What is racialization?
The process of racialization involves the construction of a specific
image based on a set of assumptions or stereotypes according to a certain race. It not only refers to a process of
differentiation according to race, but an imposition of racial character on a
person or action. In examples of minority advertising conducted by the military,
the images are imposing a racial character (imagined by advertisers) on the
target audience. In effect, different
people are supposed to be attracted to the military according to their race. The “black” ads we will come across (compared
to the “white” ads), featured images of dissent, power, proving oneself, and
leadership. The “white” ads incorporated themes of thinking outside the box,
and patriotism. We will see more of this
in a more detailed exploration of the sample ads.
This
ad appeared in the February 9th issue of Rolling Stone Magazine. The
ad features a promise to furnish the recruit, ironically, with a sense of
identity. The structure of the timeline
implies a natural progression in the young recruit’s life, as if it is only a
matter of time before he inevitably turns to a life in the armed forces. Yet the theme of uniqueness, of
individualism, is central to Rolling Stone Magazine. It touts itself as being “the voice of youth
culture,” and “important, trend-setting, and newsworthy.” Louis Caldera, secretary of the Army in 2000,
listens to this voice and takes advantage of it, keeping his “finger on the
pulse of America’s
youth – their attitudes, aspirations and needs.” The “emotional connection”
that Caldera refers to in the press release about the Army’s advertising deal
with Leo Burnett is clearly maintained here.
The “relationship” that needs to be built with the potential recruit
starts with this ad, which is conveniently placed among articles like “The
Harder They Fall,” about Abramoff and Delay, and the newest Green Day anti-war
album.
The success of by publishing ads
like this in Rolling Stone makes great money for the advertisers. The following exchange between Louis Caldera
and press representatives during the 2000 press conference with Leo Burnett and
the U.S. Army shows this:
Q: If the Army does not meet its
recruiting goals, are your contractors penalized?
Caldera: No, usually it’s built in
a sense of incentives for performance.
Q: You make it plus – what do they
get.
Caldera: They get more money. (Laughter).
And in America
that’s a great incentive to do more.
As this ad secures more recruits,
the ad agency that came up with the ad gets more money. A
recruit’s life – and his/her willingness to risk it - is literally worth
someone’s paycheck.
61%
of Rolling Stone Magazine’s readers are between the ages of 18 and 34, at 61%
men and 39% women. This magazine,
although it has published an ad that features an African-American man, is
targeted at upper and middle class white male demographics. These are the
recipients of the “message of empowerment, and the mental, physical, and
emotional power that lies inside every soldier,” says Caldera. Moreover, the fact that the ad features an African-American
man, published in a predominantly white magazine, is very deliberate. Men of
color, specifically African-American men, have been historically portrayed in
literature, movies and other media (like advertising), as the quintessential
image of instinctive violence, virility, and masculinity. The eroticization of violence - associating
the mythical “black prowess” with violence - is both tremendously racist and
frightening.
This is the image
that the advertisers envision white upper middle class males aspire to
become. The tagline “Didn’t want to be a
follower, Became a Soldier,” helps support this image; even if upper middle
class white males enjoy white privilege, the way to break out of this mundane
“white” existence is to actualize the “blackness” the advertisers are portraying
as the ideal soldier. This is an
important ad to remember, especially later, when we look at the ads targeted
more specifically to people of color.
79% of Rolling Stone Magazine readers are white, 2% Black, 2% Asian, and
13% Latino. Rolling Stone is a prime
magazine to target for counter-recruitment endeavors, as it features a military
advertisement literally every issue, which come out every other week. The counter-part to Rolling Stone, in terms
of their target demographics, is the weight-lifting magazine Muscle and Fitness, which regularly publishes ads for the National Guard.
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