Unusual Soda Can (Racial Stereotype)

[RobertMadewell]

I found this can of soda at one of the local discount stores. It is bottled by an American company in Miami, Florida that produces beverages that are popular among Cuban Americans, such as Materva. The scene depicted on one side of the can could possibly bruise some American sensibilities. Even, I was a little shocked.

Click image or here to download 1024x768 size version of this image.

I think most Americans will know why I think this can is unusual, especially considering that this softdrink is produced and sold in The United States by an American company, in Florida of all places.

To the company's credit, though, they are not exclusive. Here's the other side of the same can.

Click image or here to download 1024x768 size version of this image.

I'll bet a dollar that the first image was originally the only image on the can.

This article was originally posted at Superstition Free.
This arcticle was also posted at Godless Gourmet.
This arcticle was also posted on The Atheist Nexus.

Edit: I did a google search for "watermelon soda black" and found this YouTube video. Target removed the product after some mild outcry from the public. This is probably why I found this product. The store I bought it at sells returned and reshelved items from a local distributor.

[kwlyon]

wow...just...wow....

[RobertMadewell]

The unopened can now occupies a special place on my shelf of conversation pieces. Hey, maybe I could buy a couple of cases and we'll drink to racial stereotypes at the next meeting! LOL! Well, maybe not. The thought of watermelon flavored soda makes be a bit queasy. Besides, not everyone has the same sense of humor we do.

[RobertMadewell]

This article is generating a few indignant responses already and it hasn't even been up for a whole day yet. Below is the first such response and my reply.

CybrgnX:
I see nothing wrong here. The dark skinned people that came from the islands to Florida have the ads on the cans done to their liking. Americans get really extreme with their PC schite. What because a bunch of bigots in the US ridiculed blacks or other dark skin people with watermelons does not mean they do not like it.
You could just as easily say having the white kid on the can is raciest. It shows a boy and girl enjoying watermelon, lets get over it.

Robert Madewell:
CybrgnX, Point to the place in my article where I said there was something morally wrong with the packaging. This article was intended to be a commentary. When writing it, I tried to be non-judgmental. I don't think I said anything about intentional stereotyping.

You're right! Americans are often overly sensitive about stereotypes. When I saw that can, the first thought I had was, "Whoa! How did they get away with doing that?"

I am an American and I know the response that something like that can cause. Considering that this is an American product sold in The United States, it shows some pretty bad marketing skills. Even if the intention was to depict a dark skinned islander girl, the American public will see a black girl eating watermelon and many will come to the conclusion that it is racist. If you don't believe me, watch the video.

When you are trying to sell a product to a certain nationality, you should consider the sensibilities of that nation's people. Failure to do so will result in the failure to sell your product. Plain and simple. Target removed every can of this product from its shelves, because of the public outcry. I bought the can from a store that is run by a distributor for the purpose of selling their returned and re-shelved merchandise. I bought it for $0.15. Obviously, it was being sold either at cost or at a loss, just to get rid of it.

If the can depicted just a watermelon, then their would have been no outcry whatsoever. I am sure of it. I see no need for the package to depict a person at all. I doubt that that would have had any noticeable effect on sales. It is very bad marketing and I am sure that Cawy lost money on this product.

It's not about whether it was right or not to depict a dark-skinned girl eating a watermelon. It's about how smart it was to do that on the American market.

[lobomago]

I have a can of that soda sitting on my desk as I type (empty I'm afraid). It is one of my favourite sodas. One that I have been drinking since I was a kid. You owe some one a dollar because the white kid on one side was not added later. The can seems relatively unchanged since I was a kid. It is a good soda and very popular here in the Caribbean. I don't see any racist intent in the soda. It is marketed to a cultural group and the watermelon only refers to the flavour of the soda--no hidden agenda.

[Doug]

OK, is this cupcake ad racist?



See the Duncan Hines ad that was pulled here.

[Dardedar]

[quote="Doug"]OK, is this cupcake ad racist?

No, but the music sure is an abomination.