“Don’t Box Me In,” by Joan Voight, Book Review Example

In the essay “Don’t Box Me In,” author Joan Voight discusses how minority groups are portrayed in advertisements. In this context, the term “minority” can mean different things, from African-Americans and Hispanics to Gays to those over retirement age; in other words, any group that falls outside of the typical White Adult demographic. According to Voight, there has been a shift in how these portrayals are crafted, moving from often-demeaning stereotypes to more nuanced and positive characterizations.  According to Voight, “multicultural experts say, what seems to be missing from many ads is a nuanced, sophisticated understanding of minority groups—one that includes insights that are just as refined as those about young, white, heterosexual children” (Voight, 15–16).

In 1969, pressure from Mexican-Americans forced the Frito-Lay company to eliminate their “Frito Bandito” character, and other stereotypical characters such as Aunt Jemima have also met with their demise. In contemporary advertisements, African-Americans are generally portrayed in a positive light; for example, African-American fathers are rarely seen as buffoons or as the butt of jokes. Depictions that reinforce the negative stereotype of weak African-American fathers are largely avoided, and even routinely marginalized minorities like gays are being depicted in more positive (though often very low-key) ways.

Voight notes the difficult balancing act that advertisers face: a depiction that reinforces stereotypes can be off-putting to the depicted minority group, while depictions that are too “out of character” –such as a commercial that featured an African-American man singing along to a Led Zeppelin song- can elicit complaints of “cultural blindness.” Increasingly, ad agencies are hiring consultants whose duties are to help raft realistic and nuanced portrayals of minorities that still have a wide-ranging appeal, a task that remains challenging. Voight points out that “Certainly, demographic changes are happening more quickly in the living rooms of America than in the creative departments of ad agencies” (Voight, 15).

Interestingly, Voight’s article suffers from some of the same problems faced by the advertisers. In an effort to craft an article that “covers all the bases,” Voight largely avoids discussing the issue with too much specificity. The only specific negative minority depictions that she focuses on are those of Hispanic consumers, and then she simply notes that, because of the wide-ranging cultural differences that fall under the umbrella of “Hispanic,” it is difficult to create depictions that have a broad appeal; Voight herself avoids offering any suggestions about how this problem might be overcome.

All told, though, this is a thought-provoking article. While some critics are perhaps too sensitive, and the general public may be less likely to be offended by good-natured stereotypical depictions, it is still an economic imperative that advertisers find ways to reach these ever-growing groups. Before long, these minorities may no longer be minorities, and the advertisers that “get it right” along the way are the ones that will stand to meet with continued success in the future.

References

Voight, Joan. “Don’t Box Me In.” Brandweek. 1 September 2003. 14–16.