Dunkin' Donuts: Reverse Stereotyping?

Cafe Society
#1

I noticed how the Dunkin’ Donuts (DD) ads on TV all have clear, English speaking Caucasians. I know you’ll think I am prejudice, but I am not. I just feel I shouldn’t have to be a lingust specialized in parts of Asia just to execute the purchase of a donut and coffee!

Personally, I’d like to know which DD has such a staff - as seen on TV??? Why does DD put up this TV image front? Is this actually a type of reverse discrimination? Perhaps, even the suits at DD knows the truth… If you frequent DDs, then you’ll have to agree how deeply ironic this is.

#2

I’m sorry, I’m completely confused by your question here. Is there a stereotype that a lot of white folks do, or don’t work in donut shops? What does being an Asian linguist have to do with this? And why are the ads ironic?

#3

I was in Dunkin Donuts today (the donut was good, the coffee was terrible).

The clerks were both Caucasian and spoke English perfectly.

What is your complaint about???

#4

Just wanted to add… There are a TON of Caucasian folks who do not speak English well at all. Is that the irony? Americans actually speaking clearly and enunciating?

#5

Uh oh…someone let the Vice-President near the Internet again.

#6

Nobody who couldn’t speak clearly or enunciate would get very far in life. It would likely be a symptom of a neurological disorder if they were unable to use language well enough to communicate with the outside world.

#7

You haven’t listened to many pro athletes being interviewed, have you?

#8

Dunkin Donuts is a chain from New England, the whitest region of the country. I’m not sure why the OP would expect people in the ads to differ from the ones behind the counter in most of the stores.

#9

Hah!

#10

Around here, virtually everyone who works at Dunkin’ Donuts is Indian. But I don’t understand why Jinx thinks one would have to be a linguist to communicate with them. They speak English.

#11

Well, in all the fast food commercials I see, the employees are always happy and intelligent and friendly. In reality, not so much. Can’t blame the execs for not being brutally honest about that in their commercials.

#12

[del]Dumping thread in[/del]Moving thread to Cafe Society from IMHO.

#13

Or almost anyone between the ages of about 14 through 25. Come on, that mumbly mouth-full-of-marbles thingie that seems to afflict so many young people these days?

#14

Where are you from? DD is a national chain you know? In NYC there happens to be a lot of Indian run DD stores, but not every DD store is run by Indians. And as Green Bean noted, they do speak English.

#15

Shouldn’t that be Dunkin’ thread?

#16

The only stereotype I associate with Dunkin’ Donuts is policemen.

#17

How in the world can an ad be a type of discrimination of any kind?

#18

Is it just that I’ve been noticing them more often lately (Baader-Meinhof complex) or have them been a lot of very confusing OPs lately? I think maybe I sort understand the point being made, but mostly I’m confused.

Contrapuntal, check out Sociological Images sometime for examples of discriminatory ads.

#19

Here in California, Cambodians owned some huge percentage of donut shops.

This is the tragic story of the Donut King.

#20

Jinx, perhaps you have a story you’d like to share about a particular time or times when you’ve actually had difficulties communicating with a donut shop employee and were therefore unable to satisfactorily do business there. I would be interested to read it, and it may help convince people that you are not “prejudice.”

I have yet to deal with any DD employee who did not understand me when I asked for a “Chocolate Glazed” and a “Large Coffee with Cream and Sugar.”