That Damn Commercial
The comments keep comingby j. brotherlove
Since Thursday evening, there has been a tremendous surge of traffic at thebrotherlove.com attributed to that damn commercial (and Google). Oy vey. Feel free to weigh in on my original post, if it fancies you. I’m over it.
Addendum (09/10/02)
To all visitors (especially from Google or Slate/MSN).
This is a personal website - not the National Page of Underwear Ads & Comments. I didn’t make the commercial, so there is no need to contact me. Besides, I’m not as passionate about this topic as most of you seem to think - I wrote this in July.
I don’t have an “agenda” against Joe Boxer or Vaughn. I simply posted my feelings on my site. There has been plenty of feedback in support and in opposition of the commercial; you may agree or disagree with those, as well. Either way is fine with me.
I am flattered my comment has gotten so much attention. However, I am not interested in hosting this discussion (that’s why comments have been disabled). Please search elsewhere.
Thank you.
j.
isn’t it weird what people want to talk about?
15 folks commenting on Joe Boxer.
And getting heated defending it?
damn son.
And it’s only getting worse… Looks like I have to get more involved.
heh heh heh…you’re #1 on google for that damn commercial.
I’m #5 or 6 or something.
Such a sad state of affairs.
Aargh!
Make them go awaaaaayyyy!!!!!
sorry, i’m late here.. and i only just saw the commercial on tv last week. my girl and i were watching it, and after it ended we both looked at each other like, “wtf was that about?”. in all honesty, however, i must admit that we were more so weirded out by his goofiness, not so much his race. i would imagine many people (of different races) auditioned for it, and he was chosen as the goofiest? i can see where you’re coming from, realy, i can, but in my particular case, i didn’t see it like that. it was just all around cheese..
who knows.. anyways, that’s my 2c.
And one of the smartest 2-cent answers I’ve read so far…
I think he’s adorable. You guys need to get a life and lighten up
If the commercial meant to be a racist statement, do you really think the gentleman who accepted the part would have done it? Don’t you think he read the script and knew what he was going to do before he did it? He probably thought the same thing that 90% of us thought…”wtf?” And like most people he probably laughed…. Something some of you really need to learn how to do.
He looked pretty happy to me.
I mean seriously, I didn’t even realize that he was black until I read all of these ridiculous comments. My thoughts about the commercial leaned more towards….
”wtf was that all about”
Why does everything have to have a hidden racist meaning behind it? Racist people make me want to puke.. but people who find racism where there is none make me want to puke even more.
The guy in the commercial was cute, obviously outgoing, and could dance better then most people I know…that’s why he was chosen for the part…
To me he looked just like any of us do when we are home alone in our underwear.
People, people, you’re way over-thinking this… get off the black thing, it’s not an issue here. The issue here is he’s a happy guy, wearing some new underwear that looks comfortable no matter how he moves. The background is stark, so what? They’re not selling the living room, they’re selling underwear. Did you people flip out when Tom Cruise danced in his underwear years ago in “Risky Business”? I don’t think so. Was it any more or less funny because he was white? No.
Black or white, it’s funny, plain and simple. Let it go.
You try doing a fun, tasteful, underwear ad, see what you come up with. Believe me it’s not as easy as it looks.
I agree with ladymuzik and lady s.
Fun commericial…that’s all it is folks
I was in a very bad mood two days ago and that commercial came on and midway through it i was smiling, then laughing. The man is beautiful, his goofy dance, joyously infectious. The image of a black man happily dancing could be used to denegrate us, but I really think that we have to stop seeing spooks behind every image. I don’t think the Joe Boxer ad is an allusion to an old stereotype except in the mind of the overly sensitive.
I just happen to read a caption on MSN regarding the guy in the Joe boxer commercial.
I can’t believe that in the year 2002 some black people can look at that commercial and see racism. Thats more comical to me than the commerical. Its a guy who went out and audition for a commercial and won the part. I don’t think that in his mind he was representing some false illusion of what black people ought to look like or do.
Stop being a hostage to your history.
WTF? I dont even know what to say. I do know I don’t have to use an alias-I can be real about mine; as most of you should. What kind of a dip-shit do you have to be to see an underwear commercial and think of a black/white issue. Everyone I know (black and white) wears underwear! Who cares what color he is. When you see the commercial you shouldn’t even see a color. People are people. You racist sons of bitches are what is sending the world strait to hell in a handbasket. Get a F***ing life. It’s K-Marts money and add, obviously that’s the kind of personality they were looking for-besides attitude and personality sell not color.