To ask if you’ve noticed this? Race-related.

[OffRampHilton]

I grew up (not UK) in an area that was entirely populated by white people but that’s changed since I was a child (I’m 40) and I’ve moved away to live in a big city so my friends and colleagues now are very racially diverse. I know couples of all races/ethnicity from same-race/ethnicity to every mix you can think of.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve been really happy to see more diversity on tv, especially in terms of race. I grew up seeing nothing but white people on tv shows, unless it was a programme specifically about black or Asian families. I remember the fact that Coronation St was introducing their first non-white family was covered in the newspaper. The default was white people unless non-white people had a specific “reason” to be there- and that reason was pretty much always race-related.

I’m noticing lots more diversity, especially on ads. However, I still don’t see a lot of black or Asian families. I see mixed families where one parent (normally the mother, for some reason), is white, then a black parent (usually a dad) and two mixed children (normally a boy and a girl!). Great, it certainly represents a lot of families, but there seems to be a lack of depiction of families that are entirely black or entirely Asian or entirely anything other than white.

From paying attention to a few ad breaks tonight, I saw the following, in order of most common-

White families.
Mixed-race families.

I didn’t see many wholly non-white families.

Has anyone else noticed this?

Also, if I’ve used any clumsy wording in this, please don’t jump on me, but educate me instead.

YANBU, I am mixed race and always found it fascinating that the most inclusive ads or movies tend to get are interracial. Unless the premise has something to do with living as black or another ethnicity.

YANBU. If an all-black or all-Asian family were depicted (certain types of) white people wouldbhave their little feelings hurt that they weren’t adequately represented.

These are the same people who claim that the country is filling up with non-whites, and that white British will become a minority.

The last adverts I've seen - watching telly now, so watching whilst typing:
A black family;
A white lady interacting with a black lady then a white man;
A chocolate advert voiced over by a black lady.
A white lady (Stacey Dooley) with a black dancer and white backstage "girls";
Car ad - couple who are both mixed race
White family;
A balck lady running, despite constipation!
White lady getting a disabled bath!
No Asians particularly which seems odd.

Well the mixed race families give us a nice cosy feeling that racism doesn’t exist here. Just look at all these different people living together in harmony! Advertising is about creating a good feeling towards a brand so it makes sense.

Interracial. 🤦🏻‍♀️

FFS. Why did that word drop out of my vocabulary? Would have made life much easier when writing my opening post!

@MaskingForIt my little feelings wouldn't be hurt. I don't need people to look like me to persuade me to buy their washing powder! Adverts are just trying to get as wide an appeal as possible, their job is purely to sell "stuff". General TV however needs to be diverse and inclusive.

I mean look at what happened when Sainsbury's ran a Xmas advert last year featuring an all-black family, they got a torrent of racist abuse online.

Sadly there are a lot of racist people out there and I think actually it's getting worse all the time.

@dreamingbohemian

I mean look at what happened when Sainsbury's ran a Xmas advert last year featuring an all-black family, they got a torrent of racist abuse online.

Sadly there are a lot of racist people out there and I think actually it's getting worse all the time.

I was going to say this. My dad and brother were moaning about that advert as they "didn't identify with it". Fucking racists bastards. I don't complain about all the adverts/programmes featuring happily married couples parenting their dc together in nice owned houses with a car and a dog, even though my own life is nothing like that.
Some people can't see outside their own box!

A lot of the diversity I see in advertising is mixed race couples, yes.

The Tesco lady and the Christmas family were ripped to pieces as they were black, full stop, rather than palatably re-packaged for the consumption of a white audience.

@MaskingForIt

YANBU. If an all-black or all-Asian family were depicted (certain types of) white people wouldbhave their little feelings hurt that they weren’t adequately represented.

These are the same people who claim that the country is filling up with non-whites, and that white British will become a minority.

I don’t think you’re wrong.

However, many of the racists I’ve encountered seem to have more of an issue with seeing interracial relationships than non-white couples. If I’m not getting my terminology mixed-up, I think “race traitor” is the awful phrase that’s used.

Yes! I was saying this not long ago, it’s not just on tv but websites and catalogs as well, they will do a mixed race family advertising clothes for example, mixed couple, white mum usually, black dad and 2 mixed race kids (boy and girl) I was speaking with someone about this before, it’s definitely not just you that has noticed.

OffRampHilton criticisms regarding interracial relationships come from all sides. You get Asian families totally against relationships with partners outside their own race. Black people can also be very critical of a black person coupling up with a white or mixed race person. It’s across the board as far as I can see.

I do feel like Asian people are underrepresented in the media.

I feel like advertisers are like 'white mum, black dad, job done'.

@MaskingForIt I used to share a dorm in a hostel with a woman who insisted that interracial marriage was wrong because Adam and Eve were white. My half brother's mixed race, so that enraged me.

Ads are there for publicity and money. They want to appeal to the largest possible number of people without getting panned on social media for having a lack of diversity.

I'm in the US and its the same here. I've noticed lately there are tons of ads with interracial families. You rarely use to see that. Also seeing a lot of ads with Gay/Lesbian couples/families too which is very new. I watched a set of ads that came on before I wrote this out and there was a black dad with a black daughter running around, I thought maybe it would be a black family. Nope, they ran into the next room and white mom was sitting on the couch.

Adam and Eve were white?

🤣

YANBU @OffRampHilton I mentioned this the other day to husband.

There are a few Chinese women in ads- but you have to look as never put front and centre.
Definitely a lack of asian people in ads.
I remember in films / tv you’d never see mixed couples. Least it’s more common place now.

@Ihavehadenoughalready

Adam and Eve were white?

🤣

I had the same reaction!

Even the Bible had to use drawings of white people to represent the main characters so people would buy into it, no acknowledgment whatsoever for where those characters come from and what they actually would likely look like (aka very likely quite Palestinian looking!) as if drawings were more representative of what they genuinely would look like, white populations would probably stop finding Jesus relatable (or likeable!)

The notion that Adam and Eve are automatically white though never actually described is quite interesting. As well as the fact that they would be our ancestors and somehow Asians and black people started showing up down the tree line for no reason whatsoever but surely incest is much more natural and acceptable than interracial relationships, one should be much more like Adam and Eve indeed and a lot less white & black!

@Ihavehadenoughalready

Adam and Eve were white?

🤣

I'm sure I read that the GofE had been traced back to Botswana!

Me and my DD have been commenting on this for months. There was a body of research done and the amount of Black people in adverts is high compared to how many there are in the UK, but there aren't enough all black families. It would be interesting to know why they've gone down the mixed marriage route. Unless it's so no accusations can be cast.

Yes, I've noticed this. I think it's because there's enough diversity to tick a box, but not too much blackness to cause offence to the masses.

(This isn't my opinion, I'm white and have a black husband and 3 mixed race kids).

At the end of the day, advertising is purely to take your money, they don't care about POC or LGBT or disabilities etc. If it made them more money to have all white, or all Asian etc, I'm sure they'd do it. It's all a money grab.

These are the same people who claim that the country is filling up with non-whites, and that white British will become a minority

White British is a minority in London.

Could it partly be because having two parents of different races plus their mixed race children is a very easy way of representing three different groups in one advert?