Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Golden Corral v. Whites: Separate but Cheaper
Golden Corral would like you to believe that black people will jump out of a moving car for a buffet. Meanwhile their pretentious white "friends" are oblivious to the siren song of unlimited mash potatoes. Before you yell "das racist!" consider the following: the black people are given seats at the rear of the vehicle, not being asked to stand. They are well dressed, indicating respect for the ceremonious 10$ entree. Most affirming of all, they will brave any hardship, whether pavement or heart disease, to ensure a financially prudent date night. There's nothing racist about whites and blacks eating at separate restaurants as long as one of them is cheaper.
Wait, it's totally racist, without any commentary on that racism. And it is deliberate.
You can imagine the director asking the black male to slouch more in his seat. It's impossible to imagine this kind of advertisement being storyboarded without someone's 2012 racial consciousness piping up. Is it satire, or should we conclude that this actually fits the expectations of Golden Corral's black guests?
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Funny. I just saw the commercial for the fist time and went online to see if Golden Corral catered to a primarily black clientele. Apparently not. I don't see how you get satire out of this piece. Maybe they're trying to get more blacks in the door. I went to a Golden Corral once in Kenosha, WI. The carpet was so filthy that I turned around a walked out. In that context, perhaps this rises to satire.
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