# is the new Old Navy commercial racist? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 25, 2004, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-new-old-navy-commercial-racist/276681 "2004-11-25T22:34:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-new-old-navy-commercial-racist/276681/1 "2004-11-25T22:34:31Z")
Old Navy has been running their usal cadre of “ironic” wink-wink nudge-nudge advertisements. The latest batch feature a group of old navy models singing holiday songs, but substituting funny lines like “the holidays will hit you…like a brick” for the usual lyrics. I noticed an interesting thing in the latest ad that, in this age of hypersensitivity and comical, fumbling political correctness, is probably going to land them in hot water - in this ad, the shoppe being sung to is a black woman. The Old Navy choir tells her - “it must be great to have 14 cousins.” Now, we all know the stereotype about black people thinking “every” other black person is their “cousin,” and blacks having “a million cousins.” Do you think the commercial is playing this up? Regardless, do you think oversensitive people are going ot interpret it that way? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-new-old-navy-commercial-racist/276681/2 "2004-11-25T22:42:31Z")
It never occured to me. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-new-old-navy-commercial-racist/276681/3 "2004-11-25T22:46:26Z")
Bored today, are we? 😃 This seems to be a l-o-o-o-ng reach to get to racism for all but the most jaded. As to whether or not some will see it that way: probably only if it’s pointed out that they _should_ be offended. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-new-old-navy-commercial-racist/276681/4 "2004-11-25T22:54:36Z")
Assuming an average of 2.4 children per family, any once person has 2.8 aunts/uncles, who have a total of 16.13 children - so 14 cousins is an underestimate. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-new-old-navy-commercial-racist/276681/5 "2004-11-25T22:56:46Z")
Arse…I hit a wrong button…ignore that, it’s 7.84 cousins. Mind you, throw in a few generation-separted cousins (who I for one still call cousins), and you’re back to double figures. ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-new-old-navy-commercial-racist/276681/6 "2004-11-25T23:20:19Z")
[QUOTE=Freejooky] Now, **we all know** the stereotype about black people thinking “every” other black person is their “cousin,” and blacks having “a million cousins.”/QUOTE] We do? Is that like the stereotype that black people love tissues, or can’t write the letter “R” correctly, or turn their necks too quickly? ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_On\_My\_Sleeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/77aa72/32.png) [@Heart\_On\_My\_Sleeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_On_My_Sleeve)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-new-old-navy-commercial-racist/276681/7 "2004-11-25T23:21:07Z")
I’m with the “never occured to me” folks. I just thought she had a lot of cousins. I don’t even know how many I have, but I know it’s more than 14, coming from a nice Catholic family. The thing I thought is, “Who buys gifts for all their cousins?” ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-new-old-navy-commercial-racist/276681/8 "2004-11-25T23:51:48Z")
I’m white and have about 60 first cousins. I don’t see anything offensive there. ---
**Author:** ![pokey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@pokey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pokey)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-new-old-navy-commercial-racist/276681/9 "2004-11-26T00:03:24Z")
> [@pizzabrat](#): > > Is that like the stereotype that black people love tissues, or can’t write the letter “R” correctly, or turn their necks too quickly? Yes. Their favourite muffin is apple spice and their favourite pen is the uniball. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-new-old-navy-commercial-racist/276681/10 "2004-11-26T00:19:35Z")
> [@Heart On My Sleeve](#): > > The thing I thought is, “Who buys gifts for all their cousins?” Me. Of course, I only have five people I consider cousins and three of them are second generation. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-new-old-navy-commercial-racist/276681/11 "2004-11-26T00:22:35Z")
> [@Freejooky](#): > > Old Navy has been running their usal cadre of “ironic” wink-wink nudge-nudge advertisements. The latest batch feature a group of old navy models singing holiday songs, but substituting funny lines like “the holidays will hit you…like a brick” for the usual lyrics. > > I noticed an interesting thing in the latest ad that, in this age of hypersensitivity and comical, fumbling political correctness, is probably going to land them in hot water - in this ad, the shoppe being sung to is a black woman. The Old Navy choir tells her - “it must be great to have 14 cousins.” > > Now, we all know the stereotype about black people thinking “every” other black person is their “cousin,” and blacks having “a million cousins.” Do you think the commercial is playing this up? Regardless, do you think oversensitive people are going ot interpret it that way? It because they hate blacks. It’s just that simple. Sure some people will claim that your assumption is amazingly retarded, but they are denying the simple truth of the racism that pervades the entire Old Navy corporation. Look at this homepage for Old Navy. Even the purportedly “black” girl is at best cafe’ au lait with straightened hair, and is probably self hating. The President of Old Navy (a subsidiary of The Gap) is [Jenny J. Ming](http://www.wilconference.org/2003/images/keynote/jenny_ming.jpg). It doesn’t sound very black does it? It sounds Chinese! Black people have been here for hundreds of years suffering from all manner of oppression, and yet when The Gap could reach out and offer a black person a helping hand into the executive ranks, they spurn that option and choose a chinese woman. A little Chinawoman! Racist bastards! ---
**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-new-old-navy-commercial-racist/276681/12 "2004-11-26T00:36:54Z")
> [@pizzabrat](#): > > We do? > Is that like the stereotype that black people love tissues, or can’t write the letter “R” correctly, or turn their necks too quickly? Give me a break! I know it’s funny to pretend you’re so magically super anti-racist as to be “above” questionable humor, but everyone has heard the “cousins” thing. It’s so commonplace that black comedians will often use it as fodder - even Chris Rock, the most mainstream and high-profile black comedian, makes jokes about how “all his cousins” are on “the list” for his shows, the punchline being that any given black person will be claiming to be his cousin. I’m not just pulling this out of my ass, here. ---
**Author:** ![pokey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@pokey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pokey)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-new-old-navy-commercial-racist/276681/13 "2004-11-26T00:54:50Z")
I can honestly say that I have never in my life heard that all black people think everyone is their couzin. I don’t even take the Chris Rock reference as saying that all black people think everyone is their couzin. I take it to mean that anyone who wants to pretend to be on the list for his shows will pretend to be related to him. I don’t think he’s implying that they think they’re related. Even if it did, saying someone has 14 couzins isn’t a ridiculous enough number of couzins to make it refer to black people thinking they have a lot of couzins. If she thinks everyone she knows is her couzin, and she has 14 couzins, then that would mean she has a super small social circle. 14 couzins just implies a large, yet normal sized family. ---
**Author:** ![pokey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@pokey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pokey)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-new-old-navy-commercial-racist/276681/14 "2004-11-26T00:59:39Z")
That’s not how you spell cousin. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-new-old-navy-commercial-racist/276681/15 "2004-11-26T01:07:35Z")
> [@Freejooky](#): > > Give me a break! I know it’s funny to pretend you’re so magically super anti-racist as to be “above” questionable humor, but everyone has heard the “cousins” thing. It’s so commonplace that black comedians will often use it as fodder - even Chris Rock, the most mainstream and high-profile black comedian, makes jokes about how “all his cousins” are on “the list” for his shows, the punchline being that any given black person will be claiming to be his cousin. I’m not just pulling this out of my ass, here. Nope, never heard it. I have a fair number of black coworkers, listen to Chris Rock routines now and then, never ran into this cousin thing. Maybe I’m just an ignorant white girl. Oh, and I’ve got more cousins (first and first-once-removed) than I can even name. /shrug ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-new-old-navy-commercial-racist/276681/16 "2004-11-26T01:28:07Z")
> [@Freejooky](#): > > Give me a break! I know it’s funny to pretend you’re so magically super anti-racist as to be “above” questionable humor, but everyone has heard the “cousins” thing. It’s so commonplace that black comedians will often use it as fodder - even Chris Rock, the most mainstream and high-profile black comedian, makes jokes about how “all his cousins” are on “the list” for his shows, the punchline being that any given black person will be claiming to be his cousin. I’m not just pulling this out of my ass, here. Never heard it before this thread. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-new-old-navy-commercial-racist/276681/17 "2004-11-26T01:35:55Z")
I can double the 14 cousins. What stereotype??? ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-new-old-navy-commercial-racist/276681/18 "2004-11-26T02:05:54Z")
I’ve heard my completely racist, unbelievably prejudiced late father ascribe many off-the-wall attributes to blacks—“They all whatever the prejudice of the moment might happen to be.” Any opportunity he might have to denigrate blacks he grabbed as if it were money. Of all the poison he spewed about blacks, the cousin thing was never mentioned. I can honestly say I’ve never heard anything concerning blacks and cousins until I opened this thread. I can also honestly say that I wish I hadn’t. This has got to be one the most bizare ideas I’ve ever encountered. ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-new-old-navy-commercial-racist/276681/19 "2004-11-26T02:13:34Z")
> [@LouisB](#): > > I’ve heard my completely racist, unbelievably prejudiced late father ascribe many off-the-wall attributes to blacks—“They all whatever the prejudice of the moment might happen to be.” Any opportunity he might have to denigrate blacks he grabbed as if it were money. Of all the poison he spewed about blacks, the cousin thing was never mentioned. I can honestly say I’ve never heard anything concerning blacks and cousins until I opened this thread. I can also honestly say that I wish I hadn’t. This has got to be one the most bizare ideas I’ve ever encountered. Wow, what a tactful way of relaying how racist your father was without needlessly sharing verbatim any of his offensive comments. I hope the right people are reading this. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-new-old-navy-commercial-racist/276681/20 "2004-11-26T02:24:04Z")
I’m quite familiar with the stereotype and am surprised that other’s aren’t… maybe it’s a geographical thing? I was born and raised in Tennessee and it was a (non-inflammatory and harmless) joke amongst a lot of people at the schools I attended, especially the black students. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-new-old-navy-commercial-racist/276681.md?page=2)