experience.

This starts on Aug. 20th so apply now with a sentence describing your experience doing research and planning for urban marketing.

OK, for anyone needing a clue, urban marketing is standard code for Black- or minority-targeted marketing—at least in the Chicago advertising community where this message originated. And they’re probably not seeking Latino marketing professionals, since Creative Circle would have stipulated for fluency in Spanish. Regardless, the outrageous part involves the final request: a sentence describing your experience doing research and planning for urban marketing. Does Creative Circle have such little respect for the specialization that they believe any expertise can be summed up in a sentence? You have to wonder what responses might spark interest from the recruitment firm. Here are a few guesses:

I worked at (fill-in-the-Black) agency.

I received an MBA from an HBCU with a UNCF scholarship.

I won an ADCOLOR™ Award.

I organized a gospel choir competition.

I’ve produced at least one commercial featuring a barbershop.

Ditto commercials featuring double dutch.

I’m the hardest-working man in Black advertising.

I invented the Black Inventors ad concept.

I have access to hip-hop artists.

I am a hip-hop artist.

5802: Who’s To Blame For L’Oréal And Beyoncé?

One more quick hit regarding L’Oréal and Beyoncé.

As always, the advertiser is taking the heat while the advertising agency quietly cowers in a corner. It’s difficult to identify the responsible agency via Google. New York’s McCann-Erickson handles the Féria brand in the U.S. If McCann is the culprit in this latest fiasco, well, it would be no surprise. The shop recently watched another client, Verizon Wireless, pull a commercial deemed insensitive by pit bull lovers. Plus, McCann’s as culturally clueless as they come on Madison Avenue.

Again, MultiCultClassics is not convinced Beyoncé was whitewashed. However, it’s quite likely her image was messed up by Whites.

5801: Isaac Hayes (1942-2008).

From MTV.com…

Isaac Hayes, Soul Legend And The Voice Of ‘South Park’ Character Chef, Dead At 65

Singer/songwriter died Sunday afternoon.

By Jem Aswad

Isaac Hayes — a legendary soul singer, songwriter, musician and producer whose career spanned four decades and who achieved unexpected fame later in life as the voice of “South Park” character Chef — died Sunday afternoon (August 10), a spokesperson for the Shelby County, Tennesee, sheriff’s department told WMC-TV in Memphis.

Hayes’ wife found him on the floor near a treadmill inside his home, according to the station’s Web site. Hayes was taken to Baptist East Hospital in Memphis, where he was pronounced dead at 2:08 p.m.

Deputies with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department are continuing their investigation into Hayes’ death, but they believe no foul play was involved, the report said. Hayes was 65.

Born in Covington, Tennessee, in 1942, Hayes was a key figure in the development of the 1960s Southern soul sound before going on to a successful solo career.

He made his public singing debut in church at the age of 5, and taught himself piano and saxophone before relocating to Memphis and performing with groups there, according to All-Music Guide. In 1964, he began playing with the Mar-Keys, which led to his long stint as a musician, songwriter and producer for the legendary Memphis soul label Stax Records.

Over the following years, Hayes and songwriting partner David Porter wrote a reported 200 songs, including such soul classics as Sam & Dave’s “Soul Man” and “Hold On, I’m Comin’,” Carla Thomas’ “B-A-B-Y” and Johnnie Taylor’s “I Had a Dream.”

Hayes released his debut solo album in 1967, but his breakthrough came two years later with the classic Hot Buttered Soul, which featured lush, ambitious arrangements and an innovative structure, and exerted a profound influence on many soul albums to come — not least Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On.

In 1971, Hayes reached the peak of his musical popularity with the single and album Shaft, the score from the film. The song not only was an archetypal slice of funk that garnered Hayes a #1 single and Grammy and Academy Awards, the talk-singing style he employed on it exerted a huge influence on rap music.

After the strong albums Black Moses and Joy, Hayes’ popularity waned in the coming years, exacerbated by a legal battle with Stax over royalties. He filed for bankruptcy in 1976.

Hayes continued to perform and record over the following years, but he didn’t reappear on the mainstream radar until 1997, when he provided the voice for the “South Park” character Jerome “Chef” McElroy. Originally intended to be a one-off appearance, Hayes’ character quickly became extremely popular, providing the main children characters with advice and often breaking into comical R&B love songs that parody some of the songs Hayes had written in the first place. Hayes sang the notorious “Chocolate Salty Balls” on the “South Park” album Chief Aid.

A Scientologist since the mid 1990s, Hayes parted company with the show after a 2005 show that skewered the religion. A press release announcing his separation from Comedy Central, which airs “South Park,” was issued in March 2006. Hayes reportedly suffered a stroke in early 2006, and was occasionally unsteady in public appearances thereafter.

Hayes was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

The following statement was issued Sunday by the Soulsville Foundation:

“The Soulsville Foundation, which operates the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Stax Music Academy, and The Soulsville Charter School, is so deeply saddened by the passing of Isaac Hayes that we are in state of shock. Isaac is one of the most beloved members of the Stax family and we all cherish him. He will be missed not only by us, but also by the entire world and the millions of people who love him as much as we do.

“Marc Willis, CEO of the Soulsville Foundation, said, ‘Isaac was unique and an inspiration to us all. His accomplishments as a musician are unparalleled. But more than that, he was a very dear friend and great supporter of the Soulsville Foundation mission, particularly the work we do with children. We will miss him and his wonderful presence more than we can convey at this time.’”

5800: Obligatory Olympics Post.

Given the recent decision by New York City schools to make double dutch an official varsity sport, look for the iconic activity to become an Olympic event in the 2016 Games at least. And while the Americans will dominate, some obscure country will undoubtedly present serious competition. Just remember you read the prediction here first.

5799: Keeping It L’Oréal With Beyoncé.

Here’s another shade of Beyoncé from L’Oréal. See the full spectrum here.

5798: A Cliché Is A Terrible Thing To Waste.

The United Negro College Fund presents the Black Inventors concept. Wonder if a Black advertising person invented this overused idea.

5797: Back-To-Not-Cool.

Back-To-School Advertising 101: Don’t allow your campaign to be created by people completely out of touch with the target audience.

5796: Making Headlines For All The Wrong Reasons.

Political hacks in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Scratch another name off the short list for Democratic vice-presidential candidates.

• Good news, bad news. A judge decided Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick could be freed from jail. But then Michigan’s attorney general declared he was charging Kilpatrick with two felony assault charges stemming from a scuffle with a sheriff’s deputy. Actually, not sure which part is good news and which is bad.

5795: Bernie Mac (1957-2008).

From The Chicago Sun-Times…

Comedian, South Sider Bernie Mac dies at 50

By Sun-Times Staff

Comedian Bernie Mac died at Northwestern Memorial hospital early Saturday morning, according to his publicist, Danica Smith. He was 50.

“Actor/comedian Bernie Mac passed away this morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital,” Smith said in a statement. “No other details are available at this time. We ask that his family’s privacy continues to be respected.”

Sun-Times columnist Stella Foster said that she received calls early Saturday morning from a close friend of the Mac family, confirming the reports of Mac’s death.

The columnist also said she was deeply saddened to receive such a phone call just an hour after Mac was pronounced dead.

“It brought tears to my eyes because Bernie Mac has always been my all-time favorite entertainer and comedian. It pains me to have to report that,” Foster said during a phone interview on Saturday morning.

On Friday, a spokeswoman for the actor, whose real name is, Bernard McCullough, said that he had been responding well to treatment for the illness.

Smith said Thursday in a statement that Mac’s condition is “stable.” Smith first announced Aug. 1 that Mac was hospitalized in Chicago.

Smith said Mac’s pneumonia wasn’t related to an inflammatory lung disease Mac also had. That condition was in remission since 2005.

Foster noted that last weekend several web sites reported wrongly that the comedian died.

Mac made waves last month with off-color jokes during a fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

The comedian starred in the critically acclaimed Fox television series “The Bernie Mac Show.” His film credits include roles in the “Ocean’s Eleven” franchise.

Foster says she remembers Bernie’s comedic beginnings through his show, “Midnight Mac,” which aired for four shows on HBO and was taped in Chicago in 1995.

“It was a variety entertainment show,” she said, “He even had dancers called Macaroni’s. That was my first exposure to how talented Bernie Mac was. And after that show, that’s when Hollywood started beating down his door.”

Mac started his comedy career at age 8, with a standup performance at a church dinner. In 1977, at age 20, he took that act to comedy clubs in Chicago.

His film career started with a small role as a club doorman in the Damon Wayans movie “Mo’ Money” in 1992. Mac went on to star in the “Ocean’s Eleven” franchise with Brad Pitt and George Clooney and his turn with Ashton Kutcher in 2005’s “Guess Who?” — a remake of the Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn 1967 classic “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” — topped the box office.

Mac also had starring roles in “Bad Santa,” “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” and “Transformers.”

The comedian drew critical and popular acclaim with his Fox television series “The Bernie Mac Show,” which aired more than 100 episodes from 2001 to 2006.

The series about a man’s adventures raising his sister’s three children, won a Peabody Award in 2002. At the time, judges wrote they chose the sitcom for transcending “race and class while lifting viewers with laughter, compassion — and cool.”

The show garnered Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for Mac. He also was nominated for a Grammy award for best comedy album in 2001 along with his “The Original Kings of Comedy” co-stars, Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley and Cedric The Entertainer.

In 2007, Mac told David Letterman on CBS’ “Late Show” that he planned to retire soon.

“I’m going to still do my producing, my films, but I want to enjoy my life a little bit,” Mac told Letterman. “I missed a lot of things, you know. I was a street performer for two years. I went into clubs in 1977.”

Mac was born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough on Oct. 5, 1957, in Chicago. He grew up on the city’s South Side, living with his mother and grandparents. His grandfather was the deacon of a Baptist church.

In his 2004 memoir, “Maybe You Never Cry Again,” Mac wrote about having a poor childhood — eating bologna for dinner — and a strict, no-nonsense upbringing.

Mac’s mother died of cancer when he was 16. In his book, Mac said she was a support for him and told him he would surprise everyone when he grew up.

“Woman believed in me,” he wrote. “She believed in me long before I believed.”

The actor’s upcoming movies include “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” starring Ben Stiller, Chris Rock and David Schwimmer; and “Soul Men” with Samuel L. Jackson and Isaac Hayes.

There is no word on whether public services will be held.

5794: Tagging Diversity Ads, Part 15.

Corporations love producing diversity ads to hype commitment to an inclusive workforce. Yet these advertisers seem unconcerned about partnering with advertising agencies where diversity is almost viewed with adversity. Granted, many companies compensate by mixing up their AOR rosters with minority-owned shops. But does such a move really negate the contradictions of associating with agencies that have steadfastly resisted moving beyond predominately White work environments?

This week, MultiCultClassics presents actual corporate diversity ads that have been “tagged” with special messages to highlight the hypocrisy.

Click on the ads and read closely.

5793: Holy Mackerel… Or Holy Shit?

Anybody want to try and explain this one?

5792: L’Oréal, Beyoncé And Cultural Cluéléssnéss.

Hadn’t planned to examine the L’Oréal/Beyoncé drama, as others have already addressed it with better perspective, better emotion and better boycotting. Besides, it’s always best to avoid touching a Black woman’s hair—even as a blog topic—unless you really know what you’re doing. Hey, this subject is so combustible, it managed to draw comments at the typically ignored Agency Spy. Anyway, here are a few thoughts from a primarily advertising-related viewpoint.

Contrary to popular protests, it’s unlikely that L’Oréal deliberately lightened Beyoncé’s skin or messed with her nose and other items. The company officially insisted, “It is categorically untrue that L’Oréal Paris altered Ms. Knowles’ features or skin tone in the campaign for Féria hair color.” The company is probably right. However, they’re still probably wrong. Bear with us for a bit.

Technically, it’s a safe bet L’Oréal did not covertly tamper with the superstar. Anyone who has ever produced fashion advertising or fashion photography will attest that lighting plays a key role. When filming hair, incredibly strong lamps are used to make each strand visible and shiny. For example, commercials for Pantene and Clairol often show the backs of women’s heads for two reasons: 1) to display every glistening follicle and; 2) to avoid having the person’s face completely “blown out” (or whitewashed) by the spotlights. Given that L’Oréal is selling a haircolor and highlights product, they undoubtedly employed a ton of lights. Think supernova.

This is not a case of L’Oréal manipulating Beyoncé via Photoshop (at least not beyond the normal ultra-retouching done for fashion shots). Quite the opposite. L’Oréal should have used Photoshop—to restore the natural skin tone removed by the lighting. Sorry, but it simply doesn’t make sense that L’Oréal would alter Beyoncé for this campaign when she has already graced numerous ads for the beauty company.

Unfortunately, L’Oréal unwittingly stepped on a cultural landmine, and ultimately displayed their cultural cluelessness. They should have worked harder with their lighting to compensate for a Black woman (Black hair care specialists are much more savvy about these things). Plus, they should have looked closer at the image to realize the potential issues. Although they were not actively being sneaky or evil, L’Oréal was professionally insensitive in this scenario. Despite being headquartered in Paris—a locale boasting forward thinking—the company is culturally clueless.

Ironically, L’Oréal owns SoftSheen-Carson, an expert in the Black hair care category. Rumors claim the enterprises remain segregated, so it’s not like the White folks would ever consider consulting with the Black sister company. And heaven forbid SoftSheen-Carson might receive L’Oréal budgets to sign up Beyoncé too. SoftSheen-Carson has to settle for Kelly Rowland.

Another dilemma to keep in mind: L’Oréal is working with White beauty standards. Hence, they failed to foresee the damage this campaign has generated. Beyoncé looked just fine to L’Oréal—and she still does. We’ll forgo the standard(s) rant associated with this observation.

In the end, L’Oréal didn’t intentionally do anything wrong. Unless you believe that an international beauty corporation being culturally clueless is wrong. For the advertising industry—and the fashion industry—it’s par for the course.

5791: Changing Faces.

Facing reality with a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• L’Oréal denied whitewashing Beyoncé in an ad for its hair color product. “It is categorically untrue that L’Oréal Paris altered Ms. Knowles’ features or skin tone in the campaign for Féria hair color,” insisted the advertiser. Beyoncé’s publicist added, “There is no doubt that anyone seeing that ad will know that it is Beyoncé.” No opinion yet from Michael Jackson.

• U.S. Census figures show minority populations continue to rise. “The White population, I wouldn’t say is fading into the background, but it is becoming the older, less fertile part of the population,” said a demographer from the Brookings Institute. A Maryland school official added, “If you don’t have a plan to accommodate the diversity and the poverty and the language, your community is gonna have a train wreck.” Or mirror Madison Avenue.

5790: Tagging Diversity Ads, Part 14.

Corporations love producing diversity ads to hype commitment to an inclusive workforce. Yet these advertisers seem unconcerned about partnering with advertising agencies where diversity is almost viewed with adversity. Granted, many companies compensate by mixing up their AOR rosters with minority-owned shops. But does such a move really negate the contradictions of associating with agencies that have steadfastly resisted moving beyond predominately White work environments?

This week, MultiCultClassics presents actual corporate diversity ads that have been “tagged” with special messages to highlight the hypocrisy.

Click on the ads and read closely.

5789: Creative Circle Or The Tenth Circle?

It’s hard to tell if talent recruitment firm Creative Circle is indeed a cesspool or a harbinger of the devilish days ahead for advertising job seekers. Probably a combination of both.

The joint regularly posts low-paying assignments requiring candidates bring their own supplies and act as stenographers—before writing and designing a brochure in a day.

Position: Freelance Marketing Copywriter
Location: Western Suburbs
Starts: Thursday, August 7th; One Day w/chance of extension
Rate: $25-$30/hour DOE

NOTE: You will need your own laptop to work on site with this client for the day.

Job Description:
Our client is seeking a freelance Marketing Copywriter with their own laptop for a one day assignment. There is the chance it may spill into another day but as of now, it is scheduled for one day.

We are looking for this person to sit in on a meeting with the partners of the company. You will be taking notes on the meeting, asking questions, and afterward, will make recommendations based on previous work in regards to coming up with some marketing collateral for this client. You will deliver a one-page brochure summarizing this insight for this client.

NOTE: If you happen to have the DESIGN skills to also lay this out, please mention this in your reply. (This is not required but could be a big PLUS!)

Creative Circle also emails requests for same-day service.

Position: ACD (COPY SIDE)
Location: City of Chicago
Status: Freelance
Estimated Duration: Days
Starts: TODAY
Rate: Up to $40/hour

Job Description:
Our client is looking for an ACD (COPY) to get started on a project TODAY!

Must collaborate with an Art Director on a variety of materials including innovative marketing concepts.

Will be working today (Thursday), Friday and potentially the weekend.

If you’re avail to do some great work and work with a creative team, let us know about you!

And the place is never shy about demanding award-winning talent to slave for its hackneyed clientele.

Position: Freelance Sr. Designer
Location: City of Chicago
Starts: TODAY; Duration TBD
Rate: Depends on Experience

Job Description:
Our client is a downtown branding consultancy, design firm and agency seeking the next VSA caliber designer to deliver amazing design solutions.

If you have design appropriate AIGA award-winning pieces, and are available as soon as TODAY, please let us know ASAP.

This is a great opportunity to OWN your design within this shop and really push the boundaries of creativity.

To keep things cordial, all Creative Circle emails feature a disclaimer essentially admitting they’re running a cattle call—you’re one of countless monkeys on their conveyor belt.

We apologize in advance if we’re unable to connect with you in person for each of your submissions. As you can imagine, we get quite a few responses. We are committed to review and evaluate each applicant’s qualifications. If you would like to opt out of future emails, please reply with ‘no more emails please’ on the subject and/or body of your response.

Not sure what’s worse: advertising agencies so dysfunctional that they require instant bodies or advertising professionals so desperate that they supply instant bodies. Regardless, it’s a sure bet that neither is worse than Creative Circle, which deserves a position alongside the other nine circles in Dante’s Inferno.

5788: Trouble Brewing.

Not Living the High Life in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was thrown into jail for traveling to Canada without informing the court, a violation of the terms of his bond in his perjury case. Kilpatrick tried to apologize by explaining to the judge, “I’ve been living in an incredible state of pressure and scrutiny.” He may soon be living in an incredible state prison.

• Molson Coors Brewing company recorded 2Q profits dropped 56 percent. Guess the Silver Bullet is no financial silver bullet, in addition to being an outdated and corny campaign vehicle.

5787: Super-Size Me And You.

From The Chicago Tribune…

Up next, a weighty majority

By Rex W. Huppke

It seems Americans have adopted an “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” approach to the raging obesity epidemic. According to a new study, pretty much everyone in the country who can lift a fork will be overweight or obese within the next two decades.

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health—clearly unconvinced that we’re going to stick to that new diet we started—are saying that more than 86 percent of Americans will be super-sized by the year 2030.

The report appeared in the July online edition of the journal Obesity—a publication looking forward to an ever-widening reader base—and it’s unnerving for a number of reasons.

It warns of skyrocketing health-care costs and a sharp rise in heart disease, type 2 diabetes and strokes. It also could jeopardize the future of people like myself, people who went through high school chubby and were called mean names that may have seemed harmless but caused serious self-esteem issues, forcing us later in life to write snarky newspaper articles incorporating low-brow fat jokes.

How am I going to sell low-brow fat jokes when everyone’s fat? And how unfair is it that I had to go through high school when it was uncool to be heavy, while future generations get to revel in an age when only the thin are outcasts?

Imagine it for a moment. Fat will be the new thin, and most people will shop Gap and Benetton for the latest in stylish elastic-waistband jeans, leaving the scrawny minority to browse un-hip “minus-size” stores.

Bingeing will be in and purging will be passé, as supermodels feast lustily in full view of paparazzi.

An aging Eddie Murphy will don a rubber “thin suit” so he can play every character in a movie about a jocular family of fit people. Fat Albert will be known simply as Albert.

And after the inevitable collapse of the fitness and organic vegetable industries, the once-righteous skinny folk will find work only in the fields of sprawling Midwestern pancake farms, forced to lunch on deep-fried radicchio and high-fructose corn syrup-infused sea-bass-on-a-stick.

It all makes me shudder so much I just spilled my Slim-Fast breakfast shake.

This apocalyptic new study, funded by a weeklong bake sale at Johns Hopkins, also projects the cost associated with America’s chubification could be as high as $956.9 billion. That’s roughly equivalent to 956.9 billion items from a McDonald’s dollar menu.

Speaking of which, I believe it’s cheeseburger time. No sense waiting until 2030 to celebrate the revolution.

Rex W. Huppke is a Tribune reporter who writes frequently about nutrition from a Hostess-centric viewpoint. For his take on the 100-calorie snack pack, go to chicagotribune.com/snackpack.

5786: Majority Minority Not An Oxymoron.

From The New York Times…

Minorities Often a Majority of the Population Under 20

By Sam Roberts

Foreshadowing the nation’s changing makeup, one in four American counties have passed or are approaching the tipping point where black, Hispanic and Asian children constitute a majority of the under-20 population, according to analyses of census figures released Thursday.

Racial and ethnic minorities now account for 43 percent of Americans under 20. Among people of all ages, minorities make up at least 40 percent of the population in more than one in six of the nation’s 3,141 counties.

The latest population changes by race, ethnicity and age, as of July 1, 2007, were generally marginal compared with the year before. But they confirm the breadth of the nation’s diversity, and suggest that minorities — now about a third of the population — might constitute a majority of all Americans even sooner than projected by census demographers, in 2050.

In 2000, black, Hispanic and Asian children under age 20 were at or near a majority in only about one-fifth of the counties and, over all, blacks, Hispanics and Asians accounted for 40 percent or more of the population in about one in seven counties.

Even with the growing diversity, all but one of the 82 counties where blacks make up a majority are in the South (except St. Louis), all but two of the 46 where Hispanics are in the majority are in the South or the West (except the Bronx and Seward, Kan., home to giant meatpacking plants), and four of the five counties with the largest proportion of Asians are in Hawaii (San Francisco rounds out the top five with 33 percent).

Read the full story here.

5785: Tagging Diversity Ads, Part 13.

Corporations love producing diversity ads to hype commitment to an inclusive workforce. Yet these advertisers seem unconcerned about partnering with advertising agencies where diversity is almost viewed with adversity. Granted, many companies compensate by mixing up their AOR rosters with minority-owned shops. But does such a move really negate the contradictions of associating with agencies that have steadfastly resisted moving beyond predominately White work environments?

This week, MultiCultClassics presents actual corporate diversity ads that have been “tagged” with special messages to highlight the hypocrisy.

Click on the ads and read closely.

5784: Needling The Thread With Bob Garfield.

OK, it’s getting a tad tiresome, but check out the comments for Essay 5770. Bob Garfield returned with thoughts, and MultiCultClassics responded. While this blog has disagreed with Garfield in the past—and even ridiculed him while doing so—the man has never deserved outright condemnation. In short, we don’t hate you, Bob. Calm down.

5783: Light News Day.

MultiCultClassics Monologue Lite.

• L’Oréal sparked controversy by apparently lightening Beyoncé for an advertisement. Not sure why they’d hire Beyoncé but want her to look like other L’Oréal spokesperson Heather Locklear.

5782: Tagging Diversity Ads, Part 12.

Corporations love producing diversity ads to hype commitment to an inclusive workforce. Yet these advertisers seem unconcerned about partnering with advertising agencies where diversity is almost viewed with adversity. Granted, many companies compensate by mixing up their AOR rosters with minority-owned shops. But does such a move really negate the contradictions of associating with agencies that have steadfastly resisted moving beyond predominately White work environments?

This week, MultiCultClassics presents actual corporate diversity ads that have been “tagged” with special messages to highlight the hypocrisy.

Click on the ads and read closely.

5781: Spreading MADness.

Going mad in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Certain Circuit City stores temporarily pulled the latest MAD magazine from shelves after discovering a parody advertisement section from “Sucker City.” The spoof includes lines about Nintendo Wii, “Guaranteed In Stock … if you’re friends with an employee who hid it in the back for you. Otherwise, ooh, sorry, all sold out.” Circuit City wound up backpedaling over the in-store censoring. “We apologize for the knee-jerk reaction, and have issued a retraction order; the affected stores are being directed to put the magazines back on sale,” said a store spokesman. “The parody of our newspaper ad in the August MAD was very clever. Most of us at Circuit City share a rich sense of humor and irony … but there are occasional temporary lapses.” The issue will probably be the only thing Circuit City manages to sell this month.

• A new report presented the obvious: child meals at restaurant chains are loaded with calories. “Parents want to feed their children healthy meals, but America’s chain restaurants are setting parents up to fail,” said a nonprofit public health group official. “McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC and other chains are conditioning kids to expect burgers, fried chicken, pizza, French fries, macaroni and cheese and soda in various combination at almost every lunch and dinner.” Doesn’t help when parents are stuffing their own faces with high-calorie adult meals.

• Former President Bill Clinton insisted, “I am not a racist,” during a TV interview. “There are things I wished I said [while campaigning for his wife Hillary]. Things I wished I hadn’t said, but I am not a racist,” said Clinton in reference to comments he made about Senator Barack Obama. “I never made a racist comment and I didn’t attack him personally.” No, Clinton is not a racist. He’s something worse: a typical politician.

5780: Tagging Diversity Ads, Part 11.

Corporations love producing diversity ads to hype commitment to an inclusive workforce. Yet these advertisers seem unconcerned about partnering with advertising agencies where diversity is almost viewed with adversity. Granted, many companies compensate by mixing up their AOR rosters with minority-owned shops. But does such a move really negate the contradictions of associating with agencies that have steadfastly resisted moving beyond predominately White work environments?

This week, MultiCultClassics presents actual corporate diversity ads that have been “tagged” with special messages to highlight the hypocrisy.

Click on the ads and read closely.

5779: It’s The Economy, Stupid. And Stupid Ideas.

You know things are bad when Mercedes-Benz dealers resort to cheap, clichéd advertising concepts. At least they didn’t say buying a Mercedes-Benz makes good cents.

5778: The Price Of Apologies.

From The Chicago Sun-Times…

Long-overdue apologies nice, but add substance to words

Sometimes saying “sorry” doesn’t cut it. Take two recent public apologies: The U.S. House of Representatives apologized to African Americans for slavery and Jim Crow, and an Army officer publicly apologized to 28 black World War II GIs who had been wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for the death of an Italian prisoner of war.

Paying reparations to descendants of slaves might give weight to that first apology, but that’s hardly practical.

What would be practical is to redouble efforts to improve the lives and opportunities of African Americans by investing more in our inner city schools, the safety of neighborhoods and job training.

Less complicated is the matter of compensation for Roy Montgomery, an 87-year-old ex-GI living in Park Forest, and the only known survivor of the 28 wrongfully convicted.

Last year, an Army review board cleared all 28 soldiers. And soon after that, one of the men, Samuel Snow, applied for compensation and received a check for $725 -- back pay for his military service.

Talk about adding insult to injury. The Army didn't even adjust for interest or inflation, which would have made it $80,000.

Snow refused to cash the check, and waited for a more official apology. That came last Saturday, the day after he died.

The Army still owes a debt to the last survivor, Montgomery, a debt it can never pay in full.

But they might start with a check -- and not for a measly $725.

5777: Tagging Diversity Ads, Part 10.

Corporations love producing diversity ads to hype commitment to an inclusive workforce. Yet these advertisers seem unconcerned about partnering with advertising agencies where diversity is almost viewed with adversity. Granted, many companies compensate by mixing up their AOR rosters with minority-owned shops. But does such a move really negate the contradictions of associating with agencies that have steadfastly resisted moving beyond predominately White work environments?

This week, MultiCultClassics presents actual corporate diversity ads that have been “tagged” with special messages to highlight the hypocrisy.

Click on the ad and read closely.

5776: Mad Men And Mad Fly Women.

Was it Interracial Romance Week on the latest episode of AMC series Mad Men?

Copywriter Paul Kinsey is dating a Black woman.

Don Draper had a weird moment with an Asian waitress.

Mad Men presented another stereotype that goes beyond the depicted period: The minority female as an exotic sexual object. Maybe next week Pete Campbell will be lusting after Rita Moreno in West Side Story.

5775: School Bullyshit.

Not sure it’s a good idea to combine back-to-school messaging with a nod to the school bully.

5774: Cynicism And Racism.

Political moves in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. said he would accept Barack Obama’s Senate seat if Obama is elected President. However, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich gets to make the decision, and he’s not a big Jackson fan. Hey, maybe Rev. Jesse Jackson could put in a good word for his son.

• Barack Obama, responding to the Republican campaign’s accusations that he had “played the race card,” called the John McCain campaign cynical versus racist. “In no way do I think that John McCain’s campaign was being racist,” said Obama. “I think they’re cynical. And I think they want to distract people from talking about the real issues. … They’re very good at negative campaigning. They’re not so good at governing.” Only in American politics can cynicism potentially be worse than racism.

• A Black reporter covering the McCain campaign in Florida was allegedly singled out and instructed to vacate a media area in Panama City. The man was among at least three other reporters—and the only Black among the reporters—standing near McCain’s campaign bus. He was asked to present his credentials by security personnel, then told to leave without explanation. When another reporter asked why, she was also removed from the area. A McCain spokesperson later remarked, “At the end of the day, [the] reporter was in the wrong place. I do not know why the other reporters were not moved. The rest of the local press should have been moved as well.” Perhaps McCain’s people were playing the race credentials. Or just being cynical.

5773: Tagging Diversity Ads, Part 9.

Corporations love producing diversity ads to hype commitment to an inclusive workforce. Yet these advertisers seem unconcerned about partnering with advertising agencies where diversity is almost viewed with adversity. Granted, many companies compensate by mixing up their AOR rosters with minority-owned shops. But does such a move really negate the contradictions of associating with agencies that have steadfastly resisted moving beyond predominately White work environments?

This week, MultiCultClassics presents actual corporate diversity ads that have been “tagged” with special messages to highlight the hypocrisy.

Click on the ad and read closely.

5772: Banish Bias From Madison Avenue…?

CV Harquail, PhD—an independent scholar and consultant in Montclair, New Jersey—presents an interesting perspective on Omnicom and homophobia, along with ideas for banishing bias from advertising agencies.

5771: Tagging Diversity Ads, Part 8.

Corporations love producing diversity ads to hype commitment to an inclusive workforce. Yet these advertisers seem unconcerned about partnering with advertising agencies where diversity is almost viewed with adversity. Granted, many companies compensate by mixing up their AOR rosters with minority-owned shops. But does such a move really negate the contradictions of associating with agencies that have steadfastly resisted moving beyond predominately White work environments?

This week, MultiCultClassics presents actual corporate diversity ads that have been “tagged” with special messages to highlight the hypocrisy.

Click on the ads and read closely.

5770: Gay Mission Accomplished, Bob Garfield?

Technically, the image above was published by Bob Garfield to declare victory in his jihad with Comcast. But it’s being reissued here to illustrate a few (hopefully) final thoughts surrounding An Open Letter to Omnicom President-CEO John Wren. We’ll elaborate on the image shortly.

In Garfield’s follow-up post connecting a Tennessee truck driver’s killing rampage with the Snickers commercial, the columnist was still sparring with critics. Garfield remained condescendingly adamant in his position, although it would be nice if he refrained from continued gratuitous use of a certain slur.

Yet one can’t help but wonder if Garfield considers himself successful in the Snickers scenario. It’s pretty likely, given his humungous ego. But take a closer look at the realities. For starters, the commercial was pulled after the Human Rights Campaign Foundation directly confronted Mars Inc. Word of the spot had already worked its way through the GLBT grapevine, even before Garfield addressed his letter to Wren. So it’s tough to say if Garfield played any role at all in the decision to yank the offensive message.

As previously noted, Omnicom and John Wren never publicly acknowledged anything. Not to be too presumptuous, but we’ll bet the responsible ad agency, London-based AMV BBDO, doesn’t feel guilty of wrongdoing. In fact, they probably view themselves as victims of a PC mob. Has Wren spoken to his agencies’ leaders about the topic? Or reprimanded anyone for the mess? Those who urge that corporations strive for authenticity and responsibility might hope so, but we’ll bet against the possibility. A related Advertising Age story quoted Gary Graf, the creative director behind the homophobic Super Bowl Snickers spot, and the man showed zero signs of regret. “It’s silly,” said Graf. “At the end of the day, take the stupid commercial off the air. It’s on the internet anyway. Millions have already seen it, and now millions more are going to track it down.”

And what about Garfield? When presented with typically lousy customer service from his cable company, the man went to war, launching an elaborate online attack and negotiating with Comcast officials. In contrast, a human rights incident—which Garfield tied to murders—only inspired nasty volleys with blog visitors.

Is Garfield announcing, “Mission Accomplished” in this controversy? If so, he kinda looks like President Bush aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.

5769: Profits And Losses In Perspective.

Putting it all into perspective via a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• General Motors posted 2Q losses at $15.5 billion. Let’s put that into perspective. It’s like ordering an item from Mickey D’s Dollar Menu—15,500,000,000 times. Over the course of three months.

• Exxon Mobil posted 2Q earnings at $11.68 billion, the biggest profit ever by a U.S. corporation. Let’s put that into perspective. Exxon Mobil is evil incarnate.

5768: Tagging Diversity Ads, Part 7.

Corporations love producing diversity ads to hype commitment to an inclusive workforce. Yet these advertisers seem unconcerned about partnering with advertising agencies where diversity is almost viewed with adversity. Granted, many companies compensate by mixing up their AOR rosters with minority-owned shops. But does such a move really negate the contradictions of associating with agencies that have steadfastly resisted moving beyond predominately White work environments?

This week, MultiCultClassics presents actual corporate diversity ads that have been “tagged” with special messages to highlight the hypocrisy.

Click on the ads and read closely.

5767: The Irresistible Siren Song Of Ad Blogging.

The former SuperSpy of AgencySpy, after spending a short stint as Sabrina Duncan at the short-lived The Fifth Column, has resurfaced with The Brief. No formal announcement yet on the latest secret identity.