Upset By "Too Many Black People In Commercials?" Too Bad.

By Hayley Armstrong

Some people think there are just “so many Black people in commercials now,” and they’re demanding to know why.

Well, for starters, maybe because it’s not the 1950s, and white people aren’t the only demographic allowed on television?

Let’s talk about it.

Recently, I was minding my Black business, and went to look something up on google about commercials.

Google’s auto-fill feature showed me one of the most popular queries on the topic:

“Why are there so many Black people in commercials now?”

…...perplexing to me at the time, but I let it go.

Another time, while out with non-Black friends, the topic came up, with questions ranging from:

“why does every commercial have interracial couples”

to:

“I can definitely tell a Black voice actor narrated that ad, you can just tell, you can totally tell, why can you always tell”

Apparently, this is a whole thing.

With that in mind, I started paying more attention to ads, hoping to find what friends and strangers found so interesting and I came to the conclusion that, “Yes! I actually am seeing more Black people in commercials now!”

As a Black person, the representation was refreshing and cool to see, and it made me realize how little I’d actually seen Black people in commercials throughout my life.

When I was growing up, seeing Black actors in commercials was a relatively rare event.

The few times commercials did feature Black people, the product or business had to be marketing to Black consumers specifically, but these days, I see Black people in ads for all sorts of things.

Once I noticed, I loved it.

Unfortunately, many of my peers and some online strangers did not share my enthusiasm.

There’s this belief that when Black actors are in commercials, it’s because companies feel like they have to align themselves with Black causes.

Like there’s an outside pressure forcing them to be “inclusive” or “diverse.”

The general idea is that if a Black person is in a commercial, a “statement” is being made.

(Because God forbid a Black person just exist without serving as a tool for the purpose of inspiring or teaching white people.)

There’s also a tension that builds in certain non-Black communities that makes them feel like Black people are planning some sort of widespread media takeover.

They’ll say things like,

“This is taking jobs away from white actors!”

“This is why white people can’t get work!”

“Blacks are over-represented in commercials! Black Privilege! There’s too many Blacks on tv!”

Now, many of them won’t say it exactly like that,

but it’s clearly a major concern, because you know what no one ever asks?

“Why are there so many white people in commercials?”

*Looks around*

*crickets*

Why don’t people ever ask that question? Why is it only when the actors are Black that people wonder “why are there so many of these kinds of people in commercials nowadays”

White actors have dominated commercials in the US for as long as there have been commercials, and this country claims to be a melting pot of diverse cultures, so that never should’ve been the case, but it was.

And no one ever points it out.

But the second an ad comes on and the actor is Black, it’s:

“Boo! End wokeness! Make commercials great again!”

Jake from State Farm can’t hurt you, white people. Relax.

But if you are one of those people getting online, or in reddit forums asking why there are so many Black people in commercials now, maybe take a moment to ask the same question, but about white people.

(Or ponder why it is that you’re quick to question Black actors, but not white.)

Black people still don’t appear in commercials as often as white people do, but the few times they are included, people demand explanations for their involvement.

As if there’s an intended, unfair reason that a Black actor was chosen over a white one.

(Maybe the Black actor was better for the part. Couldn’t be that, right?)

The frustration without basis or knowledge makes it seem like it’s wrong or weird for Black people to be in commercials or on television, at all.

Meanwhile, white people can be in every commercial and not have their presence or the amount of them in the commercial questioned or noticed.

It’s okay for Black people to just be in commercials. They don’t have to have a reason to be there.

Over-analyzing and being suspicious when Black people are in commercials while accepting white people in commercials as the default, sends the message that…

“white people have every right to be wherever they want, so them being in all the commercials makes sense, but.. like, why do Black people need to be here?”

Why do Black actors and Black people owe you explanations for their presence?

By not questioning the over abundance of white people in commercials, we perpetuate the concept of whiteness as normal and anything not white.. abnormal, or unworthy of accurate (or any) representation.

Racial bias is at play when people only ask that question when the actors in the commercials are Black.

We’ve all endured the same brainwashing and conditioning that taught us to view white as “traditional” or “standard.”

The fact that people are even noticing that there are more Black people in commercials proves that Black presence in commercials was rare, to begin with.

But for some reason, inquiring non-Black minds have to know the sinister, gnawing, undercover, top secret reason why there seem to be so many Black people stealing camera space in their precious Hulu ads.

If you’re racist, just get the ad free plan. Problem solved.

It’s not that deep.

There are Black actors in commercials now to help more accurately reflect the diversity of the world we live in.

If people of color had always been in commercials as often as white people, we wouldn’t even be having this discussion.

But the fact that people find it strange to see even a few more Black people than normal in ads and commercials shows that Black people weren’t being let into commercials until recently.

(Much more recently than you think)

How messed up is that?

So, I’ll leave you with this:

No, there are not suddenly “so many” Black people in commercials.

It’s just that white people have always been in commercials.

Always.

So you grew to expect to see them.

They normalized their presence in commercials so much that there wasn’t a different kind of person to compare them to.

We were conditioned to think white people belonged in commercials, and that’s why Black people being slightly more visible in them seems like too much.

It only feels like “so many” Black people are in commercials now, because at no point have you seen as many Black people in commercials as white people.

You still haven’t.

If this amount of Black people in commercials is bothering you..…

When Black actors actually start appearing in commercials as often as white people, then you’re really gonna lose your mind.

Food for thought.

I hope, in the future, that fewer people ask why Black people have the audacity to exist in certain spaces,

and instead ask why, in a nation that is losing its white majority, are white people still the dominant faces in our ads?

-Hayley Armstrong, Voice Actor