Essay 1076

Looking for a Few Good Minorities with MultiCultClassics…

Verizon boasts an army of powerful minority women. Wonder if the ladies are powerful enough to encourage the company’s advertising agencies to seek similar diversity.

Essay 1075

The MTV degeneration needs saviors

By Stanley Crouch

It is important to recognize that while those such as Bill Cosby and Juan Williams continue to point out the importance of changing self-destructive attitudes and habits in the black lower class, there are others like Lisa Fager and Callie Herd.

Fager is a black woman and one of the founders of Industry Ears (industryears.com), a think tank that focuses on media. Fager might seem an enemy of hip hop, but she is actually a fan. Her complaint has to do with the idiom’s demonization of young black men and women who are depicted as “real” only when they appear as thugs and hedonists.

The women are spared the burden of memorizing the rhymes that insult and demean them; their only job is to dress as scantily as possible, roll their rear ends and act like proverbial female dogs in heat.

Fager is presently incensed. Last night, the Walter Kaitz Foundation honored MTV with the Diversity Champion Award during its annual dinner in Manhattan. A press release from the foundation describes MTV Networks as providing “culturally relevant programs that are the most outward demonstration of their dedication to diversity.”

It would seem that the Kaitz Foundation either knows nothing about MTV Networks or is another example of how confused some of our diversity campaigns are.

After all, MTV Networks probably considers “Where My Dogs At?” a show so diverse it makes canines feel included, with black women depicted with leashes around their necks and walking into a pet shop on all fours. Then there’s “Yo Momma,” with teenagers spewing racist epithets, and “Flavor of Love,” a largely vulgar minstrel show.

Industry Ears is protesting this diversity charade with a petition that can be signed at www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/526905262.

While Lisa Fager battles with the goliaths of irresponsible media firms, Callie Herd is another black woman working at providing college scholarship information for black and Latin kids.

“What I’m doing is trying to educate them. It’s not that blacks and Latinos don’t want to go to college or need scholarship money; they just don’t know what is going on. At the advice of my son, I started a blog to get past writing individual letters. That just about wore me out. But the blog reaches so many.

“It is located at www.ctherd.blogspot.com. There are millions of dollars available, just waiting for those who know how to ask for them.” Herd has become aware of much assistance that goes untapped because kids move too late. “It’s all about knowing, and that’s all I’m trying to provide. Well-used knowledge is part of the solution.”

In women like Fager and Herd, we see the tradition of social responsibility taking two forms of the sort this nation can use in every possible direction.

Essay 1074

Looking for a Few Good Minorities with MultiCultClassics…

New York Life presents another editorial-style recruitment ad. There must be better ways to inspire without so much drama.

Essay 1073

Old moves in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Ford Motor Company plans to cut 10,000 more salaried jobs, offer buyouts to 75,000 hourly workers and close two plants. “These actions have painful consequences for communities and many of our loyal employees,” said Executive Chairman Bill Ford. “But rapid shifts in consumer demand that affect our product mix and continued high prices for commodities mean we must continue working quickly and decisively to fix our business.” The Ford terminator can go from 0 to 85,000 in under a year.

• The Government Accountability Office (which sounds like an oxymoron) reported the number of illegal immigrants who died trying to cross the border more than doubled over the last decade. Hopefully, these folks aren’t heading north in the hopes of landing a job at Ford.

• The controversial season of CBS’ Survivor kicked off on Thursday, with host Jeff Probst calling it, “A social experiment like never before.” Still wondering why Probst wasn’t replaced with Carlos Mencia or Dave Chappelle.

Essay 1072

Looking for a Few Good Minorities with MultiCultClassics…

Firestone forgoes the typical badly designed recruitment ad by making the message look like badly designed editorial.

Essay 1071

Knock Knock!

Who’s there?

Knock The Hustle author Hadji Williams (pictured here), talking via podcast with Talent Zoo’s Danny G.

(Knock on the essay title above and listen up.)

Essay 1070

Riding high with a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• A lawsuit was filed in Miami for thousands of young boys claiming they were slaves of rich rulers from the United Arab Emirates and forced to work as camel jockeys. The suit shows more than 30,000 boys may have been victimized. “Boys as young as 2 years old were stolen from their parents, trafficked to foreign lands, and put under the watch of brutal overseers in camel camps throughout the region,” the suit said. “These claims are brought to punish the perpetrators and compensate the victims of child slavery and an international slave trade in small children that seems unimaginable in the 21st century.” And folks thought Joe Camel was outrageous.

• A new study shows Spanish disappears and English becomes the dominant language among immigrants after a few generations. “Even in the nation’s largest Spanish-speaking enclave, within a border region that historically belonged to Mexico, Spanish appears to be well on the way to a natural death by the third generation of U.S. residence,” said the study. So “Hasta la vista, baby” becomes “Whaddup, dawg.”

• Hanesbrands announced plans to cut 2,200 jobs and shut down three North American plants. Talk about a major wedgie.

• Chicago Mayor Richard Daley successfully vetoed a proposal to raise the minimum wage and require benefits for employees at big-box retailers like Wal-Mart and Target. So for Wal-Mart employees, it’s “Low Wages — Always.” And for Target employees, it’s “Expect More. Get Paid Less.”

• Claudia Mitchell is being named the first “bionic woman,” with a robotic arm that responds to her thoughts. The battery-operated arm has six motors to perform a variety of functions with the hand, wrist and elbow. Meanwhile, the original bionic woman is hawking Sleep Number Beds.

Essay 1069

Looking for a Few Good Minorities with MultiCultClassics…

The LAPD advertises starting salaries range from $52,638 to $70,679. That kind of loot will get you a lot of donuts. And it doesn’t even include kickbacks, bribes and extortion money.

Essay 1068

From Adweek…

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Viewers Stand By ‘Survivor,’ Survey Says

By Steve McClellan

NEW YORK Despite the controversy surrounding CBS’ decision to air an upcoming edition of Survivor in which teams are divided by race, a survey conducted by Interpublic Group's Universal McCann found that only 17 percent of those claiming to be avid Survivor watchers were “personally offended” by the new format.

That said, nearly one-third of non-viewers said they found the format personally offensive.

Results of the survey, conducted earlier this month, were released just two days before the premiere of the new installment of the show, Survivor: Cook Islands, which will feature four competing teams divided by race (African American, Asian American, Hispanic and white).

The show has prompted cries of protest from some groups, including the New York City Council’s Black, Latino and Asian Caucus, which has called on CBS to dump the format.

In the wake of the controversy, several longtime Survivor advertisers, including Procter & Gamble, General Motors, Coca-Cola and Home Depot, pulled their advertising from the program.

A CBS representative said the network has replaced the defectors with other advertisers. “We have a full roster of advertisers for Survivor,” she said. But she said that the network would not disclose that roster prior before the show airs. “They will be apparent come the show’s premiere,” she said.

According to the UM survey, conducted online, about 75 percent of all respondents claimed their attitude toward the show’s advertisers would not change. About 80 percent of those saying they view the show regularly also said they would probably watch the Cook Islands installment, while an additional 10 percent of those who said they don’t watch regularly said they were interested in tuning in.

Of those respondents who said they weren’t interested in watching, less than 15 percent said it was because they were offended by the new format.

Essay 1067

Advertising Age is conducting an online poll that asks:

Will the agreements that agencies signed with the NYC Human Rights Commission solve the industry’s diversity problem?

The early results show the “No” votes leading at 92 percent.

Essay 1066

From DiversityInc.com…

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‘Survivor’ Racial Clash Overrated, Says NAACP Head

By Jennifer Millman

NAACP President Bruce Gordon took his time before commenting on the new “Survivor” series, but the statement he issued Tuesday has stirred up some controversy of its own.

Aside from calling the show “a bad idea,” Gordon was unimpressed. He said the new series, which will divide contestants into four groups along racial/ethnic lines, is not nearly as disconcerting as the broader issues facing people of color in the entertainment industry, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“There are countless race abuses that exist in the entertainment community every day,” Gordon told the L.A. Times. “For the media to give airtime to the format of a TV show when it is silent on the absence of African Americans on Sunday morning news shows is shameful.”

Critics of the new show argue that Gordon’s position on the CBS board, one he did not disclose in the NAACP’s original statement on “Survivor,” may have shaped his opinion. According to National Urban League Policy Institute data, however, Gordon’s got a valid point.

In its August 2005 diversity study of five Sunday-morning political talk shows, which analyzed all programs broadcast from the five major networks—ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX and NBC—from January 2004 through June 2005, the Institute found:

• Fewer than 8 percent of program guests were black.

• Of the more than 2,100 guest appearances, only 176 guests were black, and 122 of these 176 appearances were by three guests: Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell and Juan Williams.

• U.S. senators and representatives were featured more than 500 times on these broadcasts, but black representatives accounted for a mere nine times.

CBS’s “Face the Nation” aired fewer interviews with black guests than any other network. Only 12 percent of broadcasts featured these interviewees, compared with “CNN Late Edition” at 38 percent, the highest of all the networks.

“Survivor: Cook Islands” will debut at 8 p.m. Thursday. Host Jeff Probst said the idea came out of preseason discussions in which the show’s staff decided they needed to make the show more diverse.

This season, producers will pit blacks, Latinos, Asians and whites against each other to stimulate viewing through “ethnic pride.” Long-time advertisers such as General Motors and Campbell Soup have pulled their support, but they denied that the race-based programming had anything to do with their respective decisions.

This is not CBS’s first attempt to diversify its programming, albeit the most controversial. Its “The Amazing Race,” which won an Emmy Award for best reality program, takes a more in-depth approach to diversity, featuring participants who differ by race, gender, disability, orientation and marital status, among other issues. Last year, 11 teams of two raced for $1 million in a global competition that took them to Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Senegal, Germany, Hungary, Corsica, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, China and Hawaii. The seventh season of “The Amazing Race” will begin Sunday, Sept. 18.

Essay 1065

When ‘diversity’ trumps equality

By Clarence Page

WASHINGTON -- A lot of people have their shorts bunched in a knot over a decision by the CBS reality game show “Survivor: Cook Islands” to divide its competing “tribes” by race and ethnicity.

No surprise there. We have enough wars to worry about these days without having one put forth as prime-time entertainment, even if it’s all in good fun.

Hispanics Across America founder Fernando Mateo called the “Survivor” move an “offensive and cheap trick” to boost ratings, which is undoubtedly true, but hardly the first time networks have done that. Does anybody remember Fox’s “Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?”

In fact, Carlos Mencia, that mogul of politically incorrect (but often on-target) humor on cable’s Comedy Central, already parodied the “Survivor” race idea this season, playing on every racial stereotype he could dredge up. (The brainy Asian guy, the fast black guy, the buoyant white guy, etc. In the end, the Hispanic guy won, leading to suspicions that Mencia had tilted the playing field.)

Interestingly, no big headlines of controversy followed Mencia’s move. After all, he’s only on cable and he’s only kidding. “Survivor” is prime-time and it’s serious, inasmuch as any goofy reality show can be serious.

Adjectives like “insulting,” “irresponsible,” “reprehensible” and that conversation-stopper “racist” have been thrown at the idea of separate black, white, Asian and Latino teams scheming and competing against each other. Sponsors fell away like autumn leaves in a Category 5 media storm.

Yet when you think about it, the protests illustrate how double-minded Americans are about race. Since the 1960s, it has become chic, particularly among liberals, to decry color-consciousness and, at the same time, embrace it.

Americans have “a love affair with race,” writes Walter Benn Michaels, a literature professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In his new book, “The Trouble with Diversity: How We Learned to Love Identity and Ignore Inequality,” he describes in eloquent detail how the liberal pursuit of social and economic equality was sidetracked by the pursuit of “diversity.”

Ironically, the more we have pursued diversity by repudiating racism and the notion that our racial biology is our destiny, the more we have perpetuated those very concepts, he writes. Liberals “celebrate diversity,” while conservatives ask, “Why can’t we all just be American?” Liberals shy away from being “judgmental” about various groups. Liberals grant people from all manner of subcultures their “agency,” which is their right to make their own choices about their moral behavior. Liberals quantify “equal rights” in terms of affirmative-action “goals” and “timetables,” which critics call “racial quotas,” which are supposed to be illegal but aren’t because, so far, the U.S. Supreme Court says they aren’t.

Others have complained that liberals talk too much about race.

Michaels is a liberal and proud of it. He wants to re-energize the left by persuading it to build new coalitions against the growing problem of economic inequality.

Of the 37 million poor Americans in the 2004 census head count, he points out, almost 17 million (45.6 percent) were white. Poor whites are not touched by left-right disputes over whether discrimination is a thing of the past or stronger than ever. They are touched by statistics that show the American dream to be increasingly elusive for those on the bottom of the nation’s economic ladder.

While poor whites numerically outnumber poor blacks, poverty has taken on a black face in the public mind, from the race riots of the 1960s to the coverage of Hurricane Katrina. “The truth is there weren’t too many rich black people left behind when everybody who could get out of New Orleans did so,” says Michaels. True enough.

Unlike racism, poverty cannot be pinned as easily on a particular set of villains. The poor do share some responsibility in improving their own condition. But the most compelling part of Michaels’ book are his descriptions of the vanishing American dream. Increasingly, one’s chances in life are defined by the parents to whom one is born, regardless of race or religion, and whether one is lucky enough to get into the right schools--from kindergarten on up. That wasn’t Martin Luther King’s dream for America, but that’s the direction in which we are moving.

That’s not just a reality show. It’s reality.

Essay 1064

Looking for a Few Good Minorities with MultiCultClassics…

Measure this ad however you wish. The concept comes up short.

Essay 1063

Reviewing report cards in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• The New York Post reported more details on the trendy bar accused of keeping track of female employees’ weight (see Essay 1059). The joint allegedly also rated the ladies in three categories: personality, sales and body. “It was a rating system between 1 and 10,” said one waitress. Upon viewing her name next to an average score of only 7.3, “I was mad.” A heavyset worker earning a 3 for body was reportedly fired shortly after being graded. The establishment’s lawyer said, “This is the first time I’m hearing these allegations, and, again, my understanding is that the allegations are fictitious.” Bet this guy rates a 0 for honesty.

• The Wall Street Journal reported Ford Motor Company will announce sweeping corporate restructuring designed to lower white-collar costs by up to 30 percent. The automaker deserves average ratings for personality and body — but a big, fat 0 for sales.

• USA Today reported nutrition experts are primarily blaming parents for the growing number of fat kids in America — especially parents who are fat themselves. One dietician remarked, “Parents are, hands down, the biggest influence on their kids. They need to be good role models. I heard a quote that said, ‘What you say will speak to your kids. What you do will scream to them.’” Guess too many parents scream for ice cream.

Essay 1062

Looking for a Few Good Minorities with MultiCultClassics…

Memo to creative team: You got no game.

Essay 1061

Word on the Web regarding recent AdAge reports:

Two more comments for the AdAge article presented in Essay 1036…

> Pushing off the diversity hearings is a disappointment to say the least. The unfortunate truth is that unless companies are publicly embarrassed about their diversity efforts -- or rather, lack therefore of them--very little will change. Most agencies will do the bare minimum to comply which amounts to little more than window dressing. So once again, agencies get to “dodge a bullet.” Call me psychic, but based on this “agreement” I think the industry is going to be having the exact same discussion in 10, 15, 20 years. — NY, NY

> I’m not sure where our colleague from Windham is coming from, but I’ll add my 2¢. I don’t think anyone is saying that unqualified minority applicants should be hired ahead of qualified white candidates, yet you wouldn’t guess that from the usual comments. I know coming from the media side, it’s rare you see minorities in higher positions. I’ve worked at a number of agencies and I can say that in most instances, the bulk of minorities are in support positions (admin assistant) or clerical positions (billing, traffic etc). Look around your agencies, how many Directors/Supervisors are minorities? I’m all for the hearings, let’s hear what the agencies have to say. — New York, NY

One more comment for the AdAge article presented in Essay 1056…

> On the one hand, Omnicom has pledged money for education to an African-American populated college… That’s good. Does it mean that Omnicom will have its agencies pursue an active recruitment policy from this very school? I seriously doubt it! On the other hand, when did poor diversity/minority hiring practices in the advertising workforce suddenly become “African-American” only? Did I miss something? It was my understanding that these conglomerates were being scrutinized for having failed (once again) to improve their minority/diversity hiring & promotion practices. My understanding of the definitions of “Minority” and “Diversity” transcends “African-American” … or maybe I’m just daft. I’ve been working in the advertising industry for over 20 years — never once have I had to bring my ethnicity (Hispanic) to the table in order to get hired or promoted — that would actually be an insult to me. I’ve worked hard and have earned every bit of my success. Did I meet bigots along the way? Of course! Merely obtuse individuals that should be pitied for their lack of intellectual responsibility. It is disturbing and yes, sad, to see that the more things seem to change the more they seem to stay the same. M. Rocafort-Mercado Principal Hispanic DM Solutions San Antonio, TX — San Antonio, TX

Essay 1060

From The Chicago Tribune…

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Anti-gay lyrics in reggae targeted
Buju Banton, others drawing protesters at concert appearances

By Althea Legaspi

For more than a decade, several reggae artists have been sparking controversy with songs that contain anti-gay lyrics. Beenie Man, Capleton and Buju Banton are among those accused of writing violent, homophobic lyrics, and several gay-rights groups have successfully pressured promoters, leading to concert cancellations.

Banton is perhaps the most controversial, having been accused and later exonerated earlier this year, in a case in Jamaica that involved an attack on a group of gay men. But it's the performer’s 1992 song, “Boom Bye Bye,” notorious for its lyrics about murdering gay men, that continues to draw fire.

Banton is scheduled to perform Wednesday at House of Blues, and two gay-rights organizations, Gay Liberation Network and Black LGBT & Allies for Equality, have planned to protest the show.

“This is the fourth performer in four years that House of Blues has scheduled that’s from this new reggae genre called Dancehall,” said GLN’s Bob Schwartz. “These are Jamaican singers who have published songs that in very explicit ways call for the killing of lesbian and gay people.”

In July the same organizations protested rapper DMX’s performance at House of Blues. Two years prior, GLN protested the House of Blues Chicago performance of another rapper, Capleton,leading to the cancellation of subsequent performances at House of Blues outlets in Los Angeles and New Orleans. That same year, the group’s efforts led to R.J. Reynolds’ pulling tour sponsorship for Beenie Man, spurring the cancellation of several tour dates nationwide, including one at Chicago’s House of Blues.

“Two years ago we made numerous efforts to contact [House of Blues.] … We were rebuffed; they absolutely refused to meet with us, to talk about the issues,” Schwartz said.

‘Not what we stand for’

However, House of Blues senior vice president of marketing Jack Gannon said he has met with several concerned organizations at the company’s L.A. corporate headquarters. “We’re not in a place where we support discrimination or violence of any kind -- and it’s not what we stand for,” Gannon said.

“Our mission statement is really committed to peace and harmony and so forth. But at the same time we have a business responsibility to provide environments for artists to demonstrate and perform their trade. … We can’t be in the business of censoring their content. If the organization has challenges or concern with the content, they really should speak directly to the artist and talk to them about the content that they’re performing.”

In August, GLN contacted Live Nation, which is acquiring House of Blues, requesting that it intervene with current management to cancel Banton’s performance. In a statement, a Live Nation representative said, “Although Live Nation has entered into an agreement to acquire House of Blues, we do not currently own House of Blues and the deal is still subject to a number of closing conditions, including regulatory approval. As such, we are not currently in a position to exert any type of control or influence over any aspect of House of Blues.”

Banton converted to the Rastafarian religion in the mid-‘90s, and since then his lyrics have been primarily socially conscious. He has not recorded another homophobic track but has reportedly performed “Boom Bye Bye” since his conversion.

Banton also remains unrepentant. In 2003, when the U.K.’s Guardian asked if his opinion had changed, he responded, “If I’d changed my opinion, would it change the song? So why should you go back there? That’s the past. I’ve been down that road a thousand times and I refuse to go there again with anyone.”

Not likely to recant

It’s unlikely Banton would recant the views expressed in the song because Rastafarianism is generally intolerant of homosexuality. More recently he was adamant that people not tell him what he can and can't express, likening it to slavery and saying, “If you don’t like it, don’t listen to it” during an interview with BBC Radio this summer.

Banton was not available for comment. Banton’s publicist, Tracii McGregor, said Banton was 15 when he wrote the song and that it was taken out of context.

“In Jamaica you regularly, in the newspaper, you hear reports of … older men raping young boys, or taking advantage of young boys, or … trying to … bribe young boys who live in the streets … so they can take advantage of them sexually,” McGregor said. “This is not anything new. So Buju actually wrote that song in response to an article that was on the cover of a paper in Jamaica, and that’s where that came from.”

The song was 4 years old by the time it was released in the United States. In July his concert in Brighton, England, was canceled because of protests, and a subsequent protest in Copenhagen led to the venue owners’ requesting that Banton not express any homophobic views during the show. The singer reportedly complied.

GLN plans to protest until anti-gay music becomes a thing of the past. “What we would want is for these artists [to] issue an apology for harm that may have resulted from their lyrics,” Schwartz said. “[And] a commitment to, one, not perform those [homophobic] songs anymore and, two, to not release any recordings going forward that contain those [types of] songs.”

Essay 1059

Hot topics in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Two ex-waitresses in New York (one pictured above) filed a $15 million sexual-harassment suit against a former employer who insisted on keeping track of the female workers’ weight. Managers at the trendy bar forced the women to regularly get on a scale, with results recorded and tracked on a Web site. “I told them I’m not going to be part of your sick game,” said one waitress, who claims a manager attempted to pick her up to get her on the scale. “I just felt so violated.” California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger probably called the women to show support and tell them they’re hot.

• Cigarette maker Philip Morris is disputing the recent study that showed nicotine levels in cigarettes have risen 10 percent in the last six years. The tobacco company claims the data it provided for the study recorded fluctuations in nicotine levels, but no steady increase. However, they don’t deny the steady and measurable increase in the company’s lies to the public.

Essay 1058

Looking for a Few Good Minorities with MultiCultClassics…

Tired of working for The Man? Make a switch to The Michelin Man.

Essay 1057

Everybody’s got an opinion. Here’s a new collection responding to recent AdAge articles. Plus, Hadji Williams delivers spirited rants at knockthehustleblog.typepad.com. Click on the essay title above to view his perspectives.

Four initial reactions to the AdAge article presented in Essay 1056…

> ad agencies should reflect the demographic of the marketplace. in other words, they should be a microcosm of the marketplace. that’s when interesting ideas and a dynamic creative environment is given further impetus and the agency truly represents the pulse of popular culture from which it draws/reflects its ideas. — Scarborough, ON

> Omnicom is the only brave one here. Signing is the easy thing to do but will only lead to inappropriate hiring and promotions. Instead, Omnicom invested their money into everyone’s future. That donation will not only brighten the future of those students but all the agencies will benefit from an enlarged pool of qualified minority candidates. Agencies don’t care about skin color -- they care about expanding their business. They would have been more successful by now if they’d had good candidates available. This isn’t anyone’s fault, but Omnicom actually took action while everyone else is simply giving lip service. — Dallas, TX

> If signing the Human Rights Commission diversity agreement represents nothing more than an opportunity to “shunt this potentially embarrassing issue to the background,” as Matthew Creamer and Lisa Sanders seem to suggest, shame on our industry. As the leading publication of American advertising, ADVERTISING AGE should be mindful of the signals such language sends. Unless, of course, your publication takes the position that advertising’s stunning lack of diversity is merely an embarrassment, rather than an injustice. Valerie Graves Chief Creative Officer Vigilante New York City — New York, NY

> The whole “issue” is ridiculous! Any agency, no matter how big or small, as a private company operating in a free market should have the solemn right to select and hire its employees based on TALENT, SKILLS and QUALIFICATION, and NOT on skin color! Actually, the commission request is much more racist in its core — as it will mean that, for example, a white Copywriter or Creative Director with better portfolio or more appropriate experience should be neglected in favor of a black candidate, just because of the “minority quota”... Such quota would be understandable for government and city jobs, but for the private sector? How about Wall Street then? How about Silicon Valley? And how about the percentage of black students in Ivy League colleges? And do you ever wonder how many white vs. black candidates apply for each top agency position? Of course, when 90% and more ARE white, the end result would be obvious... Milko Stoyanov Chicago — Chicago, IL

More comments posted in response to the article presented in Essay 1036 (initial comments presented in Essay 1042)…

> I didn't know that getting a job at one of New York’s best advertising agencies was a “Human Right”. With competition as keen as it is, no company can afford to reject talented people. This is especially true in the ad business. If discrimination has occurred, then hire a lawyer and file suit. Otherwise, this appears to be more of an inquisition than an investigation. If the “Human Rights Commission” wants to play hardball, as they appear to be willing to do, then Madison Ave should remind the Mayor that NYC isn’t the only place where space can be rented to ply our trade. — Kansas City, MO

> I’m a young, educated black professional seeking to switch gears into the creative side of the advertising industry, so I won’t go into where my sympathies rest with all this. I’ve been following AdAge’s solid coverage for months, as well as the typical predictable provocative reactions such as those of the esteemed poster from Windham, ME above. Assuming nothing but a truly sincere, legitimate belief that no amount of intervention is warranted, would be effective, nor proximate to the actual offending parties, please tell me this, my brother: how much interaction do you have at every level with every person involved on each account? Would the cologne/body odor, jewelry, clothing, hair coloring, height/weight, shoes, tattoos earned in service to community and country vs. those created for aesthetic value -- get scrutinized by you, for everyone, men and women, old and young alike, on the agency and client side? And who would do that review for you? Are you breaking the law if you refuse to hire a person or agency with a minority of people that don’t fit the image you wish to project? Yes, if you are stupid enough to admit it publicly. Is that bad business for you in the long run? Yes, it is if you can admit to yourself personally. It’s not simply about diversity and quotas, it’s about the value of perspective and talent, and mettle everyone brings to their work -- not how much metal they have in their face. As a side note, I hear Omnicom is going to do $2.5 million over five years for a diversity proposal of some sorts and to create a marketing program at Medgar Evers College. It was announced at the annual Congressional Black Caucus summit at Washington, DC. Ironic because Omnicom is the holding company of DDB behind the Bud Light “Steve and Zagar” campaign celebrating a white guy and a “stereotypical cultured savage” (implied Yanomamo); as well as TBWAChiatDay behind the Starburst spot with a white guy pretending to be Jamaican. Still think a more informed diverse perspective in a more informed diverse America isn’t warranted? — Washington, DC

Essay 1056

From AdAge.com…

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Omnicom Flies Solo on Diversity Hiring Issue

Holding Company Splits with Rivals, Could Still Face NYC Public Hearings

By Matthew Creamer and Lisa Sanders

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- A landmark agreement to improve diversity on Madison Avenue could shunt the potentially embarrassing issue into the background for everyone but the industry’s largest player -- Omnicom Group.

Of the 16 agencies originally subpoenaed by the New York City Human Rights Commission, four are owned by Omnicom: DDB, BBDO, PHD and Merkley & Partners.

Conspicuously absent
Omnicom, the No. 1 holding company, was conspicuously absent from a series of agreements -- first reported by AdAge.com -- that agency holding companies made with the New York City Human Rights Commission to ramp up initiatives to hire more minority executives. Rather than sign on with WPP Group, Interpublic Group of Cos. and Publicis Groupe, Omnicom went its own way, pledging more than $2 million for diversity initiatives, including the establishment of an advertising, media and marketing curriculum at the historically black Medgar Evers College.

No good deed, of course, goes unpunished. Despite offering more concrete plans than anyone else, Omnicom still faces the specter of public hearings that are scheduled to coincide with Advertising Week this month. Underwhelming racial statistics for two of its largest units were trotted out in a front-page New York Times article Sept. 8. And the commission invoked the name of one of Omnicom’s largest clients, PepsiCo, in describing how it arrived at the new procedures.

The pacts
Of the 16 agencies originally subpoenaed, four are owned by Omnicom: DDB, BBDO, PHD and Merkley & Partners. (Arnold, owned by Havas, has not yet signed but is expected to.) Omnicom, according to executives familiar with the situation, was reluctant to agree to terms that involved monitoring its progress. An Omnicom spokeswoman declined to comment.

Eleven agencies signed pacts to improve minority hiring, pledging to diversify by setting goals for the hiring, promotion and retention of minority talent. The agencies did not agree to quotas, but instead will set their own hiring goals and report their progress to the commission. Failure to meet the objectives will require the agencies hire outside consultants, but it won’t result in financial penalties.

Detailed work-force report
“The agencies have agreed to tell us whether they’re living up to the goals they’ve set and to give us a detailed report on how their work force is comprised” said Avery Mehlman, deputy commissioner of the HRC’s law-enforcement bureau.

While Omnicom isn’t off the hook as far as the commission’s hearings go, it is in the good graces of another outspoken advocate for diversity: New York City Councilman Larry Seabrook, who brokered the deal.

“We went to Omnicom and we kicked ass,” said Mr. Seabrook, speaking at the annual legislative meeting of the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington on Sept. 7. “But they came to the table. Omnicom put their money where their mouth is.”

Continuing threat of public hearings
Mr. Seabrook said he intends to hold his own Advertising Week hearings that could include agencies or their clients if the agencies don't also reach a settlement with him.

Mr. Mehlman said the agreements were modeled on diversity programs used by corporations such as Pepsi. For instance, agency CEOs will have their compensation tied to progress on the diversity goals. Patricia Gatling, chairwoman of the commission, said at the caucus, “Approximately 2% of the individuals who create in us a desire to buy at the 16 agencies we examined are black,” adding, “Here we are in 2006 -- also a half century after the civil-rights movement began -- and we have still been unable to break and excel in this industry.”

She said that while 22% of the 8,000 employees of 16 agencies it examined earned over $100,000, only 2.5% of those were African-American.

Ira Teinowitz contributed to this report.

Essay 1055

Looking for a Few Good Minorities with MultiCultClassics…

The U.S. Department of Justice takes a pretty aggressive approach with recruitment. The scene is reminiscent of INS agents storming the Miami home to seize Elian Gonzalez back in 2000.

Essay 1054

Truthiness and less in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• A new study revealed members of Congress tell the entire truth about 25 percent of the time when debating major legislation in the House and Senate. Rather, elected officials spout half-truths, misleading exaggerations or outright lies when pontificating on the country’s business. One political scientist behind the study said, “We don’t pretend to know whether they are lying, are ignorant, or misperceive the facts and informed opinion on an issue.” That sounds like a polite fib.

• Ford Motor Company may decide to cut 6,000 more jobs than originally predicted, as its board meets this week to continue planning the company turnaround. Hey, somebody’s gotta pay for the new CEO’s $18.5 million signing incentives (see Essay 1045).

Essay 1053

Looking for a Few Good Minorities with MultiCultClassics…

Pitney Bowes claims to celebrate diversity in its recruiting efforts. But the sci-fi image appears to be distinctively Caucasian. Plus, it calls to mind the Borg from Star Trek: The Next Generation — “You will be assimilated.”

Essay 1052

From Adweek.com…

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Omnicom Pays $2.5 Mil. to Foster Diversity

By Wendy Melillo

WASHINGTON Omnicom Group has agreed to pay $2.5 million over five years to promote diversity at advertising agencies and establish a marketing program at Medgar Evers College, according to New York City Council member Larry Seabrook.

An Omnicom representative confirmed that the holding company had made a proposal.

Seabrook disclosed the deal here today at the annual legislative meeting of the Congressional Black Caucus, during a session on “Truth in Advertising: How You Are Affected by the Practices of Ad Agencies and Their Clients.” Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Mich., hosted that session.

The issue of a lack of diversity among ad agency executives has gained prominence since the New York City Human Rights Commission sent subpoenas in June to the heads of 16 New York-based shops, including leaders at DDB, Saatchi & Saatchi and Ogilvy & Mather, among others.

Seabrook, who is chairman of the New York City Council’s Committee on Civil Rights, has also said he will hold hearings on the issue and include testimony from agency and client executives.

Human Rights Commission Chair Patricia Gatling, who also spoke at the session, would not confirm if a settlement had been reached with any of the agencies.

She said one of the driving forces behind the commission’s decision to pursue an investigation of the agencies was the fact that “the number of African-Americans in the advertising industry, particularly in the upper echelons (i.e. creative, professional or managerial titles) weren’t much better than they were in the 1960’s” when her office conducted a similar investigation.

“In a city where African-Americans make up one quarter of the population, with billions of dollars in purchase power, the lack of representation in the advertising industry is completely unacceptable,” Gatling said. “In citing management diversity, one agency went so far as to identify the African-American chief of security and director of janitorial services as company managers. While these positions are certainly important to the daily functioning of the agency and the individuals did make a substantial salary, they are not the molders of public opinion.”

Gatling said only 2 percent of the people who “create in us a desire to buy” at the 16 agencies are black. Of the 8,000 employees who work at the 16 shops, about 22 percent make more than $100,000, and only 2.5 percent of those staffers are black. Gatling said the commission is pressing the agencies for settlements.

Adonis Hoffman, svp and counsel for the Washington office of the American Association of Advertising Agencies, said shops are often caught in the middle. “Advertising agencies act on behalf of clients,” Hoffman said. “Advertisers tell us where to go and how high to jump. I am not trying to shift the buck. Agencies have a big problem in terms of employment.”

Seabrook said he plans to continue pressuring the advertising industry for change. “To quote Martin Luther King, we are too nice to people who are too nasty to us,” he said.

Essay 1051

Don’t mean to blow things out of proportion, but the obesity epidemic is rooted in corporations’ hunger for profit.


The Dunkin’ Donuts Website features this mantra:

How everyday people get things done, every day.

What are the keys to getting things done? A can-do attitude, of course. And a quick stop at Dunkin’ Donuts. Whether you need a delicious cup of coffee, a quick snack on the go, or an icy cold beverage, Dunkin’ Donuts helps you tackle any task at hand.

Mom and dads. Students and senior citizens. Blue collar, white collar, and every collar inbetween. Dunkin’ Donuts is how everyday people get things done, every day.


Taco Bell invents The Fourth Meal — the new meal between dinner and breakfast — to hype its late-night hours. The ultimate result: The Fourth Chin.


Mickey D’s counters its new salad items with the Snack Wrap, a fried chicken strip doused with lettuce, cheddar jack cheese and ranch sauce — all crammed in a soft flour tortilla. Plus, the House of Ronald continues to drag its feet on replacing the trans fat-laden cooking oil used for French fries, despite a court mandate. Did Mayor McCheese grant them a pardon?


KFC claims to address customers’ desire for portability by launching Famous Bowls, a cornucopia of crap dumped into a plastic bin. Perhaps the fast feeder was actually satisfying customers’ desire for portliness.


Sara Lee introduces the latest campaign for its sugary stuff with the tagline, “The Joy of Eating.” Focus groups probably preferred it over, “Binge Until Your Butt Blows.” Nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee. Except Jenny Craig, Richard Simmons and a host of others.


At this rate, Subway’s Jared may start a successful venture selling his old pants to a literally growing American audience.

Essay 1050

Looking for a Few Good Minorities with MultiCultClassics…

Don’t mean to knock this ad, but the photograph is just plain bizarre.

Essay 1049

Bad Boys in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• The producer who owns 71 hours of footage starring O.J. Simpson has offered it to the father of murder victim Ron Goldman in exchange for the right to Fred Goldman’s share of the $33.5 million wrongful-death trial judgment. The elder Goldman is allegedly considering the deal. Sources estimate the footage is worth about $4 million. Or considerably less if placed for sale on eBay.

• Cops who arrested 50 Cent in Manhattan (see Essay 1045) claim the rapper was a model prisoner. “He seemed more embarrassed about being [at the police station house] than anything else,” said one source. “…He cooperated fully and answered all the questions. …There was no attitude at all.” Wait until Fiddy releases the inevitable rap detailing the event.

Essay 1048

Looking for a Few Good Minorities with MultiCultClassics…

The Army is bragging its recruitment efforts have significantly improved over 2005. The Pentagon even announced on Friday that the Army met its enlistment goal for August, attributing the success to innovative salesmanship by more recruiters and incentives like bonuses of up to $40,000. Does the Rambo-style attitude of this print ad reflect the new hype tactics?

Essay 1047

From The Los Angeles Times…

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By Steve Lopez

And What Do You Mean by Hot?

I’m confused. As the grandson of people from Malaga on one side, Naples and Sicily on the other, I always thought it was Spaniards and Italians who were supposed to be hotblooded. I definitely grew up with a lot of people yelling at one another.

Then I see where Gov. Easy Column had to apologize for saying it’s the Puerto Ricans and Cubans who are the really fiery ones because they’ve got black blood mixed with Latino, which makes for sangria that’s muy spicy.

“Anyone out there that feels offended by these comments, I just want to say I’m sorry,” Arnold Schwarzenegger said Friday in Santa Monica, with Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia (R-Cathedral City) by his side. “The fact is that if I would hear this kind of comments in my house, by my kids, I would be upset….”

By his kids? They’re not the problem, Arnold, but you and your chief of staff might need to be sent to your rooms without supper. I’ll get to her in a minute.

I was a little surprised Schwarzenegger didn’t make the apology on “Oprah,” with Maria at his side, but it might have been tough to explain his theories on the science of racial cross-pollination.

As for Garcia, she did not look like a woman who felt insulted by the governor’s symposium on ethnicity, which he delivered during a recorded high-powered meeting last spring in Sacramento. Garcia said she had an inside joke with the governor about being a “hotblooded Latina,” and this is likely to be good news for her El Centro and Cathedral City district.

It’s only a matter of time, I’m betting, before we see massive state investment out there, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a new Puerto Rican (or Cuban) museum before the end of the year.

Newsmakers in this state never disappoint, do they? The same week that Arnold makes the nightly news, Paris Hilton gets pulled over in Hollywood on suspicion of drunk driving and says she was cruising for an In-N-Out Burger because she “had not ate all day.”

Not too smooth, but throw her in with Mel Gibson and Schwarzenegger in the celebrity faux pas derby and she’s the one who comes off like the sophisticate.

But getting back to Arnold, am I the only one who wondered whether the governor meant something other than hot-blooded, as in temperamental? Is it possible he simply meant hot? He is who he is, after all.

“I mean, they are all very hot,” he said at one point in the recording.

Hard to say exactly what he might have had in mind. Let’s go to the transcript.

“Bonnie Garcia is great,” Chief of Staff Susan Kennedy says at one point, and Kennedy, let’s keep in mind, is supposed to be the brains of the operation. “She’s a ball-buster. She’s great. Is she Puerto Rican?”

“She seems to me like Cuban,” the governor responds.

“She’s not Mexican,” Kennedy says.

“No,” Arnold says.

“But she said something, and I thought, I thought she was Puerto Rican,” Kennedy says.

“She maybe is Puerto Rican or the same thing as Cuban,” the governor says.

I hate to break up the summit, but let’s pause here for a second.

Do Arnold and Kennedy, whose appointment raised eyebrows in both the anti-gay and anti-Democrat crowds, often sit around talking about saucy cross-breeds?

If so, I’m kicking myself. Not long ago I had a one-hour cigar chat with the governor, and we spent most of the time talking about campaign finance reform. Am I that dull? And what were we smoking, anyway, Cubans or Puerto Ricans?

Come to think of it, what does the governor mean by “the same thing as Cuban?” You are or you aren’t, unless I’m missing something. I mean, Lucy wasn’t married to a Caribbean. Ricky was a Cuban, and no matter what else you think of him, he probably offended more real Cubans than Schwarzenegger.

And why is Schwarzenegger on the hook but not Kennedy, who seems to be an expert on Mexicans? I didn’t see any evidence that she objected when Arnold said, “I mean, they are all very hot. They have the, you know, part of the black blood in them and part of the Latino blood in them that together makes it.”

This is quite an interesting peek behind the curtain in Sacramento, wouldn’t you say?

And whatever you think of him, you’ve got to give Schwarzenegger points for the way he handled the apology. He wasted no time, stepped right up, faced the cameras and said that when he read his own comments in the paper, they made him cringe.

If only Bill Clinton had been that smart.

Poor Phil Angelides, the Democratic challenger. He can’t get traction on anything. Just after he put out a statement saying Arnold had embarrassed the whole state, there was Arnold on TV with Garcia standing by her man like a proud Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican.

Look, I can’t remember what the heck she is. But she’s definitely hot.

Essay 1046

From The Chicago Reader…

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Girls With Grills

Zoe Weisman and Natasha Newman-Thomas are seniors at the School of the Art Institute.

What made you want to get a grill?

ZOE: I always wanted braces. I never had them and I think they’re really hot.

How much did those cost?

NATASHA: Between $400 and $500. My mom has wanted gold teeth her whole life but feels she’s past the point where it would be OK for her to have them, so she said she would pay half because I was living out her dream.

Where did you get them, and what are they made of?

ZOE: Mine is really ghetto. It’s from Da Hot Zone in Logan Square. It’s white gold with diamonds molded to my teeth. You boil the wax, put the grill in, bite down, keep it like that for a while until it hardens, and there you go.

NATASHA: I got mine at a custom jeweler in Oakland about two years ago. It’s fake, not copper but something like that. I molded it with wax. They make a mold of your mouth like they would at the dentist, then they keep it on record in case you want to get more. Then you choose the design that you want—you can get really elaborate stuff, or not.

ZOE: There are some that cost $20,000.

NATASHA: They can also etch photos into them—

ZOE: And do names—

NATASHA: And words. I would kind of like to have some like that.

ZOE: I’m saving up for fangs. That’s what I really want. Donald Fagen fangs.

NATASHA: We both love Steely Dan. Maybe I’ll get tops that say WALTER BECKER and you can get bottoms that say DONNY FAGEN!

Donald Fagen doesn’t have fangs!

ZOE: He just looks like a vampire.

What kind of reaction do you get when you wear them?

NATASHA: One time I left mine at a Steak n Shake and when I drove back to get it all the employees sang the song “Grillz” to me. This baby and I have gone through a lot together. I’ve lost it and dug through like eight bags of trash for it.

ZOE: I was at the barber shop recently getting braids and some guy was looking at my grill and not saying anything. I was like, “What?” And he said, “I’m not mad, it’s cute.”

—Liz Armstrong

Essay 1045

Sorry statements in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger apologized for remarks he made in reference to Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia (both pictured above). During a conversation with staffers, Schwarzenegger said, “She maybe is Puerto Rican or the same thing as Cuban. I mean, they are all very hot. … They have the, you know, part of the black blood in them and part of the Latino blood in them that together makes it.” Garcia responded by saying, “I am not mad that he recognizes that I am passionate about the issues. … and I am not mad that he allows me to tell him exactly what I think, and what’s on the mind of people in my community. So again, there is no need to apologize.” Garcia, elected in 2002, is the first Latina woman to represent the 80th Assembly District; plus, she’s the sole Latina Republican in the State Legislature. Hey, she’s pretty hot for a Republican.

• 50 Cent was arrested for traffic violations in Manhattan, while fans cheered the rapper and booed the cops. The charges included making an unsafe lane change, driving with an expired permit and driving without insurance. Maybe insurance companies need to offer special policies for rappers — with extra rates for speeding, police encounters and gunfire damage.

• New Ford Motor Company CEO Alan Mulally will reportedly receive a base salary of $2 million, with a signing bonus of $7.5 million and $11 million to offset forfeited money and stock options from former employer Boeing. Looks like he won’t have to worry about paying his auto insurance premiums.

• The Federal Reserve presented a study that showed minorities were denied home loans at a higher rate than Whites in 2005. Denial rates for Blacks were at 27.5 percent, followed by Native Americans at 22.4 percent, Hispanics at 21.3 percent, Native Hawaiians at 19.6 percent and Asians at 15.8 percent. Whites faced denials at 12.2 percent. “I do not believe this problem is caused solely by racial or ethnic prejudice, but it also cannot be argued that these factors do not contribute to the problem,” said U.S. Rep. Barney Frank. “It is unacceptable for a nation committed to ending racial and ethnic disparity in financial services to allow this to continue.” Talk about being in denial.

Essay 1044

Do all Black women look alike? It seems that way in some recent general market advertising. Medium complexions. Lean figures. Long hair. The standards even apply when the Black women are cartoons.

Essay 1043

From The Associated Press…

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Spanish Fashion Show Rejects Skinny Models

By DANIEL WOOLLS, AP

MADRID, Spain — Spain’s top fashion show has turned away a slew of models on grounds they are too skinny — an unprecedented swipe at body images blamed for encouraging eating disorders among young people.

Organizers of the pageant, known as the Pasarela Cibeles, used a mathematical formula to calculate the models’ body mass index — a measure of their weight in relation to their height — and 30 percent of the women flunked, said the Association of Fashion Designers of Spain.

The association said Friday it wanted models at the show running from Sept. 18-22 to project “an image of beauty and health” and shun a gaunt, emaciated look.

The decision was made as part of a voluntary agreement with the Madrid regional government, said Jesus del Pozo, a designer who is part of the association, said Thursday.

Last year’s show, also called Madrid Fashion Week, drew protests from medical associations and women’s advocacy groups because some of the models were positively bone-thin.

This time the Madrid regional government decided to intervene and pressure organizers to hire fuller-figured women as role models for young girls obsessed with being thin and prone to starving themselves into sickness, said Concha Guerra, deputy finance minister of the regional administration.

Fashion shows, Guerra said, “are mirrors for many young women.”

Del Pozo said this was the first time skinny models have been snubbed at a major international fashion show.

Ryan Brown, director of marketing and public relations in North America for the Elite modeling agency in New York City, agreed. “It is very unprecedented,” said Brown, who has nothing to do with the Spanish show.

He welcomed the decision saying “I think it is great to promote health.”

Madrid’s show, which features mainly Spanish designers, is not as prestigious as catwalks in Paris or Milan but “it is not at the bottom of the pile,” he said.

The impact of rejecting skinny women would have been greater at those other glitzier venues. Still, he said, “I am sure the industry is taking note.”

The body mass index is a tool for doctors who study obesity. It is calculated by dividing weight in pounds by height in inches squared, and multiplying that total by 703.

If the resulting number is between 18.5 and 24.9, the person’s weight is normal. Below 18.5 they are underweight. In the case of the Madrid show, organizers rejected women with indices under 18.

Brown of the Elite agency said fashion shows reflect the tastes of clothing designers, who for now prefer the Kate Moss look as opposed to the curvier dimensions of models such as Cindy Crawford in years past.

“They don’t want voluptuous girls any more,” he said. “It would be nice if fashion got back to that.”

Essay 1042

Initial opinions posted at AdAge.com in response to the story referenced in Essay 1036…

> Commitments and investments in this area are good for business, the industry, and our culture. Nevertheless, why not have hearings? Why not open up and face the complexity of issues and challenges, accept realities, and plan more comprehensive solutions? Why won’t hearings be good for everyone? They are long overdue. — NEW YORK, NY

> I understand that many people feel as if the NY commission is wrongfully targeting certain agencies, but as an educated, articulate minority working in advertising, I can tell you that it is very hard to find an agency that can look past the stereotypes that exist for minorities. I applied to quite a few agencies after I graduated, and I only got phone calls from a couple of agencies — and I graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Advertising/Communications program at Florida International University. At many agencies, it seems as if the number of minorities can be counted on one hand. I think the commission is just trying to create equal opportunity for all those people out there who are equally qualified to work in the Advertising industry. What’s so wrong about that? — Ft. Lauderdale, FL

> Another government program to keep racism and bigotry prominent. And, of course, the “diversity” issue is further reaching: Why must an agency or client hire help with lifestyles not consistent with their beliefs or the character of their company? Am I breaking the law if I refuse to hire a person or agency with people with metal hanging all over their face because that person or entity is in the minority; even though that’s not part of the image I wish to project? People like John Kerry make one man’s freedom another man’s tyranny so that he can justify his existence in Congress. Public hearings? Sounds more like the Salem witch trials. — Windham, ME

Essay 1041

File these notes under “Stereotypical Dumb Blondes.”

Jessica Simpson tells Jay Leno she believes diet soft drinks cause cellulite. Wonder what she thinks the offerings at Pizza Hut (a Pepsi partner) will do to your figure. Plus, she’s heavily involved with Pepsi Smash™ promotional activities. Meanwhile, Paris Hilton reveals she was speeding to grab a bite at In-N-Out Burger, despite her on-air whoring for Carl’s Jr.

Essay 1040

Boycotts will be boycotts in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Anheuser-Busch is under fire for its Bud Light campaign depicting Zagar and Steve, a character resembling a Yanomamo tribesman and his standard White guy roommate. The comedy comes from Zagar’s primitive behavior playing against a modern, urban setting. However, Native Americans are not amused, and threats of boycotts are underway. Some have even referred to Zagar as the new “Stepin’ Fetchit” stereotype.

“I am in agreement of the number of the Indigenous leaders that have contacted me on this issue,” said the program director of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility. “This is a gross misuse of Indigenous images, issues and culture. It is just completely offensive. It needs to be stopped.”

Another critic wrote, “This campaign is a throwback to the days when Americans portrayed Indians as pure savages: unable to speak English, uninterested in peace and harmony, intent only on killing and ravaging. It’s no better than a 19th century minstrel show that depicted Negro behavior as stupid and stereotypical. George Washington once labeled Indians ‘beasts of prey’ and this endeavor does the same.”

An Anheuser-Busch spokesperson stated, “We have the greatest respect for people of all nationalities and ethnic origins. We have been advised that some in the Indigenous community take issue with this fictional character — which was never our intention — and we are in discussions with the program director at the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility about concerns that have been raised. We hope to resolve this quickly and amicably.”

They’ll probably offer cases of Bud Light.

• Wal-Mart announced plans to retool its stores with offerings designed to target six distinct consumer groups, including Blacks, Hispanics and affluent shoppers. No word yet if any revamped departments will appeal to Bud Light’s Zagar.

Essay 1039

Couldn’t Tide depict a more aspirational vocation than a floor mopper?