I analyzed the Doritos commercial depicting the young African American child slapping an adult visiting male. There are many stereotypes of African American culture, and the three characters each represent various characteristics that are primarily correlated to African American culture.
First, I described the commercial in detail. The male knocks on the door and his holding a bouquet of pink flowers; the woman invites him inside. She introduces the visiting male to her son, yet he does not look at the child during their introduction. When the woman exits the room the male leans back in order to get a better look at the departing woman. The camera angle is focusing on the woman’s rear. Then the child becomes offended and slaps the man as he brings a Dorito to his mouth. He tells him to stay away from his momma and from his Doritos.
Then, I analyzed the way the commercial portrays each character individually and how each character influences the interpretation of the other characters. The male visitor is portrayed as a sexual deviant who is unconcerned with commitment. He is disrespectful to the woman and child. The woman is displayed with negative sexual connotations. Out of all of the commercials designated for the Super Bowl of 2010 this was the only commercial, which negatively portrayed women, and it was the only commercial depicting a race other than white. The woman is also a young single attractive mother, which is another stereotype of African American culture. This aspect plays off of the male’s character because it reiterates the point of African American male’s failure to commit to a stable monogamous relationship. Ultimately, the child is portrayed as being quick to aggression. This is an overarching stereotype of African American youth, which is reinforced by his family situation and race.
Since the characters are shown to be in a middle class the commercial does not suggest that these traits are dependent on being in a lower socioeconomic class. Instead, the commercial suggests that these stereotypical traits are racially dependent.
Finally, I asked why is it beneficial to Doritos to portray this type of commercial. The commercial is appalling and funny because of the type of parlance used by the characters. The Super Bowl is notorious for its commercials; therefore, millions of viewers discuss the commercials after the event. The more the commercial stands out the more attention the audience will dedicate to discussing a particular commercial. It is advantageous for Doritos to depict certain stereotypes because they receive more attention from the audience without degrading the integrity of the Doritos product.
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