[Tenchiro]

I was watching Bernie Mac last night and one of the commercials was for Vanilla Pepsi. It was set in an inner-city neighborhood with lots of black people waliking around and a Coke truck sitting at a stop light. A Pepsi truck rolls up next to it and the guy in the coke trrucks turns up some generic rock music really loud as to challenge the Pepsi dude. The guy in the pepsi truck hits a switch, doors roll up with revealing gigantic speakers and starts booming generic rap music, as the front of his truck hops up and down (to the apparent delight of onlookers). The theme at the end of the commercial was "Not so vanilla."

Obviously the commercial was aimed at people of color, but seemed pretty non-pc. I doubt that was their intention though.

 

[Drunken_Ninja]

oh crap. vanilla pepsi too?

now i am going to have to take the taste test all over again.

vanilla coke? vanilla pepsi?

can you see a difference? no i can't see the difference.

 

[Repack]

Originally posted by Tenchiro
[snip]
Obviously the commercial was aimed at people of color, but seemed pretty non-pc. I doubt that was their intention though.

I find it interesting that you say "people of color". IMHO, terms like that are now so pc that they are becoming racist. Whats wrong with saying "black people"? Thats how all the black people I know refer to themselves. Terms like that seem too steril. I don't know. Its like one of those terms that families make up to describe a grand parents unsightly health problem.
Not calling you racist. I personaly feel that when a commercial pokes a little fun at racial stereotypes, that it does far more good than harm. Too much of the "pc movement" seems to stress homogenization, not identity.

 

[LordOpie]

Originally posted by Repack
I find it interesting that you say "people of color"...

Tench was probably refering to other people too, like the hispanics... who enjoy good low-rider action more than blacks. Oh crap, i'm stereotyping... deal.

hmm, a commercial targeting black people during the Bernie Mac show? Who'da thunk it?

They should come out with Pepsi Chocolate and do the same ad

 

[Tenchiro]

Originally posted by Drunken_Ninja
oh crap. vanilla pepsi too?

now i am going to have to take the taste test all over again.

vanilla coke? vanilla pepsi?

can you see a difference? no i can't see the difference.

Vanilla Coke, just tastes like an air freshener to me. But everyone I know loves it and that makes me question our friendships...

 

[Tenchiro]

Originally posted by Repack
I find it interesting that you say "people of color". IMHO, terms like that are now so pc that they are becoming racist. Whats wrong with saying "black people"? Thats how all the black people I know refer to themselves. Terms like that seem too steril. I don't know. Its like one of those terms that families make up to describe a grand parents unsightly health problem.
Not calling you racist. I personaly feel that when a commercial pokes a little fun at racial stereotypes, that it does far more good than harm. Too much of the "pc movement" seems to stress homogenization, not identity.

It sounded wierd when I typed it too, maybe I should have said "Urban Youth" or even "Hip Hop Fans"...

The slogan "Not so Vanilla" really made it wierd for me because it made it sound like a bad thing and I don't think they were talking about the flavor.

 

[Mocha]

Originally posted by Repack
I find it interesting that you say "people of color".

I understand the idea of including everyone by calling them 'people of colour', rather than lumping everyone into a 'black' category, but I think it's a little long and boring.

My dad is black and my mom is white, and I fall somewhere inbetween. I've used 'caramel' or 'mocha' before to describe my skin colour.

LordOpie called me "cinnamon skin" once. I thought that was kinda cool.


It always seems to come back to food

 

[LordOpie]

Originally posted by Mocha
LordOpie called me "cinnamon skin" once. I thought that was kinda cool.

It always seems to come back to food

Well, you do look cinnamon-tasty :devil:

 

[rbx]

i know this is sounds weird(sorry tenchiro if i seem to highjack your thread)
But do you ever get the feeling that McDonalds aims more its commercials towards white people and burgerking towards black people?
(or maybe im getting the wrong message)

 

[golgiaparatus]

I saw it last night and I had the exact same thought.

The question is... is this really going to help pepsi sell their product? probably not.

That commercial is ghay.

 

[Universe]

Originally posted by LordOpie
Well, you do look cinnamon-tasty :devil:

 

[Dog Welder]

What I dont' understand is how a company can use their rival's logo and product in their commercials. Isn't there some kind of trademark infringement in this?

Mocha...got a question since your mixed, and obviously you can't speak for your entire race but....why is it when you have some one who is half black and half whatever and only says that they are black they are supported...whereas people who accept their mixed background they are shunned? Ex. At the Oscars Halley Berry says "this is for black women everywhere" and then they show her white mom in the crowd. They you got Tiger woods whose only like a quarter black but accepts all the ascpects of his background and is shunned by the black community. Does it really have to do with how black you are? Even amoungst full blooded black folks the darker brothers look down at the lighter skins. Just an observation.

 

[Mocha]

Originally posted by Dog Welder

Mocha...got a question since your mixed, and obviously you can't speak for your entire race but....why is it when you have some one who is half black and half whatever and only says that they are black they are supported...whereas people who accept their mixed background they are shunned? Ex. At the Oscars Halley Berry says "this is for black women everywhere" and then they show her white mom in the crowd. They you got Tiger woods whose only like a quarter black but accepts all the ascpects of his background and is shunned by the black community. Does it really have to do with how black you are? Even amoungst full blooded black folks the darker brothers look down at the lighter skins. Just an observation.

Good question, DW!

To be honest, I didn't realize Tiger was having problems with the black community. I will say that in certain parts of the world being of mixed race works against you. A lot of black people don't trust white people, so they will have nothing to do with them, or anyone who may be mixed with them. I haven't personally had problems with this, but I have had black men ask how I could possibly date white guys. I have also known lots of black guys who will sleep with white girls, but never marry one. As for Halle, well, basically she can go either way. It's sometimes easier to affiliate with the race that you most visibly identify with. It doesn't matter what you feel inside, you will be treated by others as they see you. I've grown up in a caucasian environment, but people still see me as black, so I have to be prepared for that.

 

[Moogie]

i bet you, secretly, pepsi and coke are owned by the same person. :devil:

 

[brenth]

ok, so I saw this commercial after I read this and noticed that there is a fair amount of white, asian, black, etc... people in the streets. There seemed to be a very even mix to me. It seems to follow the now-norm of making sure you never have a person stand next to someone of there own race/color/creed.

Heres a question though, the song that the coke guy is playing. What is it? my wife and I have been trying to figure it out for like an hour. We even went onto their website to listen over and over. anyone have a clue?

 

[shocktower]

Originally posted by Mocha
Good question, DW!

To be honest, I didn't realize Tiger was having problems with the black community. I will say that in certain parts of the world being of mixed race works against you. A lot of black people don't trust white people, so they will have nothing to do with them, or anyone who may be mixed with them. I haven't personally had problems with this, but I have had black men ask how I could possibly date white guys. I have also known lots of black guys who will sleep with white girls, but never marry one. As for Halle, well, basically she can go either way. It's sometimes easier to affiliate with the race that you most visibly identify with. It doesn't matter what you feel inside, you will be treated by others as they see you. I've grown up in a caucasian environment, but people still see me as black, so I have to be prepared for that.

Thats how I try to look at it we are all pink on the inside

 

[Dirt rider]

Originally posted by Mocha
I didn't realize Tiger was having problems with the black community. .

yah didnt it have to do with him saying something about black people eating at KFC..

 

[IKE]

Originally posted by Universe

ahaha

 

[Mocha]

Originally posted by Dirt rider
yah didnt it have to do with him saying something about black people eating at KFC..

Reminds me of the movie Undercover Brother...

"General's Fried Chicken...it's butt kickin...."

Sorry, I digress..

 

[Tenchiro]

Originally posted by Mocha
Reminds me of the movie Undercover Brother...

"General's Fried Chicken...it's butt kickin...."

Sorry, I digress..

That movie was funny as hell.

 

[WillRidesRigid]

Originally posted by Dirt rider
yah didnt it have to do with him saying something about black people eating at KFC..

Thats just silly, everyone knows Popeye's is where the black people go.

 

[LordOpie]

Originally posted by WillRidesRigid
Thats just silly, everyone knows Popeye's is where the black people go.

possibly, but Bojangles is the fvckin' shiznit y0!

 

[Mocha]

Originally posted by LordOpie
possibly, but Bojangles is the fvckin' shiznit y0!

Damn! Where are these places? I need to hook up with my sistah girls.

 

[LordOpie]

Originally posted by Mocha
Damn! Where are these places? I need to hook up with my sistah girls.

umm, I'm a jew, what do I know from good chicken. Oh, now that I think of it, the best is Pollo Tropical! Damn, I can't wait to visit my family in Florida for Thanksgiving... my Aunt makes Cuban food... plantains, black beans, rice... yum! She's Cuban, fyi. Damn I love cuban food. There's one friggin' cuban restuarant in Denver and it's expensive.

Oh, yeah, Bojangles, tasty. If I was rich, I'd open both them franchises here.

PS: I've been drinking -- October fest in downtown tonight -- so ignore me. My nose itches.

 

[pixelninja]

Originally posted by brenth
Heres a question though, the song that the coke guy is playing. What is it? my wife and I have been trying to figure it out for like an hour. We even went onto their website to listen over and over. anyone have a clue?

Dude, that's Riding the Storm Out by REO Speedwagon. You must not be a middle-aged white man...

 

[kdog-rider]

that stuff is good

 

[Drunken_Ninja]

Originally posted by Drunken_Ninja
oh crap. vanilla pepsi too?

now i am going to have to take the taste test all over again.

vanilla coke? vanilla pepsi?

can you see a difference? no i can't see the difference.

I like the vanilla pepsi better. It took awhile to get it here in Canada but I have had it a couple of times by now and I am sure the pepsi is all of that and a bag of chips.

 

[streetweapon_dh]

I can end this thread in one word. Marketing. Tah-dah.



on a sidenote, i grew up half way between philly and nyc (45 min to either) and I never even realized people were different colors until I became grown and educated. Funny how that works, huh?

btw, if you call black people colored, do you call white people colorless, or un-colored?,, just wonderin.

your pal, honky.