Humor in Stereotyped Advertising

We all know that minorities and women were stereotyped historically in the media. Some ads were definitely going over the line of today's standards. Stereotypes are still used in advertising today, but all groups of people are stereotyped, and the producer usually knows and exaggerates these traits in a humorous way. Does this make current advertising stereotype usage acceptable?

People respond well to humor, especially in advertising. The funny commercials are always the ones talked about the day after the Super Bowl. Since stereotyping is so prevalent in our past, everyone understands it. Poking fun of these stereotypes is a new form of advertising. Even when the ads are ridiculously offensive, it's a social commentary on how common these are.

It is not only the subordinate groups that are stereotyped. The white male is also very commonly stereotyped in advertising. This makes the stereotyping even more acceptable. There is no group that is above the ridicule. Men are stereotyped as many things, including lazy, heartless, a terrible dancer, the bread winner, and much more. In this Miller Lite commercial the man is stereotyped as heartless, oblivious, and a womanizer.

There are also a lot of racial stereotypes, but they are so over the top, that it is hard not to laugh. For example, in this Heineken commercial the two Asian men are stereotyped as unable to assimilate into American culture and as followers. However, even though it's a terrible and untrue stereotype, they are showing these characters so over the top that it is socially acceptable. Helping make these racial stereotypes socially acceptable, is the fact that Caucasians are included in the humorous stereotyping. Bud Light has an entire campaign for the "Real Men of Genius." In this, the white guy is stereotyped as a terrible dancer and a total dork. If there is no racial group that is safe from stereotyping, then it is hard to complain about a specific stereotype.

This one video stereotypes men, women, the elderly, and the young. It allows everyone to laugh and themselves and others, and is quite a memorable video.