I’ve gone back and forth about writing this post several times. There’s one part of me that says, “This is such a minor thing, why even bother?” Another part of me says, “If you don’t get it out of your system you’ll end up stabbing an advertising executive somewhere.” So I shall blog.
Who amongst us hasn’t seen the Geico Caveman commercials? The basic template is:
“Using Geico.com is so easy, a caveman could do it!”
[caveman gets upset]
Here’s a compendium of them on YouTube.
The first time I saw these commercials I didn’t think much of them. I got the joke, found it to be only slightly funny, but it didn’t piss me off so much. It’s a send-up of how easy it is for some commercials to unwittingly offend and also a send-up of folks who get overly offended at small things like stupid and ill-conceived commercials.
I fully realize that by talking about this at all I am taking a first class seat on the irony train.
But I really felt, as the commercials went on and got more elaborate, that they were making light of an actual problem in our society. And, I have to say, I’m really starting to feel like they’re a little bit racist.
In the world of the commercials, the cavemen are mostly well-educated, cosmopolitan people–no, no, Men, because we have yet to see a female cave person–who hold jobs and have plenty of money and seem middle or upper class. When they hear the line about ’so easy a caveman could do it’ (or see posters about it) they become offended because the commercial insinuates that they are nothing but stupid, bipedal animals only capable of the simplest of tasks. No matter how they try to address this issue - by talking directly to Geico, by appearing on Bill O’Reilly-type cable news channel shows, or even by going to therapy - the message they get from everyone is that the commercials are valid because, well, cavemen are just simple, stupid bipeds barely above animals. There’s even a commercial where one caveman is disappointed in another caveman for ’selling out’ by getting insurance through Geico.
If this isn’t clear to everyone by now, I think the Cavemen are really thinly veiled pastiches of black people! Their skin is even dark (but not too dark or else someone might get offended). They’re seen as simple, stupid creatures. They have a hard time getting white people to understand their feelings about the issue. In the end, the prevailing opinion is that the slogan is fair because the cavemen really are what others think they are, despite the evidence. And, let’s not forget, that the cavemen are really just being oversensitive to begin with.
If anyone out there doesn’t get how this is exactly the struggle black folks have been having with the white-dominated media since… well, since minstrel shows, let me know. I will school you.
Looking at these commercials and how very (detailed? accurate? historically-minded?) they are, I have to wonder if the advertisers are being racist or if they’re making a point about how far we have and haven’t come in terms of race relations and the media. Are they sending out a veiled message that people should stop being so damn sensitive about racism (or sexism or queerism or whatever) in commercials and making fun of people that are? Are they being subversive? Or are they just a bunch of people who are too stupid to understand the message they’re sending and just think it’s a funny, funny joke?
I honestly can’t tell.
Which is why the commercials irk me. I don’t know whether to be full-out angry or just annoyed or ignore the whole thing. What do you think, faithful readers?
Geico, Cavemen, Media, Advertising, Blackface, Mistrel Shows
Quit saying “white people”. I already said who. Anyone who can think objectively and not simplify everything to where every black person criticized or on trial is a victim. YOU are the one sounding like a bigot.
I know plenty of black people. A number of my friends even agree that there are plenty of black racists, also. They’re not arrogant black nationalists so hopped up on “fighting the power” that they are froggy looking to jump first and ask questions later, though. READ the links I just posted.
You don’t have to watch BET to know that terminology which is pretty mainstream now.
This is like defending minorities on a KKK forum. lol. Black nationalist agogo.
white people white people white people white people white people white people white people white people white people white people white people white people white people white people white people white people…
One more time in slow motion please:
And that is where is you majorly fuck up. (There are more, but I’m too busy to list them all.) You insist on treating all of us as a group with the same vices, the same lifestyle, the same childhood environment, etc., instead of as individual people with individual lives and invidual minds. No one here has been lumping together all White people into one mold. The original post doesn’t even do that.
We haven’t been attacking your race, we’ve been attacking *YOU*.
Also, I refuse to read any of those links, until you actually read our replies instead of simply repeating your tired racist garbage ad nauseum.
white people
I not ONCE lumped all black people together. lol. I said too many black individuals who make everything into a racial issue.
When I said, “no matter what we say to any black person, the race card is drawn out”, I didn’t mean every black person is racist. I mean if any black person is scrutinized in the media, you will have a large number of black people somehow screaming racism. Which is not all, and I NEVER said that. But, most any time any black public figure is scrtutinized it never fails for certain individuals to try and scream racism.
And I suppose “too many” equals anything over zero, right?
So when you said “any” Black person, you meant “not everyone” instead of “anyone”.
And you said a “large number” of Black people are racist. Just not “all” of us.
Tell me: Do you like spending so much time with your head up your ass?
Did you ever think why that may happen? Or do you think all those people are crazy/stupid/have some strange hatred against white people? That can account for some, but not all. I believe these instances and responses, whatever the original intent of the instances, need to be look into, other than just crying “Dude you guys suck. You reverse racists!”
*chuckle* Can we talk about the reverse race card?
On the flip side though, there are too many people that refuse to see race at all, period. I think if it were brought up as a real issue and not called silly to those who are hurt by it (outside of the blatant KKK/drug to death instances) it will help everyone involved.
Angry Black Woman, thank you I just came over your site after reading white men and wimmen comments on the ads, which showed their moral blindspot, which you have not missed and addressed.
THANK YOU.
Do Not Stop and keep your thoughts not for now but as a barometer to what will be in the next 5-10. Those ads are funny and could only be showed NOW, not 10,20 years ago. They work as all funny things do by hitting a ‘ambivalent’ nerve is us all. That nerve is the Civil Rights and the forward steps for us ( equaling according to some a step back for white folks). In fact it’s just like gender, many men (black and white) are ambivalent about the way wimmen are now. As a man no matter if I am in the Caribbean, London or NY that is the topic the hush conversation I have with other men about ‘wimmen these days’
Back to the Geico ads, I say they could only happen now and not 10-20 years ago. If anyone is too young to know what the social climate was then, not the political climate (available from any boring text book). Ask an elder or read up or check out ad campaigns from that day or even rent out 20+ year old comedy videos. You will see how privilege white folks were in using their sickening stereo types in ads, and in fact all the media.
I was activist in Brixton, London in those days of 80’s-90’s and the Geico ads could be based on real events for us in the 80’s. I am serious we were talking and each episode was like a trip down to memory lane when it was not funny for those of us that lived it, being the ‘cavemen’ trying to talk to the power icons who had to play down our complaints coz of course they are liberal civilized people.
For example: Walking past big bill boards with images of blacks folks in sickening stereo types (Selfridges comes to mind), Talking to white privilege reporters on radio and TV with their British/Racist tones (LKJ did tunes about this), and yes the sell out conversations just like the ad- where a brother would open a bank account with Barclays (South African investor which many of us were boycotting during apartheid era) and I’d say ’some loyalty [to our Diaspora] would be nice’ and he would say ‘banking with Barclays makes me less of a Black man’ sounds just like the ad. The restaurant apology with the ad sec. Pleazzze, we once met with the Great Arts Council of London where they fed us in a place to make nice (being working class and never having eaten posh it worked on some of us).
The fact that we can laugh NOW, may be the real barometer that white people can get over themselves. Many white men in particular especially in American have become aware of their sense of entitlement and the fact that it can be challenged, just like my male entitlement. The way for example I would try to dominate conversations with wimmen by talking louder and steer it to my ego was checked quick time upon moving to NY (yes it was painful so white people I understand your pain). During our discussion one of us said if the ad had come out 10 years earlier it would not have worked and not be funny because so much of the population were in pain and voicing our pain with letters, boycotts, graffiti and antidote campaigns (Leeds Postcards).
The fact that we can laugh now as these ads run, is an indicator, and rather than go in to rights or wrongs like a pompous cultural commenter. I’ll log it as important media news item. White folks who don’t follow your line coz they daren’t face up to their past should note that the line while “power never concedes unless it faces power” can be appended to ‘ave a larf’. Geico has white folks cracking up as a comment on stereo types, the larf can continue by them laughing along to Red Fox, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Chappelle.
Again thank you so much for saying what a lot of us in the diaspora feel but don’t say (apathy, fear etc). You are right on the button. The response to your comments show it! Sorry I went so long but I’m now in the Caribbean where much of the mentality is anything but conscious so dont chance to exchange like this.
Zeech, I don’t see where things have changed that much from the time that you describe. To me, it’s still too much with us to be funny. All I have to do is look at Lou Dobbs on CNN, demonizing undocumented workers for ratings and political gain. Disgusting. Maybe if things ever truly change to the point where I can look back at the bad old days, I will have a “larf.” Not today.
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normalperson,
I wonder if the disemvoweler will get rid of all those exclamation points? ::tries it:: Damn. Oh, well.
Angel H.,
::ROTFLMAO:: I think you’re having waaaay too much fun with this. =P
Teehee, ‘normal people’ apparently can’t read. . .
And curiously, cannot type with vowels. : D
I am a white man and I agree with the angry black woman…I hate these stupid caveman commercials and turn channels when they come on. I have called geico, but not for insurance, and will NOT until the caveman dissappears. The rest of their commercials are lame and stupid too……
A couple days ago i saw a new caveman commercial on the History Channel. One of the cavemen is a museum tour guide, and he’s talking to a tour group about Cro-Magnons. They start heckling him about being a cave man, and he points out all the things that cavemen invented, like clothing, art, and the and the wheel. this shuts up the tour group, and as they leave, a woman comes up to him and says she was impressed by his speach and the go off to have coffee or lunch or something. I was wondering what the board thinks of this “new” development?
I think sites like these keep the raciest crap alive and well, if by chance the sites disappeared, race wouldn’t be the problem it is in this country.
well of course, why didn’t I see that before? BLACK people keep racism alive!! Now I know, and knowing is half the battle.
thank you i felt the same way about the adds and all my friends looked at me like i was soo off. it hurt me so deep inside to watch them. what hurt most were the endless buppies that thought the ads were cool
ABW,
I think in terms of the issues of racism, the GEiCO commericals offend all miniorites not just african americans. Racism is not a black and white issue, because there are more ethnic groups in this country than African Americans. As a native American (Navajo is my tribe), I found the commericals to ridicule the negative portrayals of Natives in the media. For you as a Black woman, you saw it as a direct insult to African Americans.
The Native americans make up only 1% of the population in the US, opposed to the 13% of African Americans. Many people don’t even realize we “still exist” (as they say in the geico commericals). We are often portrayed as tom-a-hawk branishing, feather wearing, piece pipe smoking drunkin savages that live in teepees. Just like African Americans we share a painful past in US history, however we are rarely seen in the media as anything modern, intelligent, and “civilized”.
So, I know that as a Black woman you identify with your ethnic group and racial discrimination, just as whites identify with their ethnic group and privilege. But if we are to be culturally aware we need to think of ALL people of “color” and not just black and white. The fight to end racism should not only be for African Americans but Asian, Arab, Indian, Native, Hawaiian, Hispanic Americans as well. So I challenge you to see the world not only in black but other colors as well.
The commercials are funny because cavemen are extinct and the commercials humanize them. Geico is poking fun at itself for slighting “people” who are actually a normal part of society and do things that modern day people do: go to nice restaurants, go on flights, go to therapists. If anything, the cavemen are being humanized and are reacting like most people would in that situation. By the way, in one of the commercials, the caveman’s mother is calling. So I guess there must be cavewomen too?
Wow, I can’t believe this discussion has gone on for a year. Coming from a well educated black man, most of these folks are reading way too much into a silly commercial. I would have to admit, this is a very memorable (and funny) commercial. I would be suprised if the advertisers had any “hidden” agenda, other than selling more insurance policies. Given our economy, it would be illogical for an insurance company to use advertising money for anything other than selling more policies. So - I challenge all of the paranoid responders to stop worrying about what other people might be thinking, and start using their valuable time to leave a positive legacy with the world before their days are gone. Enough said.
You all are idiots. The joke of this commercial is a covert jab at minorities in America, THATS WHAT THEY ARE MAKING FUN OF! So yes, the commercial is completely racist, its just too bad there are so many idiots out there that can’t read between the lines (funny enough I always thought this was such an obvious case). Anyway, the white people on this site that are defending this commercial just have huge egos and don’t want to admit to their social (white) privilege in our society. THis commercial is particularly dangerous because (apparently based on the idiots on this site) the message is so covert and subliminal. Too bad there aren’t any educated, intelligent people that post here.
i have always felt this way about this commercial as it shuns the feelings of many ‘minorities’ in america
I’m a white guy. I thought it was discriminatory when I first saw it. Not necessarily against black people, but just minorities in general. Would I call it racist against minorities? Not really. Does it poke fun at them. It could be interpreted that way. Does it make me think that minorities are stupid. NOT AT ALL.
Racism is a huge, complicated subject. And as a white guy, I have to apologize for the racism in our country. But one thing I’ve learned is that we are all have racist tendencies no matter who we are. And what’s special about the U.S. is that we, both white and black, have made huge strides to weeding out racism.
What saddens me is that there is still a large contingency of black people that have written off the American dream as just a white person’s dream, and don’t want to take advantage of something that most people in the world would give their right arm for. Maybe the scars of the past are too deep for this group of black people. I can’t change the past. All I can do is try to understand and promote America as anyone’s dream, not just for white people.
I didn’t get the commercials because they made GEICO’s advertisement agency seem ignorant and incompotent, not the type with whom I would do business. The cavemen obviously weren’t simpletons, they constantly proof their critics wrong, only their critics are to ignorant and arrogant to realize it. It would be different if the frustrated caveman smashed up a computer terminal with a femur bone or maybe even ate the GEICO lizard and they proofed the ad’s insinuation correct but instead the cavemen put forth a reasonable and ariticulate argument against their stereotype albeit to people to ignorant to even listen to their argument.
Is it me, or are all the humans in these commercials middle/upper class Anglo-Americans? Or at least all the speaking roles? This is the smoking gun for me, which most clearly shows Geico’s attitude linking humanness with mainstream whiteness and simultaneously linking minorities to uplifted and educated brutes, who may be assimilated and converted to function in society but who will inevitably be viewed as different. These commercials seem to suggest that minorities’ differences in appearance are disfiguring a la caveman, though perhaps to a less accentuated degree. And these commercials (especially the motorcycle one) suggest that cavemen or minorities should embrace their difference and be unaffected by the general negative public perception regarding their kind, since there are those in the human or white race who aren’t affected by such stereotypes or prejudices. These commercials might have some positive function of inciting discussion on race relations or human prejudice in general if they weren’t so blatantly whitewashing the human race. Although this is prevalent all throughout advertising, it seems that commercials such of these where it is humans vs. non-humans where it is most important to prevent the mischaracterization of the human race.
[...] for example, at this thread deconstructing the GEICO caveman commercials: Geico Caveman Commercials Irk Me. And if you visit, please, for the love of Mike, read through all the comments. There are so many [...]