Misguided Outrage Over a TV Commercial

Most people by now either have seen Coca-Cola’s Super Bowl ad, “It’s Beautiful,” have heard about the outrage the ad has caused, or both.  In short, the television spot features people singing “America the Beautiful” in various languages over scenes of Americana – mostly families and friends enjoying themselves in everyday scenarios – with Coke’s products near at hand.  Apparently, the use of any language other than English to sing this particular song offended some.  In reading this morning’s news coverage of this so-called controversy, I do not know what makes me sadder – that people are upset at all by the commercial or that the people who are upset either are uninformed or confused over what has upset them.

First, it seems those now calling for a boycott of Coca-Cola’s products have misplaced their anger by approximately 40 years.  This year’s Super Bowl ad is just the latest attempt by Coke to use feel-good unity to sell its products.  Those of us of a certain age can recall the 1970’s “Hilltop” spot that featured a multicultural group of people signing about wanting “to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony,” while holding bottles with Coca-Cola with labels written in different languages.  What is more, some who took offense at this year’s ad lack a fundamental understanding of why they are upset, mistaking “America the Beautiful” for the United States’ national anthem.

Ultimately, Coca-Cola’s latest Super Bowl ad continues the tradition of conflating patriotism and professional sports to sell a product.  Beyond sales, however, I honestly do not understand that traditional conflation.  Having jets or helicopters fly over large scale sporting events at the end of the singing of our (actual) national anthem seems to be more of an institutionalization and normalization of the kind of militarism and nationalism that we as a county have criticized other nations - usually totalitarian and oppressive regimes – for displaying in the past (think Red Square on May Day at the height of the Cold War.)

Perhaps it is the institutionalization and normalization of shows of force prior to violent athletic competitions that suggests to some that they are allowed to be hostile to other people.  Ironically, it is ending that kind of hostility that undergirds Coke’s “It’s Beautiful” spot.  Unfortunately, the actions of those individuals who have responded negatively to Coke’s latest effort at promoting harmony suggest more hatred towards Americans than genuine love of America.

Super Bowl 2014: Sometimes a Mexican Has to Bet on Black

I have written before about the presence of Mexican-descent players in the NFL, particularly at the quarterback position. Just yesterday I learned that two members of the Broncos offensive line, Louis Vazquez and Manny Ramirez, part of an offense that is arguably the best in football, are of Mexican ancestry. Here in my hometown of Chicago, we have Roberto Garza, a Pro-Bowl center who is the child of Mexican immigrants, who has played here for years. This is a remarkable progression of Mexican-descent football players moving up in size from kickers, to quarterbacks, to being some of the biggest and toughest guys on the field. I think this sets a great precedent for young Latinos, showing them that they can be involved in the game at any level, at any position. Unlike last Superbowl where Mexicans weren't even invited to be part of the ads, even one where you think they would be prominently featured, given its focus on agriculture in the United States.

While my Mexican roots play prominently in my identity and how I view the world, I have other allegiances that motivate me as well. As someone with darker skin, I have found myself the recipient of discrimination and stereotypes based merely on my physical appearance. From being stopped by the police, searched multiple times by Homeland Security agents when traveling, being questioned about where I am from despite being U.S.-born, and being told how well I speak my native language English,  I have come to realize that dividing people by race is fundamental to American culture. And while Latinos like myself are sometimes treated as a distinct race, I believe that in our country it still really comes down to Black or White. As W.E.B. DuBois, the famed, Harvard educated, African American sociologist stated, "the problem of the color line," is the one that characterizes the United States. Striving for racial justice for all people, not just Mexicans or Latinos, then, can take the front seat in my worldview.

Race has come to be a big part of the narrative of this Superbowl with the interview that Richard Sherman gave after the Seattle Seahawks won the NFC Championship. First, there was this:

Actually, Latinos were slighted, because they were first on the scene when Spanish speaking media gave Sherman a lengthier, yet similar interview moments before the Andrews segment:

Twitter immediately erupted with racist views about the interview:

People were so put off by the fact that a Black man would behave with such bravado, that they vowed to root for the Broncos, and cited the clean cut and well-mannered Peyton Manning as a reason for doing so. This obviously set up a narrative of Black vs. White, "thuggish" behavior vs. being appropriate and polite.

Manning certainly is likeable:

But, people seem to forget that football is an aggressive, adrenaline-filled, violent and competitive sport, and even good old well-mannered Southern-folk have inappropriate temper tantrums:

I have to wonder if it just isn't that shocking for a White quarterback to berate a Black offensive linemen.

Other elite black athletes from violent, aggressive, and competitive supports have also become notorious because of their behavior:

We tolerate it to an extent, but when it crosses a perceived line, such as potentially threatening a White woman (Erin Andrews), or calling into question inconsistencies in U.S. policies, we rush to silence these points of view:

  

This despite the legitimacy of these views and the well-thought out ways in which they are articulated.

 

So, while I didn't have a strong vested interest in the outcome of the game initially, I think from a racial justice perspective (if it has to be racial-and I didn't say it did, but others do), this Mexican is betting on Black. Go Seahawks. 

Besides, who would trust a guy like this?