What I imagine happened - and the OP is, of course, welcome to correct this if it’s indeed a misapprehension - is that he didn’t realize the two men were twins, and disregarded the fact that they actually look alike out of a horror at potentially perpetuating a “they all look alike” racial stereotype.
I think this heightened sensitivity to stereotyping is a bad thing. It’s better, I suppose, than embracing stereotyping, but I contend it would be better to simply treat people as people, regardless of their race. With that mindest, I believe a neutral observer would have watched that commercial and said, “She’s got a point – those two do look a lot alike!”
I believe the OP rejected the idea that they look alike, not because they do not, but because he or she wanted desperately not to be the stereotypical purveyor of “they all look alike.”
In other words, stereotypes or not… sometimes, they do look alike. And if they do actually look alike, it’s perfectly OK to say that they do actually look alike. And if they don’t, then say that they don’t. Regardless of the race that “they” belong to.
I guess this is what happens when your personal sense of right and wrong is not a product of your own god-given intellect, but is instead a blind acceptance of the ‘values’ of the day.
I am certain that in making his post the OPer wanted nothing more than to advertise his own sensitivity to racial ‘issues’. Any real concern for blacks about the effects of racism in Visa’s advertising came a distant second to that.
There is considerable schadenfreude from watching the architect of such plastic and dishonest emotion come a cropper.
I told my husband about this thread. He asked, “Didn’t he catch the part at the beginning where one said, ‘Mom will really like this’?”
I’m thinking the OP didn’t pay very close attention to the commercial at all, because there were clues everywhere…
It’s a good thing Visa didn’t go with the original version of the commercial where, right after the scene at the cash register, the two brothers shoplift some malt liquor and then get chased by security. The woman at the register runs after them, yelling “Schnell! Schnell!”
This whole thread is reminding me of an SNL sketch from the early '90s. (This is not going to be a perfect transcription, but I remember the gist of it.)
Jason Alexander was the host, and in the sketch, he was introduced to Chris Rock, then left the room. While he was away, Rock left and Tim Meadows came in. Alexander came back and mistook Meadows for Rock because they were wearing the same kind of hat. Meadows was offended and pointed out that he had a “D” shaved into his hairline. Alexander promised he would never make that mistake again, then left the room again. In his absence, Meadows left and Rock came back with Ellen Cleghorne, and shaved a “D” into her hairline. Alexander returned and greeted who he thought was Meadows; Cleghorne was greatly offended. Meadows came back again, and Alexander faced all three of them, listing their names and swearing he would never get them wrong again. Then he left the room yet again, just in time for a notary to arrive and tell all three that their African names had been registered. They were overjoyed, and declared that they would never again let anyone address them by their “American” names. Alexander came back and was just about to greet all three by their now-defunct names, and David Spade averted disaster by tripping the fire alarm.
Have you ever noticed that twins tend to be slightly better looking than “unies”, as well? And I’m not basing this on celebrity twins, but those I’ve knows. Isn’t life unfair enough?
