ABSTRACT
Consider an advertisement showing a Black male and White male standing together and smiling. Now notice that the Black male is dressed in work clothes and hard hat while the White male is dressed as a manager. The advertisement appears to be progressive because it is racially inclusive. However, the superficial acknowledgment of difference is based on stereo-types rather than a range of possible roles for members of each racial group. In such stereotypical-but-progressive-appearing ads, we are encouraged to accept the assumption that White males are (and should be) managers and Black males are (and should be) workers. This appears normal, as the “natural order” of things. Therefore, appearances are deceiving because this “inclusive” advertisement does not support deep changes in power relations between different groups.
