Paid Product Testing

Paid Product Testing

Is the Toyota Prius Commercial With Raphael Saadiq Racist/Prejudice???

Is the very hip and very catchy jingle, perhaps real song, displayed by legendary Raphael Saadiq in the Toyota Prius commercial racist? Some may notice quite a few subtle tones of prejudice here.

So here is an article that I thought was quite interesting, in that it showed me quite a few hidden inferences if you will, on a very popular car commercial. The thing is, that this article was rejected by one of the writing portals in which I contribute, as being more fit for a blog, so I've decided to do just that. They said some other things as far as the reason for rejection, but it seemed like a poor and b.s. excuse to me. I think that because there was slight controversy about this article, they didn't want to associate with it. Check out the article and tell me what you guys think.

image source: By Patrik Hamberg (Flickr) [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

image source:Beth and Christian, CC-by-2.0, Flickr

So it seems that we have yet another car commercial that has once again tailored that fine line of being prejudice. As I have observed and reported from an earlier article, Racist Car Insurance Commercials, it seems that the basis of catering to a particular ethnicity would hold no true merit in the advertising world. For what reason would it, without stirring up much controversy and innuendos that can and in many cases do portray ill and unwanted portrayals amongst a particular race?

Let's not confuse race with culture. Before I dissect this newly arrived bad marketing scheme of a car commercial, I want to point out the distinction. Take a place like Japan. Marketing and advertising through commercials, billboards, etc. with a cast of Japanese people speaking a Japanese language and performing in a way that compliments the rich culture of that nation is only fitting. However, the line may become narrow when a specific ethnicity is targeted for a broader theme, that includes unnoticed subtleties and inferences in efforts that the commercial will appeal to that particular ethnicity because it is perceived and believed that "they" like and are into the gimmicks used.

The said car commercial is in reference to the new Toyota Prius. To set the stage, the new Prius commercial begins with a renowned singer by the name of Raphael Saadiq, from the group Tony, Toni Tone. Raphael Saadiq is sitting inside the rear of the red un-trunked Prius and begins playing a tune on his guitar complimented by some fancy lyrics.

The camera then shifts to the inside rear of the vehicle where 3 African American women are sitting and dancing to the tune. Raphael Saadiq continues his song as he turns his attention to the women and serenades them until they eventually exit the vehicle and really began to "let loose" with their dance moves. Some of the lyrics include words like "…what you're doing to me? Girl what you're doing to me?" as well as, "…There's so much mo-ooorrrr-oooooorrrrrre, I just can't wait to explore-o-orrrrrre….!" It may be nothing that during this time, other than coincidence, that he just happens to be gazing at the rear end of one of his "back-up" dancers instead of the newly acclaimed Toyota Prius. So just what kind of 'exploration' is to be performed here, and furthermore, with whom?



In my own personal observation of the new Prius commercial, I must say that the melody was quite catchy and appealing. The lyrics complimented the tune very well and the singer himself has continuously put together hit songs, both within the group Tony, Toni, Tone as well as within his solo career. However, there were some disturbing factors as well.

I completely forgot that I was watching an advertisement for a car commercial, let alone one for the new Toyota Prius. I mean, wasn't this the whole idea of the ad, endorsement and all the accompanying theatrics? It wasn't until about the 4th or 5th time watching the new Prius commercial that I noticed the very impressive estimated EPA of 50 mpg feature along with some others, that seem to have been overshadowed by the well choreographed gyrations of the talented and quite attractive dancers in my past viewings.

I personally established a liking for the one in the pink little number and even took notice that she exited the Toyota Prius last out of the group, well before noticing the vehicle's accreditations like best overall value 10 years…blah, blah, blah! This certainly takes nothing from the very talented Raphael Saadiq, his accomplishments nor his musical genius. Instead, maybe the illusive girls could of been left out of the commercial, leaving the focus more on what was "intended".

My point here is to question the validity of the car commercial's marketing strategy. Just whom are they trying to appeal this new Toyota Prius to? If it is African Americans, then they have done an impressive job on the surface. But subconsciously, I've acquired a resentful feeling of a prejudiced and stereotypical approach from the makers of the new Prius, assuming that the way to my heart is through music and dancing. My feelings then become that the new Prius commercial is racist and prejudice. Perhaps not all African Americans are into this style of music and dance, as I surely know many that prefer to steer clear from secular music altogether.

Perhaps I have been reading a little too much into these commercials and am taking things too seriously. However, it's hard to extend leverage to these professional marketers, whom are expended millions of dollars to put together a great marketing scheme for a company. Simply put, they just do not make silly and non-purposed mistakes.

A commercial is designed to be precise and may go over many and many takes 'til it is considered "right". The details of the commercials and all of its contents are deliberate, for there are big bucks at stake and so this gives little to no room for an "oops" type of response. This is the fine line that these car commercial marketers and advertisers must adhere to and consider before putting their big-wheel foot into their own mouths, for a commercial like this can come back to haunt their intentions.

White Pastor Trying to Reach 'Street Kids' with Rap}Jesus is my N*gga!

So has anybody seen this video yet, that has gone viral very fast, about a White Pastor named Jim Colerick, busting some rhymes in order to get through to what he calls "kids on the street"? First of all, I had a problem with the fact that he is trying to reach these kids on the street, instead of all kids, and is assuming that these street kids are into rap. The lyrics, whether wrote by him or not, says so in one verse; "...if you wanna reach those kids on the street, then you gotta do a rap to a hip-hop beat."

I laughed at the beginning of the display put on by Pastor Jim, as he seemed quirky yet resilient in his efforts to relate to these street kids through his rather well choreographed rhymes for a white Pastor. However, things got really fuzzy really quick when he reached a verse saying; "...my rhymes are big and they keep gettin' bigga, that's 'cause Jesus Christ is my N*gga". There even seemed to be a bit of tension coming from the Pastor himself as he delivered the very significant and controversial word. The verses thereafter, however, made it more and more easier for Pastor Jim to let the N-word roll off of his tongue. Pastor Jim was soon joined by his wife Mary-Sue, whom dropped her own set of verses in the the rap video, yet she shows not an ounce of hesitation when she drops, "Jesus Christ is my N*gga, he's the son of the original G."

After all of this, I wondered if The White rapping Pastor and his wife Mary-Sue actually accomplished their goal. Reaching those street kids! Check out the video.




More scoop on White Pastor Jim Colerick:

"http://breatheeasy3.hubpages.com/hub/White-Pastor-Says-Jesus-Is-My-Na-in-Christian-Rap"
"http://www.squidoo.com/white-pastor-teaching-through-rap-jesus-christ-is-my-na

Intro!

So, this blog is dedicated to those that like to think outside of the box. To those that do not always take things at face value and especially to those that acknowledge subconscious thought. Basically, i wanted to start this blog as an outlet for writing on topics that sometimes get disregarded by the mainstream portals in which I write for, because some of the topics are a bit sketchy. However, isn't that what it's all about? Mainstream media floods our sense with so much nonsense, fluff and irrelevant stories. Not to mention, things that only seem to be filled with drama, misery and heartache. I can remember saying to someone when I was younger; "They should call it bad news, instead of just 'the news', because everything they report is bad. Somebody should come up with a network called 'good-news.'" This still holds true today for me, as controversy sells of course, it seems more about the dollar and the associated ratings that drive these networks into reporting things that scientifically and medically proven, causes distress, anxiety and so many other ailments. I guess that I can say that they have evolved somewhat, by making segments now that are dedicated to 'good-news' around the globe. Oooooo! Wow! A 5 to 6 minute segment on supposed good things, that really adds up to crap still in the end. Well, here we can expand our minds and engage in debates and discussions on topics that mainstream media treads over lightly. As some of my posts may seem raunchy and bold, please keep in mind that there is absolutely no intention on being offensive to anyone or anything. Feel free to express discernment, and also please show mutual respect, so that our thoughts on the issues do not become overshadowed by emotional distractions. Thanks in advance!