Smarties Commercial: A Positive Message?

[_r0ckintheplaid]

This commercial, aside from being catchy and all that, really has got me thinking about the message behind the songs/images.

Lyrics:

Sometimes I'm right, but I can be wrong
My own beliefs are in my song
A blue one, a pink one, a purple and then...
Makes no difference what group I'm in
We gotta live together
I am everyday people
and then the

Comments

[aflaminghalo]

Unfortunately it's an advert, so really it's just a cynical attempt to sell a product.

Which is a shame because I do like the adverts that go that way.

[paperclipchains]

Seriously!

[_r0ckintheplaid]

Yeah, now that I look at it again with that respect, I can see how this commercial works with my own sense of white privilege to make me think "wow, how diverse" when really, there were only 3 people of color, and at least 6-7 white folks.

[kmd]

LOL. Exactly my thought. I was like ... what? You could only find one Black person to sing a song by a Black group? Srsly?

[thebigthreekill]

well the first people who are shown are white and there are way more white people in the commercial, making them the standard.

[liminalia]

Bah, I like the original song much better--"Everyday People" by Sly & the Family Stone.

[_r0ckintheplaid]

Oh wow I didnt know!

original lyrics

[liminalia]

Sometimes I'm right then I can be wrong
My own beliefs are in my songs
A butcher, a banker, a drummer and then
Makes no difference what group I'm in
I am everyday people

There is a blue one who can't accept
The green one for living with
a black one tryin' to be a skinny one
Different strokes for different folks
And so on and so on and scooby dooby do

Ooh sha sha
We gotta live together

I am no better and neither are you
We're all the same whatever we do
You love me you hate me
You know me and then
Still can't figure out the bag I'm in
I am everyday people

There is a new man
That doesn't like the short man
For being such a rich one
That will not help the poor one
Different strokes for different folks
And so on and so on scooby dooby dooby

Ooh sha sha
We got to live together

There is a yellow one that won't
Accept the black one
That won't accept the red one
That won't accept the white one

Different strokes for different folks
And so on and so on and
Scooby dooby dooby
Ooh sha sha
I am everyday people

Re: original lyrics

[maevele]

It makes me tear up a bit that there are people who didn't know this song before this ad

[sea_snake]

Blech, smarties.