Blue Butterfly: Is this racism? Or is it OK now?

[jokerman93]

I posted this in another thread, but am curious about the impressions others have had, or if anyone else has noticed this:

I can't believe the AOL comercials (I think it's AOL, or Microsoft maybe). They actually have a big black dude dressed as a blue butterfly playing "step 'n fetchit" for a middle class white family.

Grotesque.

Anyone notice the ones I'm talking about? How do they get away with this sort of thing?

[MadHound]

1. I've seen it, but I think it is more of a case of MS

Trying to be racially diverse. The first couple of blue butterflies were white guys doing the same schtick. I think they've even had a white female thrown into the mix. Now a black male. Next, an Asian American. I think that this is just MS's attempt at being racially diverse in their ad portrayal.

[rocktivity]

2. All of the Microsoft butterflies step and fetch

One of them (white) does so for an expectant black couple. I think they ALL look ridiculous.

:headbang:
rocknation

[No2W2004]

3. I've only seen

the one's with the middle aged white guy with glasses, but then again, I usually zap thru comercials...

[cheezus]

7. tivo?

[No2W2004]

10. Ultimate TV,

The bastard Microsoft sibling of TiVo.

[doni_georgia]

4. Racist ? Nah. Asinine, obnoxious, annoying ? You betcha. n/t

[LuminousX]

5. So...

an African-American can never be shown in the role as a servant to a Caucasion person?

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

[cheezus]

6. Grotesque? What, we shouldn't hire black actors?

Or a black actor should never protray a character who serves anyone?
... or just white people?

Only whites can serve whites, and blacks can serve blacks?

or is it ok for whites to serve blacks, but not the other way around?

I'm confused as to what was grotesque...

[hughee99]

8. I've seen these commercials,

there's a whole series of them for Microsoft MSN, and the butterfly isn't always a "big black dude", sometimes it's a big white dude. In all cases, the butterfly is doing all the work (that's the marketing for the product, MSN will do the work for you). This being the case, is it racism when the black actor is playing the butterfly, or is it good that they hired an actor without considering the racial connections? Isn't this, in the end, what we all want? Otherwise minority actors won't have certain opportunities because producers are afraid of being seen as racist.

[troublemaker]

9. Better than the earlier ones

where a butterfly kept white kids protected from black people (anyone who saw the ads knows what I mean)

[tom_paine]

11. I've only seen the White Dude butterfly

Even if there was a Black Dude buterfly, I wouldn't think it's racist.