What's wrong with Cheerios?
Oh, that's right...it wasn't the taste or contents of the staple of many breakfasts since 1941...it was a commercial...a simple commercial.So what could Cheerios put into a commercial that would get people fired up. How risque could a cereal commercial be?Well, enter an interracial family, and all hell breaks loose. I don't watch television, so I only happened to see the commercial after seeing a link to this brief video editorial on Huffington Post:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/31/cheerios-commercial-racist-backlash_n_3363507.htmlAfter watching the video, I shared it on Facebook, commenting that the reaction it received on Youtube didn't surprise me at all. At that point, a friend asked me "why?"and that leads us to here. Why do I not find a barrage of racist comments towards a Cheerios commercial featuring an interracial family surprising?Well, in my honest opinion, and I only speak for myself, and from my life experience, I always feel like semi-sheltered caucasians are the only ones who find these things surprising...well, them and black politicians getting their 15 seconds of soundbite on the news.It's not surprising because our post-racial America of 2013 is full of prejudiced, racist, grimy motherf***ers. I can't even think of a nicer way to say it. Is that everyone? No, of course not...well...[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbud8rLejLM]...ok, well aside from Avenue Q's opinion, we all have prejudices. But taking that next stop to "racism", that's not everyones bag. However, it's pretty obvious, to the observant eye that quite a few people are willing to take that step.Case in point:
"President Barack Obama Is the Most Threatened President In History."
That is a quantifiable fact. All over some health care issues??? Riiiiiiiggggghhhhttt!Let that thought sink in for a minute. Our first black president is also the one that has received the most death threats...ever. He averages 30 a day. 30...A....DAY!Don't even get me started on the vitriol that arises when Islam is brought into discussion.Look, point blank, if you have a problem with all Muslims because of the actions of a handful (simply a handful; 23% of the world's population is Muslim, or 1.6 billion people)...you suck. You're a mouth breathing neanderthal.Also, there was an interesting article 2 years ago that may have slid under many an average person's radar:Interracial marriage should be illegal, say 46% of Mississippi Republicans in new pollYeah....that really happened.So, do I find the reaction to this commercial surprising? Hell no! I like to be optimistic, but I'll never have blinders on to the current state of affairs in America.Do I sometimes think that my life would run "smoother" if I was white? Hell yeah it would!Even in 2013, the knapsack of white privilege is still full. However, would I ever want to be white? Hell no!Not that there's anything wrong with it. I think there is an inherent character that is gained from the black experience in America. I attribute my strength of perseverance to that gained character. I was often told as a child "You have to work harder than the white kids." I've found this idea to be true. Besides, I have a damn sexy year round tan that I wouldn't trade in for anything.That's not to say that there's anything wrong with those white kids, or any other kids. I can only say that from my viewpoint, being the only black person, let alone male, in my major in college was "interesting", and it was f***ing awesome when I won the award for being the best student in the program. However, I worked my a** off for that award. All those kids with mommy doctors and daddy lawyers couldn't keep up with me, and part of that I attribute to the idea that in America, "You better learn to run nigga run!" Once my feet hit the ground, academically, I'm off and running. Keep up if you can.So, am I surprised? No. Should you be? No. If you are, you're not paying attention.I could literally talk for days on this topic, but that won't do any of us any good. Namaste.