6947: Minorities Made Their Votes Count.

From The New York Times…

2008 Surge in Black Voters Nearly Erased Racial Gap

By Sam Roberts

In last year’s presidential election, younger blacks voted in greater proportions than whites for the first time and black women turned out at a higher rate than any other racial, ethnic and gender group, a census analysis released Monday confirmed.

As a result, in the election that produced the nation’s first black president, the historic gap between black and white voter participation rates over all virtually evaporated.

The Census Bureau’s survey also found striking contrasts in why people said they did not vote. More than three times as many whites as blacks said they did not like the candidates or campaign issues.

Over all, 18 percent of nonvoters said they were too busy, 15 percent said they were prevented because of an illness or disability and 13 percent each said they were not interested or did not like the candidates or issues.

Total turnout in 2008 was about the same as it was in 2004, about 64 percent of voting age citizens.

But with Barack Obama on the ballot, the makeup of the 131 million who voted last year was markedly different. While the number of non-Hispanic white voters remained roughly the same, 2 million more blacks, 2 million more Latinos and 600,000 more Asians turned out. Compared with 2004, the voting rate for black, Asian and Hispanic voters increased by about four percentage points. The rate for whites declined by one percentage point.

As a result, according to an analysis by William H. Frey, a demographer with the Brookings Institution, whites declined to 76 percent of all voters in 2008, from 79 percent in 2004.

Turnout varied widely by state, from a high of 75 percent in Minnesota to 52 percent in Utah.

In a number of states, including Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio and South Carolina, turnout among blacks surpassed 70 percent.

In 2004, according to the census, barely 60 percent of eligible blacks voted. In 2008, nearly 65 percent did (as did 66 percent of white voting-age citizens).

But one of the biggest changes was the gap between black and white participation. In 2004, the rate of black voter registration was 10 percentage points below that of whites. Last year, it narrowed to four percentage points.

Of the 206 million citizens 18 and older, 71 percent were registered to vote. Among those who were registered, 90 percent voted in 2008.

Thom File, a voting analyst with the Census Bureau, said the turnout among blacks ages 18 to 24 increased 8 percent from 2004, to 55 percent. That helped drive the overall turnout in that group to 49 percent, still lower than among older eligible voters.

Among voters 18 to 24 and 25 to 44, blacks voted at a higher rate than whites in 2008.

Like an analysis earlier this year by the Pew Research Center, the latest findings were drawn from census surveys and interviews.

“In 2008 we obviously had a historic candidacy,” said Paul Taylor, executive vice president of the Pew center. “That’s certainly a plausible explanation for the spike in African-American turnout. The question was, Would other minorities vote for this minority? Not only did he get a big vote, but he got a big turnout.”

6946: Minty Fresh Multicultural Marketing.

Quick, guess which ad targets Whites and which one targets Blacks.

6945: Chief Idea Officer Offers Really Bad Idea.

The column below originally appeared at AdAge.com. Scan it quickly and read the MultiCultClassics perspective immediately following…

Clients, Let Agencies Be Part of the Hiring Process

Getting Your Shop More Involved Can Help You Win Customers

By Brian Brooker

Attract and retain customers. That’s what advertising agencies get paid to do. But since the economy took a tumble, everything changed. Today, clients should be asking more of their agencies. The key to getting more output is letting your ad agency play a bigger role in all aspects of the organization that impact the customer experience.

Let’s start with your employees.

If you want to ensure your ad agency attracts and retains customers, it starts with the front line—those people with whom your customers come in contact daily. In an instant, your employees can turn off new customers or turn away loyal ones. Allow your ad agency to be involved in every aspect of the hiring process, from targeting and acquiring new employees, nurturing them to maximize retention, and even determining when they are no longer a fit through ongoing customer evaluation.

The people you hire are your brand ambassadors. It’s critically important that they know and reflect your brand and give your customers the ultimate brand experience. Your ad agency can indoctrinate them by developing a brand kit that communicates point of difference, brand voice as well as advertising materials. They can also aid in training your employees in every facet of store experience, from customer greeting to customer check-out.

And that’s just scratching the surface. The better your employee base, the better product and service you can offer your customers. For one of our clients, we put on an internal competition that rewarded the best employees based on their ability to provide the optimal experience. The competition, which is as fun as the brand, takes place across the country. The best of the best are recognized at the annual sales convention. The employees feel a sense of pride and purpose that translates into satisfied customers.

Now, on to the customer experience.

The more your agency becomes immersed in aspects of your business beyond marketing and advertising, the more they can help you. Widen their scope. The agency should be involved in managing every contact point, from the time your customer leaves his car, sits at his laptop and turns on his cellphone, all the way to the consumption of the experience/product/service. Yes, you hired your agency to deliver a marketing plan. But consider: If you are a retail brand, why not involve your agency in designing the façade of the store, the floor plan, the product display, the furniture, the lighting and the music? It’s at the store level that the brand promise becomes real. Your ad agency can build that bridge from communications to store experience.

You can navigate a tough economy by leaving no stone unturned and by not trying to do it all by yourself. Your ad agency will welcome a chance to get immersed in marketing minutiae. It may not be as glamorous as producing a Super Bowl spot, but if they are trusted partners, they are well aware that it’s the details that count.

Why should you include them? Because your ad agency knows your customers and they know your brand. Include them because they know what your customers want and how they think. Include them because they can help you complete the sales loop in a way that keeps your customers coming back.

About The Author
Brian Brooker is chief idea officer of Barkley, Kansas City, Mo. Clients include Sonic Drive-In and Build-A-Bear Workshop.

Um, is the author of this column aware that the advertising industry is renowned for doing an abysmal job when it comes to hiring—and Madison Avenue is likely facing a class-action lawsuit for institutionalized discrimination in recruiting and retention practices?

Or better yet, forget the bias and racism infesting our business. Let’s consider the corrupt leadership, outdated business models, inability to change with the times, illegal billing and other instances of criminal bookkeeping.

This column—while perhaps typed with the best of intentions—demonstrates quite clearly the ignorance and arrogance crippling our industry. Allowing Mad Men to influence clients’ employment decisions is like inviting Minutemen to Cinco de Mayo celebrations.

Should advertisers let advertising agencies be involved in the hiring process? Hell, ad executives can barely handle the advertising process.

6944: Diversity On Trial…?

From The Chicago Tribune…

Diversity a touchy topic at Sotomayor hearings

What Sen. Jeff Sessions calls an ‘honest discussion’ on race, some observers say is an attack on ethnic pride.

By James Oliphant and David G. Savage

Two months ago, Sonia Sotomayor’s Latino heritage was viewed as an overwhelming asset. And though history will be made if she becomes the Supreme Court’s newest justice, there wasn’t much talk about that during three days of grueling testimony last week. For some, her confirmation hearings left a bitter taste.

“This is a great first, but we are not being allowed to celebrate it in the way we are allowed to celebrate Thurgood Marshall as the first African American on the court,” said Laura Gomez, a University of New Mexico law professor.

That’s because Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee attempted to shine a negative light on Sotomayor’s earlier statements about what she as a Latina could bring to judging and on her connections with a Latino advocacy group. In wave after wave of questions, they suggested that statements by the New York federal appellate judge indicated an inability to remain impartial on the bench.

Sotomayor had given them ammunition: speeches in which she said she hoped that “a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male.”

By the end of the week, however, she had forcefully rejected that notion—along with the idea that her diverse background meant she would judge with “empathy,” a quality President Obama had said was important for a high court justice.

She also denied being involved in abortion-rights lawsuits filed by the Puerto Rican advocacy group whose board she served on for 12 years.

Even though Sotomayor is almost certain to be confirmed, some Republicans considered their bid to root out what they saw as potential prejudices as a kind of victory.

“We had a more honest discussion of some of the complexities and sensitivities of the race question in this hearing than in the 12 years I have been in the Senate,” said Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the ranking Republican on the committee, whose own bid for a federal judgeship was blocked because of racially insensitive remarks he had made in the past.

Sotomayor’s supporters, however, viewed the questioning another way.

“It was extremely disappointing and a walk backward from the point of diversity,” said Sherrilyn Ifill, a law professor at the University of Maryland. “This was not a productive conversation. It was unfortunate posturing by the Republicans.

“This was an all-white judiciary committee asking condescending questions. And it was an unequal power situation. She was not in a position to honestly engage with them, because she needed their votes.”

What last week’s public exercise illustrated was the nature of questions of race and identity in America: Ethnic pride to some is identity politics to others.

Read the full story here.

6943: Not Very Comcastic.

Nothing kills sincerity like contrived stock photography.

6942: U Can’t Touch This, Madison Avenue.

Madison Avenue executives perpetuate the industry’s exclusivity by insisting there is a lack of qualified Black talent. Yet in this column from Adweek.com, MC Hammer—yes, MC Hammer—demonstrates more digital savvy than most advertising agency honchos. Go figure.

It’s Twitter Time

By MC Hammer

Social Media is quickly becoming a vital tool for brands, especially those driven by a celebrity. The use of social media outlets effectively shortens the distance between the content that is created and produced for a brand and the consumer like no other medium.

The same is true with celebrities, artists and entertainers like me who are now closer to fans than we’ve ever really been before.

While new social media platforms seem to pop up every day, I’m strongly behind Twitter, a micro-blogging tool that has become a game changer for me. The platform offers celebrity brands the means to build and develop relationships in an intimate and personal way. The friendly and efficient interface links to video and audio and integrates with various other social media outlets with ease. That means my brand can live on a wide variety of platforms where fans might find me.

The short, 140-character tweets give brands the power to quickly bond with consumers, point them to projects or products that they can interact with without interpretation or personal interjections messing up the communication flow.

Additionally, Twitter gives power to the users by allowing them to track the brands and celebrities they choose, whether or not they follow back. Twitter followers tend to be a loyal and engaged audience who are more likely to continue to spread the brand’s buzz when they feel they are part of it.

I was an early adopter of Twitter and currently have more than a million followers. I have used my Twitter feed to discuss events in my personal and professional life, to encourage various behaviors, causes and initiatives that I get behind (i.e., “Respect Women Wednesday” and “DJ Appreciation Day”). Additionally, unlike many celebrities and brands, I follow many of my followers back, encouraging one-on-one dialogue. I follow more than 26,000 people, which I think is pretty atypical of a celebrity or brand account.

My love of social media is being integrated in a big way into my A&E reality series Hammertime. We are displaying my tweets on screen so viewers can see how I interact with the platform, and my Twitter account is a major feature on the official Hammertime Web site — www.aetv.com/hammertime — which also includes videos, some of my wife’s recipes, a fun online board game, a widget and plenty of other digital bells and whistles.

Digital media has become such a strong part of my life that it was a given to put Twitter to work on the series. In fact, I am working closely with the network to use social media to bring attention beyond the show itself to promotional efforts around it, like a recently posted YouTube video that features 60 people dancing, dressed up in “Hammer pants,” during a recent flash-mob stunt at a Sunset Blvd. store. That little clip went viral and is nearing 2 million views.

According to Guy Slattery, senior vp of marketing for A&E, who I talked to for this column, the watercooler has been virtually replaced by social media. “Word of mouth all starts online these days, and for a new television series to succeed, it needs to become part of that conversation,” he told me. “For Hammertime, we had the Hammer pants, the Hammer dance and MC Hammer the Twitter feed. We knew that if our campaign was done right, people would be buzzing about the show before it even hit the air.”

Amen.

Understand that the value in marketing and promotion dollars that a brand with substantial followers brings to the plate is immense. Brands and celebrities can benefit from utilizing the platform in the days leading up to an opening weekend, a premiere or release date by connecting fans with links, trailers, contests, video and photo content, and each other, just like we did for Hammertime.

Brand marketing, promotion and distribution via 140 characters…a digital triple threat!

Threat in the negative sense is the fear of the unknown. But while social media may be seen as a daunting and unknown to some, the most savvy businesses, brands and celebrities are adopting the platform to establish a one-on-one dialog with their consumers and fans. Those who aren’t will surely be riding the “fail whale” in the near future.

Don’t forget to check out my series Hammertime and follow me at www.twitter.com/MCHammer

I’m a tweet away.

MC Hammer stars in the weekly reality series Hammertime on A&E.

6941: Overreaction Of The Week.

Did they have to put the Black glasses on the watermelon?

6940: Hot Dogs And Wienies.

Reckless jiving in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile crashed into a Wisconsin home. No one was injured, and the driver claimed she was trying to turn the vehicle around and accidentally lurched forward. Sounds like a bunch of baloney.

• The Illinois House wound up passing a resolution to honor the late Michael Jackson, although many of the lawmakers insist they didn’t even realize what they were voting on. If they’re not paying attention and passing Jacko resolutions, what else might these morons be approving?

• The Bay State Banner, Boston’s only Black-owned newspaper, is accepting a $200,000 bailout loan from the mayor to stay in business. The paper probably can also get financial support from the Illinois House, provided the measure is packaged with Jacko resolutions.

• A Seattle Starbucks will add booze to its menu, offering glasses of beer and wine. Can’t imagine what they’ll charge for a grande Pabst. And will the workers be called barmaidistas?

6939: Some Ethnic Publications Are Surviving.

From The Washington Post…

A Passion for the Printed Word Across Language and Culture

As Mainstream Publications Falter, Those Catering to Ethnic Groups Hang On

By Tara Bahrampour, Washington Post Staff Writer

Even as print media across the country shut down, an Indian entrepreneur in Virginia is planning a glitzy party next month to launch his glossy monthly magazine. Modeled after Washington Life, Washington Masala will cater to highly educated, affluent South Asians in the area.

“It’s a very niche market,” Rick Khosla said, sitting at a Starbucks in Capitol Hill this week with galleys of the 96-page inaugural issue. “That market has always been overlooked.”

Although much of the $100,000 for the first issue came from Khosla’s pocket, he expects the magazine to become self-sustaining within three months.

Is his a quixotic undertaking in an era of financial meltdowns, or is a publication catering to a specific ethnic group better positioned to survive the stormy economy?

It’s a little of both. Across the country, thousands of newspapers, magazines, and television and radio stations target specific immigrant groups. Many publish in languages other than English, and they address events in the homeland as well as acculturation issues that mainstream media organizations do not cover.

They have a hungry audience. A poll this spring by San Francisco-based New America Media shows that despite the economic downturn, consumption of ethnic media is growing. About 150 outlets operate in the Washington region.

“In some ways, it is both the best of times and the worst of times,” said Sandip Roy, an editor at New American Media, an association representing 2,000 ethnic news organizations. “They are definitely not immune to the pressure on media going on all over the place … but in terms of audience, the interest has never been higher.”

Ethnic media outlets have two big advantages, said Sandy Close, the association’s executive director. “They know their audience, and they know how to operate on a shoestring, so when the roof caves in, they know how to tighten their belts.”

But shoestrings can fray.

Dereje Desta, editor and publisher of Zethiopia, a seven-year-old newspaper targeting the Ethiopian community in the United States and especially the District, had been planning to increase production from once to twice a month. But since the recession, even monthly production is difficult to sustain. The paper, which publishes in English and Amharic, has shrunk, recently closed its U Street office and moved into Desta’s Fairfax County home.

The problem is not reader interest, he said, but advertising, which the paper relies on for 80 percent of its revenue. Ad revenue is down 60 percent this year.

“It’s very, very hard because all the restaurants, their income, all these things are hurt by the economy,” Desta said. “I’m worried if I can actually continue.”

Some ethnic news outlets are switching to online publication only, Desta said. “But the problem is you can’t make money on the Web site. The advertisers prefer the newspaper.”

The Korea Daily, with a daily circulation of 15,000 in the Washington area, has started printing on smaller paper, cut the number of pages and recently laid off some employees after ad revenue dropped 30 to 40 percent.

“Mostly the ads were from real estate and mortgage businesses,” but they are faltering, said Sungkyoon Park, editor of the Annandale-based paper.

Although interest is high among the 200,000 or so Korean-Americans in the Washington-Baltimore area, he said, one daily recently cut service to twice a week, and “no new media is starting in the Korean-American community.”

Khosla’s magazine will include news about Bollywood as well as profiles of successful local South Asians and tips on getting into local universities. Roy said such a publication could fill a hole in the South Asian market. “That kind of glossy magazine has not existed for the longest time,” he said. “People have wondered about this.”

Older South Asians in the United States rely heavily on ethnic papers and television for their news, said Deepa Iyer, executive director of Washington-based South Asian Americans Leading Together, a national organization that advocates for issues affecting South Asian communities.

Iyer, who has not seen a copy of Washington Masala, said she isn’t sure young, professional South Asians will be interested in such a publication.

“For people who are more affluent and educated, in their 20s and 30s, professionals, I wouldn’t say those people would tend to use ethnic media as their source of news,” she said.

Khosla, 41, owns an IT company and has no publishing experience but has visited plants in the United States and abroad to see how it is done. “You have to start somewhere, no? So I started.”

The magazine will have a 20,000 print run and sell for $4.95 after the first three free issues. Khosla’s business model is unusual on several fronts: Although most magazines like his rely heavily on advertising, he expects half his revenue to come from ads and half from newsstand sales. Also, unlike with many ethnic media outlets, most of his advertisers are national businesses, such as Charlie Palmer Steak, Sheraton hotels and Air India, which, he said, he charges “a quarter of the cost in The Washingtonian.”

With designers and some writers based in India, Washington Masala also has lower production costs. Writers in India are paid $13 an article; the highest rate paid to U.S.-based writers is $30. Khosla wrote some of the articles for the first issue.

That kind of personal involvement might give ethnic media an advantage in tough times, said Roy, the New America Media editor. “A lot of them really believe in what they’re doing. It’s not just a business opportunity.”

Desta, for example, said he is making almost no money right now. He hasn’t calculated exactly how much he’s spending, he said, “because if I’m going to face that figure, I’m going to quit.”

For Khosla, who is planning future Masalas in other major U.S. cities, the business seems secondary to the passion.

“I’m so sizzled with this thing I came up with,” he said. Looking over the design for the cover, he said: “You know what masala is, right? It’s like spice. So it’s the spice of life.”

6938: Moore Commentary On O&M & NAACP.

Almost missed this gem. Sanford Moore commented at The Big Tent in response to the O&M-NAACP story.

On the day after Bill Thompson, the NYC Comptroller, sent letters to 46 Corporate CEOs and their Boards demanding that they move to end the discriminatory policies of their ad agencies toward minority broadcasters and toward minority employees/executives, this “happening” occurs. If the issues were not so crucial, the initiatives announced by Ogilvy and the behavior of Rev. Sharpton would be laughable...instead of being obscene. Does Rev. Sharpton have to “grin & skin,” anoint John Seifert “brother” to get a paltry $10k for the NAACP, which should refuse such a tainted and niggardly contribution? Let us not forget that Ogilvy, when it was the prime contractor on the Office of Anti-Drug Policy, only saw fit to allocate some .017% of the $120m in media dollars to Black media while Blacks represent the vast majority of offenders imprisoned for drug offenses. Ogilvy’s record on Black employment transcends discrimination...it is criminal. Its media buying policies have helped create a “separate and unequal” media reality for minority broadcasters. Finally, Rev. Sharpton’s callous behavior while visiting the “big house” is inexcusable and unforgivable. Methinks it is time for Rev. Sharpton to stop taking donations from the “Mad Men in the Grey Flannel Sheets” who marginalize his people and the radio stations his show is on.

Sanford Moore

6937: All-Time Highs.

Flying through the news in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• On Thursday, President Barack Obama was part of another historical first—an all-female Marine Corps crew served on the helicopter that flew the president to Andrews Air Force Base. Former President Bill Clinton is probably jealous.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 36 percent of Blacks are overweight, which is significantly higher than the figures for Latinos (29 percent) and Whites (24 percent). This is not really new news, and the probable reasons behind the numbers include less access to medical care, exercise facilities and healthier food. State Farm and Dr. Ian Smith have been offering a totally free solution worth checking out: The 50 Million Pound Challenge.

6936: Obama Addresses NAACP.

From The Hill…

Obama emphasizes education in NAACP speech

By Sam Youngman

NEW YORK CITY – President Obama responded to African American unemployment concerns by encouraging the black community to form a new mindset about education.

In a speech honoring the 100th anniversary of the NAACP, the president faulted the economic crisis, a broken health care system and the nation’s energy policy for many of the societal ills facing the black community, but he urged African-Americans to take responsibility for their success.

Cheered repeatedly throughout his speech, Obama listed the steps his administration is taking to fix some of the problems hurting the African-American community and America as a whole, but he warned that would not be enough.

“Still, even if we do it all, the African-American community will fall behind in the United States and the United States will fall behind in the world unless we do a far better job than we have been doing of educating our sons and daughters,” Obama said.

The president warned the supportive crowd that “government programs alone won’t get our children to the Promised Land.”

In the days before Obama’s speech, many members of the civil rights group said they were looking for details on how the first black president would reduce unemployment rates for African-Americans.

In response, the president spent a great deal of his remarks pushing the need to close the education achievement gap, and he challenged black parents and neighbors to do more to help their children learn and achieve.

“We need a new mindset, a new set of attitudes – because one of the most durable and destructive legacies of discrimination is the way that we have internalized a sense of limitation; how so many in our community have come to expect so little of ourselves,” Obama said.

He added: “They might think they’ve got a pretty good jump shot or a pretty good flow, but our kids can’t all aspire to be the next LeBron or Lil Wayne. I want them aspiring to be scientists and engineers, doctors and teachers, not just ballers and rappers. I want them aspiring to be a Supreme Court Justice. I want them aspiring to be president of the United States.”

Obama talked about the need to fix and improve America’s schools because he said “the state of our schools is not an African-American problem; it’s an American problem.”

The president’s speech, loaded with historical references and his signature inspirational passages, did lack some of the detail some NAACP officials said they wanted to hear from the president.

Regardless, the crowd was enthusiastic and overwhelmingly supportive throughout Obama’s remarks. The hero’s welcome Obama received prompted him to say “it’s just good to be among friends.”

He also spoke movingly of the Civil Rights leaders he credited with allowing him to be president.

“Because of them I stand here tonight, on the shoulders of giants,” Obama said. “And I’m here to say thank you to those proud leaders and thank you to the NAACP.”

The president began the day with a rally for New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine’s (D) reelection and will end it with a fundraiser in Manhattan for the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

6935: Draftfcb Keeping It Real… Awful.

Based on this bullshit, add Wiggers to the list of audiences Draftfcb has offended.

6934: Tall Tales.

Towering tidbits in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Chicago landmark Sears Tower has officially changed its name to Willis Tower. Somebody call Gary Coleman to holler, “Whatchu talkin’ ‘bout, Willis Tower?”

• General Motors’ bankruptcy filing includes allowing the automaker to dump sponsorship deals, including its 70-year presence on Times Square. Funny, don’t ever recall seeing GM ads on Times Square. Guess that demonstrates another of GM’s bad marketing moves.

• The NYPD graduated its most diverse rookie class ever, with 58 percent of the recruits being members of minority groups. These guys make New York advertising agencies look criminal.

• Lawmakers in Washington, D.C., are opposing the proposed building of a new Walmart on land where noteworthy Civil War battles took place. Guess they don’t want to outshine the historic skirmishes with contemporary wars over sales items in the underwear department.

6933: O&M Makes KKK Look OK.

Before deciding the post title is too harsh, scan through the Ad Age story below and read the MultiCultClassics perspective immediately following…

Ogilvy Hosts Event to Honor NAACP’s Centennial

Sharpton in High Spirits in Agency’s Rooftop Garden

By Ken Wheaton

Ogilvy & Mather opened up the rooftop garden on its new Manhattan office for a reception in honor of the NAACP’s 100th anniversary. It was the inaugural event at a striking space on Manhattan’s far West Side (one which has a great view of World Wide Plaza, the company’s previous home).

It’s no secret that the agency world isn’t exactly a paragon of diversity and inclusiveness. Or, as Ogilvy North American Chairman John Seifert put it during opening remarks at the reception, the industry is “not exactly leading the way.” Indeed, the NAACP is part of Cyrus Mehri’s Madison Avenue Project. Seifert rattled off a number of Ogilvy initiatives to remedy the situation, including the formation of a diversity advisory board, which includes Kevin Liles, president of Warner Music; Rachel Nordlinger, who works with the Rev. Al Sharpton; and Jay Hersonson, of CUNY. But, he admitted, the agency is “not blind to the fact that there is so much more to do to recognize our ambitions.”

Then again, Al Sharpton seemed a big fan of the agency. Taking the stage after a performance by Kathy Sledge (formerly of Sister Sledge), Sharpton was in good spirits, waving off any credit for progress in the arena. “All I did was intervene and change the weather,” he joked, referring to predictions of rain that had threatened the outdoor event. “When you plan your next event, you know who to call.”

While Sharpton has had plenty of sharp words for the industry, he praised Ogilvy’s efforts and held the company up as a model of sorts—even calling Seifert “Brother John.” Keep in mind that Sharpton helped to file a class action suit on behalf of minority agencies a few years ago. That suit was announced at the first meeting of his National Action Network, which included a panel called the Madison Avenue Initiative (not to be confused with the current Madison Ave. Project).

Sharpton pointed out that Ogilvy has supported both NAN and the Madison Avenue Initiative.

He went on to warn against tribalism between different minority groups in their quest for better representation. He also made the case that supporting diversity efforts is good for business.

“What looks like charity really accrues back to your [business] interest.”

After Sharpton’s praise of the agency, one guest noted that it pays to cut checks for the reverend’s favorite causes.

But the only check cut last night was for the NAACP. Seifert, on behalf of Ogilvy, handed the New York chapter of the organization a check for $10,000. He also announced a high school summer internship program with the NAACP of New York.

Not sure where to start with this one.

Um, how many O&M staffers even know what NAACP means? (Hint: The N does not stand for Negro.)

Wonder if the O&M party planners realize Madison Avenue will soon celebrate its centennial—100 years of promoting cultural exclusivity.

O&M also announced the formation of a diversity advisory board, chock-full of colored celebrities. Hey, Omnicom already tried that maneuver. Why the hell are the big agencies ripping off each other’s failed concepts?

Next, O&M coughed up $10,000 for the NAACP, while the Center for Advertising Excellence at Howard University’s John H. Johnson School of Communications—the effort specifically designed to address the industry’s diversity problems—scrambles to find funding. Nice.

“Brother John” admitted the agency is “not blind to the fact that there is so much more to do to recognize our ambitions.” Amazing that he didn’t say they were colorblind.

Yet Seifert’s statement really drives home the neo-racism on Madison Avenue. It’s outrageous that executives feel comfortable continually spewing proclamations like:

“It’s pathetic. There’s a lot more we can do.”

“We’ve done a pretty poor job on diversity as an industry and we’ve got to do better.”

“We suck at [diversity].”

At least the KKK is clear and honest about its positions. On Madison Avenue, it’s OK—and seemingly admirable—to recognize a great need for change, then do absolutely nothing substantial about it. Except introduce segregated award shows or internship programs for inner-city kids.

It was reported that folks at the new O&M headquarters installed white noise machines to deal with the emptiness of the space. At the garden rooftop soiree, the White noise was in full force.

6932: Color Photography Problems.

Here’s an Associated Press story, along with an image from MultiCultClassics’ Tagging Diversity Ads series.

Kodak agrees to settle lawsuit claiming discrimination against black employees

By Associated Press

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — Eastman Kodak Co. has agreed to pay $21.4 million to settle legal action brought by black workers who claim the photography products maker discriminated against them.

The deal was given preliminary approval by a federal judge last month. It would have the Rochester company pay amounts ranging from $1,000 to $75,000 to more than 3,000 past and current workers.

Kodak is admitting no wrongdoing and says it agreed to the settlement to avoid further litigation.

The proposed settlement would end both a 2004 lawsuit brought by a group called Employees Committed for Justice and a similar suit filed by other black workers in 2007.

A final approval hearing is scheduled for Sept. 15 in federal court in Rochester.

6931: Swear It’s True.

Cursing the news in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• A new study shows using curse words can help relieve or lessen physical pain. “Swearing has been around for centuries and is an almost universal human linguistic phenomenon,” said one of the study authors. “It taps into emotional brain centers and appears to arise in the right brain, whereas most language production occurs in the left cerebral hemisphere of the brain.” Plus, it helps relieve the pain of a shitty job.

• Worker discrimination claims against New York City have increased tenfold over the past eight years, costing taxpayers millions of dollars. 67 claims were filed in 2008, up from 56 in 2007 and only six in 2002. Holy fucking shit! Ah, that feels better.

6930: Minority Broadcaster Bailout?

From The New York Daily News…

Minority broadcasters to Treasury Secretary Geithner: We need a bailout, too

By David Hinckley, Daily News Staff Writer

A dozen of the country’s largest minority broadcasters warn they’ll be “extinct” if they don’t get some federal bailout dollars — or at least a helping hand with bank loans.

In a letter to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, dated Sunday, the broadcasters say a credit crunch from “plummeting ad revenue” and other factors has led to an “unprecedented crisis.”

The letter does not address the sticky topic of whether government should provide financial assistance to media, but does warn that a loss of these stations could “roll back decades of work by the federal government to encourage more minority voices.”

The letter asks for either the direct aid provided to the auto and financial services industry, or government pressure on banks to free up money for loans.

Signers of the letter include Pierre Sutton, chairman of Inner City Broadcasting Co., which owns radio stations WBLS and WLIB. Inner City was founded by former Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton, Pierre’s father.

It also was signed by Sydney Small, owner of WWRL, and by Raul Alarcon, president of Spanish Broadcasting Systems. His company owns New York’s two largest Spanish radio stations, WSKQ and WPAT-FM.

WSKQ, which a few years ago was the city’s No. 1 station, says revenues have plummeted 40% or more in the last year. WBLS says its revenues are down by more than half, compared with an industrywide average of 20% to 30%.

Treasury Department spokeswoman Meg Reilly did not return calls asking when and if the request would be considered.

6929: Built By Mad Men.

The new Wieden + Kennedy campaign for Levi’s ignited blogosphere chattering, particularly for the execution above that was tagged with historical and political commentary. MultiCultClassics is a little late to the party, but wanted to submit the entry below, inspired by the words of W+K co-founder Dan Wieden.

Click on the image to enlarge.

6928: Bruno—The Gay Review.

From The Chicago Tribune…

No offense, ‘Bruno’ is funny

By Rex W. Huppke

National gay rights groups have said Sacha Baron Cohen’s new movie, “Bruno,” is offensive to gays and reinforces over-the-top stereotypes held by certain straight people.

I know five gay guys who would disagree.

Rather than watch from the sidelines, on opening night I immersed myself in the “Bruno” controversy by rounding up a diverse group of gay men to join me at the movie.

As the credits rolled and the laughter subsided, Rick Garcia, public policy director of the gay rights group Equality Illinois, noted that national groups protesting “Bruno” may need to get a sense of humor. If anyone should be concerned about the movie, he said, it’s straight people. “Is there some kind of heterosexual defamation league?” said Garcia, 48. “Because they’re the ones that looked bad, not the queer people. I think we looked great.”

Using the same guerrilla satire tactics he employed in the blockbuster film “Borat,” Baron Cohen puts his gay Austrian character, Bruno, into a series of wildly awkward situations intended to expose homophobia. It’s effective, but the point of concern for many—and for me—was whether the film was overly offensive in the process.

Along with Garcia, there was Danny Kopelson, 51, communications director for the Center on Halsted, a community center for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. Arnie Cuarenta, 42, joined in. He’s general manager of the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus.

I also invited Tim Sniffen, 37, a member of The Second City comedy troupe, and Andy Shaw, 24, a graphic designer.

With the popcorn-fueled focus group together and the movie about to start, I briefly wondered if this was a bad idea.

I’m a straight man who, on a mature day, has the sense of humor of a teenager. The odds of me laughing at something inappropriate were high, and it seemed that an ill-timed guffaw could easily brand me an insensitive goon. That didn’t happen. I laughed in almost perfect sync with my five guests, howling at the “Gayby” shirt Bruno placed on his adopted child and at the preposterous gay sex scene that launched the movie.

“I actually really liked it,” Kopelson said afterward. “I was prepared not to, but I think the controversy was much to do about nothing.”

It was across-the-board agreement—no one was offended by Baron Cohen’s faux gay antics. And part of the reason for that was confidence that few Americans would ever believe “Bruno” truly represents any element of gay life.

“The gay stuff he does in the movie is so extreme, nobody is going to think that’s what gay people really do,” said Sniffen, the comedian. “If people go to this movie looking for evidence of a certain gay lifestyle, then this might pretty well cement it. But if that’s what they’re looking for, they’re lost causes.”

As frivolous as debate over a comedy might seem, “Bruno” does surface at an interesting time for the GLBT community. A string of states have recently legalized same-sex marriages, while debate continues to rage in California over Proposition 8, which banned such marriages.

Many activists believe the country may be nearing a tipping point in favor of gay marriage. Yet opponents remain entrenched, the Obama administration has been reluctant to address the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and acceptance of gays remains tenuous in swaths of the country.

Still, throughout the weekend, straight and gay Americans made “Bruno” the No. 1 movie, doling out millions to watch a straight man act farcically gay. “I think people understand gay people so much better now,” Shaw said. “They can see this and realize how ‘out there’ it is.”

“All the gay stuff isn’t as big a deal,” Cuarenta added. “I think it was more troubling to see the reactions going on around him, and if that’s what people see as offensive, that means we’re making progress.”

Though it’s hard to mine great social significance from a movie that mocks Ron Paul, swingers and G-strings with equal aplomb, my panel concurred that the world is somehow a better place with “Bruno” in it.