Arts: Mary J. Blige?s Burger King Ad Is Silly, Not Racist

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Brow Beat Mary J. Blige's Burger King Ad Is Silly, Not Racist By Aisha Harris Posted Wednesday, Apr 04, 2012, at 08:11 PM ET Two days ago, the struggling fast-food chain Burger King unveiled several new ads online. Each featured a celebrity, but the only one anybody wanted to talk about—and share, and mock, and remix—was the 30-second spot in which Mary J. Blige uses her signature wail to tout Burger King's crispy chicken snack wraps. The ad was subsequently pulled from the Internet. (Gawker has kept it online.) Burger King claims they pulled the ad due to "licensing" issues, and that it will return soon. I'll be keeping an eye out. The timing of its disappearance is suspicious: In addition to all the well-warranted mocking of the ad, Burger King also came under fire from those who claimed the commercial was racist—a far more dubious claim. The supposed problem? While the ads with Salma Hayek and Jay Leno name-check all the new menu items, and David Beckham gets to lend his support to Burger King's strawberry smoothie, Mary J. Blige sings about fried chicken. The history of blacks and fried chicken is complex, as Jesse Bering explored on Slate last year. As Bering notes, fried chicken is associated by many with poverty, thanks to its possible connection to slave plantations and its more recent place on fast-food menus. The food item can become a touchy subject when explicitly advertised with black faces. Popeyes faced similar—and not unfounded—criticism for its own black spokeswoman, whose plastered-on smile and hokey affectations are supposed evoke New Orleans, but which ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Why Workers Should Have a Constitutional Right To Organize Is Science Really Moving Faster Than Ever? Maybe Not! The United States Should Follow Canada's Lead and Ditch the Penny	Advertisement
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