Commerical Casting

[Frank Ferreri]

The casting of TV spots is interesting these days. You can see and feel the emphasis on diversity. Also, if there is a stooge or fall guy in ads it generally will be a man, most times a white male. Even commericals have fallen prey to PC. Geico has an ad that asks "do people do dumb things with smartphones". They flash to an office setting where 3 men are in fact, doing dumb things. They are spotted by a black female. It is subtle, however, casting is careful not to offend those who often say they are offended.

 

[quadraphonic]

It's all part of the Unspoken Power Shift.

 

[JeeperOne]

The Geico ad being the exception to the above rule however

But the ad that most intrigues me is the Electra After shave lotion ad with Carmen Electra (sp?). That ad is reminiscent of the 1960s Noxzema Shaving Cream ad which you can find on the Internet Archive. This form of advertising has unfortunately become a lost art IMO

Cheers

 

[Nate Wesley]

The casting of TV spots is interesting these days. You can see and feel the emphasis on diversity. Also, if there is a stooge or fall guy in ads it generally will be a man, most times a white male. Even commericals have fallen prey to PC. Geico has an ad that asks "do people do dumb things with smartphones". They flash to an office setting where 3 men are in fact, doing dumb things. They are spotted by a black female. It is subtle, however, casting is careful not to offend those who often say they are offended.

Re: The Geico commercials

Why didn't they make the 'host' of said commercials (actor Mike McGlone) African-American or Latino? Mark Curry, Thom Barry, Michael DeLorenzo, Clarence Gilyard, Doug E. Doug, Joseph C. Philips, Benjamin Bratt...were they all too busy, or was this role just too important just to throw away?

Why'd they pick Charlie Daniels to be featured in a spot when they could've got Boyd Tinsley? Miri Ben-Ari? Scratch the violin altogether, why couldn't they have thrown Nate Dogg one extra hook-singing gig before his death?

Why'd they pick a parody of The Waltons when Sanford & Son and Chico & The Man were much funnier shows [and on purpose]?

What, they couldn't get Pedro Martinez to have a snowball fight?

Why didn't they give the little piggy that cried all the way [on the car ride] home more of an urban, inner-city dialect instead of one that could have been one of a million kids living in the suburbs? And why wasn't that vehicle a low rider appropriately blasting "Low Rider"?

Instead of asking about the tango, why didn't they ask "Does it take two to Cupid Shuffle"?

Screw political correctness---it's clearly an ANTI-DIVERSITY CONSPIRACY!!!!!!!!! And I hope Rev. Al calls this bullcrap out today on his TV show!

(heads for the nearest Kmart to buy protest sign supplies)

 

[quadraphonic]

The casting of TV spots is interesting these days. You can see and feel the emphasis on diversity. Also, if there is a stooge or fall guy in ads it generally will be a man, most times a white male. Even commericals have fallen prey to PC. Geico has an ad that asks "do people do dumb things with smartphones". They flash to an office setting where 3 men are in fact, doing dumb things. They are spotted by a black female. It is subtle, however, casting is careful not to offend those who often say they are offended.

Re: The Geico commercials

Why didn't they make the 'host' of said commercials (actor Mike McGlone) African-American or Latino? Mark Curry, Thom Barry, Michael DeLorenzo, Clarence Gilyard, Doug E. Doug, Joseph C. Philips, Benjamin Bratt...were they all too busy, or was this role just too important just to throw away?

They were parodying Robert Stack-Unsolved Mysteries. It's more cadence and delivery than it is race on that one.

But I somewhat see what you're saying...

Why'd they pick Charlie Daniels to be featured in a spot when they could've got Boyd Tinsley? Miri Ben-Ari? Scratch the violin altogether, why couldn't they have thrown Nate Dogg one extra hook-singing gig before his death?

Nate Dogg never got any respect. Maybe if he stayed in the game as long as Charlie Daniels....but, alas.

Why'd they pick a parody of The Waltons when Sanford & Son and Chico & The Man were much funnier shows [and on purpose]?

The Waltons probably had insurance.
Sanford & Son and Chico & The Man...even with sky-high deductibles, they could not afford the premiums.

What, they couldn't get Pedro Martinez to have a snowball fight?

They could not afford Pedro's premium.

Why didn't they give the little piggy that cried all the way [on the car ride] home more of an urban, inner-city dialect instead of one that could have been one of a million kids living in the suburbs? And why wasn't that vehicle a low rider appropriately blasting "Low Rider"?

Urban, inner-city dialected people don't get rides home from sleepovers in cars. They walk out about 4:30am. Lot harder to walk in the dark while you're going whhhheeeeeeeee for an extended period of time. It's a lot more conspicuous. Maybe it was a patrol car....
And again, like Sanford & Chico, no coverage, not the market.

Instead of asking about the tango, why didn't they ask "Does it take two to Cupid Shuffle"?

They could have said "bootscooting" but as with the low-riders, bootscooters aren't calling their insurance agents for updates that often, if at all. They don't want to volunteer any info about their DUIs.

Screw political correctness---it's clearly an ANTI-DIVERSITY CONSPIRACY!!!!!!!!! And I hope Rev. Al calls this bullcrap out today on his TV show!

Oh he will. He definitely will. When he catches up with the news and all that.

(heads for the nearest Kmart to buy protest sign supplies)

Goes to get Kmart Rewards card to get the best deal witcha.