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Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Some of my best friends have rhythm

Seeing as how Gucci will no longer let me into their stores (some silly accusations of stretching a $2000 dress...those sales girls are so melodramatic), Target is by default my very favorite store in the world. Now I always thought that Target seemed like a store where diversity is valued because, well, let's face it...Target is sooooo gay. All those colorful and sleek home accessories? Todd Oldham and Isaac Mizrahi doing design for them? They wouldn't even let Jacquelyn Smith into their store, much less give her a collection of her own.

That's why I was surprised by what I found today when I stopped off at the Target next to my hotel to buy some cards for Mother's Day. You know how each card design has a cardboard insert behind it describing it's use and sometimes showing a company logo? Like it will say "Mother's Day, from Son", etc. This is what I found today:


Yes, Target is marketing a line of cards to attractive, upwardly-mobile black folks, and the line is called "In Rhythm". Hell to the no. Who went and gave the moron who came up with New Coke a marketing job again? Do they think that the gentleman pictured in this card could, if pressed for cash, dance and sing on stage with his four brothers and do it so well that greeting cards marketed to him should pay tribute to his inherent rhythm?

I'm thinking their next line of cards should be for gay boys, and they can call it In Fashion. Because, you know, all gay men are well-dressed. Get it? I mean, we all are, but still, stereotypes are hurtful.

2 comments:

Ms. Val said...

Christopher, I hope that photo was taken at the store with a cell phone camera, and that you didn't actually spend good money on that card.

ChristopherM said...

Oh definitely not! I had to get the cardboard backing to get the brand name of the cards, so I surreptitiously snapped a picture.

I did think about buying it and sending it to one of my grandmas who still uses the word "colored".