Is This Okay?!
TPB | Thursday, July 17, 2008 at 4:37PM Welcome to With Tuesday!... a blogging site all about media. This first entry is not what I intended to be the first entry, however, I thought it so... interesting, funny?, offensive? not sure what I felt (after I exclaimed "OMG!") upon reading the headline.
My cousin Alice, sent me an email that included links to the Google archives for Ebony, Jet and the Negro Digest Magazines. I had a great time scrolling through the magazine covers that display younger images of celebrities and media figures come and gone. Then I remembered I was in the May 1988 Issue with the amazing Sidney Portier on the front cover. So I found that Issue and began scrolling down the pages to find the article about The Black Fashion Museum. Well, I happened upon this headline: "Roaches crawled over my chicken right in front of my guests." With a little further research (very cursory) I learned this advertorial appeared throughout Ebony, Jet (and probably other publications) in 1988.
Is a black woman talking about roaches on her chicken okay in a mass media Ad? Was it okay in 1988 though? I mean afterall there are African-American women who serve chicken at their housewarming party and have roaches right? But was that the only demographic they were targeting?
You can read the whole letter she wrote (really an AD for Combat roach discs) on page 95. Tell me what you think. Is this okay? Leave comments below, and then...
Click on any of these links and enjoy the trip down memory lane.
Ebony Magaizine May 1988 
Jet Magazine April 2002
Black World / Negro Digest April 197
Reader Comments (7)
Ok first of all why are you putting your business out in the street. Secondly did she get paid to do this ad? And why did it only appear in the selected magazines? I think that this ad was targeted to a specific group of people and Where is she now? And I know that Combat did not deserve all of the props she gave it, lol.
No, it's NOT o.k.! It's kind of funny though.
Tuesday, this is very humorous and at the same time historical. I enjoyed the read.
Alice
Yes unstable but hilarious! I was in Ebony as well. November 1964 (you were not even born yet LMAO!) with Mahalia Jackson on the cover.
Hey Tuesday:
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. It is not o.k., If you have roaches they should know not to come out until you go to bed. What type of roaches come out when company comes over? How rude! And don't write about it... talk to your roaches or get rid of them. (:-)
As for me?
I'm,
Living life roach free...
But would like to be in a better
Economy
Your web site is groovy
Next time lets blog about
An amazing movie
Or even the latest
Current event
Maybe even a lovely
Aromatherapy sent...
Peace & Blessings
- Nece
Poetry In Spirit
Dear Tuesday:
Why do we always have to filter the past through the present? What was, was, and what is, is! Sure, fried chicken and roaches may touch upon Black or Urban stereotypes...but do we stop watching FRED SANFORD or THE JEFFERSONS or old movies because they contained stereotypes. I don't!
The story continues: In 1986 I had a temp job moving furniture. By coincidence, we got hired to install new furniture in one of Frank Sinatra's properties (he wasn't there, of course). To my eyes, there was nothing wrong with any of it, especially the beds. I asked my supervisor why we were replacing the furniture.
He looked at me like I was crazy and said "Because it's 6 months old!"
Okaaaaay!
Anyway, on one of the moves I tipped a night table, and guess what I found: A Combat Roach trap, stuck to the back!
Maybe Frank Sinatra was reading Ebony and ran across that ad! Hmmmmmmm!
Hi Tuesday:
So you are asking:
How do we reconcile actual words with intent to keep folks from being so offended?!
I Say...
It is the folks that have to get still or
Maybe they need to take a chill pill.
Why do people let there EGO get in the way,
When other people say what they want to say?
All EGO is, is Easing God Out
And I know this with out a doubt.
Why do we have to tread so lightly?
Is everyone wrapped so tightly?
I mean really... I'll end this by saying,
I would wear real fur too,
A full length mink, if I could afford to pay.
And as for the politics in New York...
That's why I moved to LA. (:-)
Peace & Blessings,
Love, Poetry In Spirit