It's OK to Stereotype Italians

Had dinner tonight at a local Italian joint called...Alberto's. Yes, we heard no less than seven freakin' Frank Sinatra songs. (I hate that guy. OH, Yes, I said it.) We dined outdoors, though, to avoid the Pacino and Sopranos framed photos inside.

This image is from the menu cover. Pure class. It deserved to be messed with.


It's perfectly acceptable in advertising to stereotype Italians. Next time you hear an ad for a local pizza place or Italian restaurant, chances are pretty good you will hear a guy talking all "Mama mia!"or an older lady encouraging her grown children to just, "Eat! EAT!"

But I will give Alberto's these things: Their food is more than passable and their house wine is fortified.

His Teeth are Whiter than White

Big Click Makum Picture Bigger

Ahhh, to be like the primitive savage. Naked, carefree - and with a pearly white smile.

Via

Gorgeous Lakefront w/ Weapons Cache

You know those real estate ads in the back of the New York Times Magazine on Sundays? The ones for homes you will never afford as a copywriter or art director? The ones in places like Bedford, NY or New Canaan, CT? They're fun to dream about, just in case your two-person startup agency lands, I don't know, the Boeing account or someone equally loaded. Saw this beautiful home and had to check it out online at Century21.com. (Click that link for the virtual tour.) It's a mammoth log cabin on a lake, with boat dock, guest house, garage with workshop, etc. It's the kind of place you could see yourself in a few years entertaining extended family and friends for the Holidays. Or maybe just the kind of place where you could tell the federal government to go to Hell while you stock up on weapons and form your own separatist society.

This lovely home is located in northern Idaho. My grandfather came from Idaho. Played fullback for the University of Idaho. Then he loaded up the truck and he moved to Diego.
So-Cal, that is.
Beaches.
Navy bases.

But alas, it seems Hayden, Idaho, where this $4 million charmer is situated, is also well-known as the former home to the Aryan Nations.

But times are changing here in the Great Melting Pot. The town of Hayden now has a 0.19% African-American population, and I hear you can even get BET on local cable there now.

New and Improved - But Not Really

I guess the neighbors complained about the horrendous signage that went up locally. (Previously reported.)

So the Certified Association Management Company decided to "go green" and eco-friendly, changing the red on the sign to a more environmentally conscious blue-green.

Now, if we could get rid of Divorced White Mom, Soulpatch Hipster Guy, Young Hispanic Lady and Faded Black Man in this imaginary quartet of stock photography office staff, we'd be getting somewhere.

They are still, as noted by HighJive on the previous post, Certified Asses.

And Wake Up to a Brand New Day

With the Imus controversy fresh in our minds, I thought now would be a good time to call attention to a trend that has taken a long time to come around; that of including interracial couples (I meant Black & White - see comments) in advertising and marketing. I've seen it in print for fashion, cigarettes and jewelry, maybe once or twice on TV, but this is the first time I've seen it on a website's homepage. Nice job on the part of Fossil to be a pioneer here, although it's a little odd that in 2007 this is considered pioneering.

Title of post stolen from "Original Sin," by INXS.

Stock Photography - Stock Name

This new blight on the landscape is not far from the casa. The Certified Association Management Company (can a name be any more generic?) has erected a sign in front of their office (Suite 100, naturally) picturing your basic urban hipster imaginary office quartet comprised of dyed-red White female leader (she's freshly divorced, I'd bet), young soul-patch sporting dude who does double-duty representing the Hispanic or Arab demo, (ask any Mexican man how he was treated immediately after 9-11. It happens.) young Latina woman and of course, always relegated to the back, sans tie and fading away, Black man, because he likely works in the mailroom. (ask HighJive.)

At least they didn't go with "Black man and White man in matching dark business suits shake hands in glass and chrome setting."

I hate "business" stock photography, and now I hate it even more as I have to look at this atrocity on my way to 7-11 every morning. On your website, billboards or collateral materials? Excusable. But on your actual signage? On a street? Unpardonable, indefensible and punishable by public flogging.

I'm Not Finnished

Finns should be up in arms over this Australian ad that makes fun of their nationality.



But have you ever noticed how local radio ads will use ethnic accents all the time? Usually voiced by some white guy doing his best "Italian," "Jamaican," or "Irish," guy, I sometimes get offended that those stereotypes live on. Then I laugh.

A Cracker Barrel of Diversity