Nor have I ever heard anything about black people and cousins. I would understand if they said “Isn’t it nice having fifty-seven brothas?” but cousins?
You are wrong. Everyone doesn’t know about the cousins thing, because I don’t.
I have never heard the “stereotype”, and never thought that line in the ad was offensive.
Asian people tend to have large families. Catholic people too. Same with the Middle Eastern folk.
I really can’t see the problem.
Ouch. Don’t make me laugh like that when I’m full of stuffing and getting over a stomach problem.
I’ve gotta say I’ve never heard that stereotype, either. I have heard it about people in the southern US, though – the whole stereotype about how everyone in the south is inbred and everyone’s cousins with each other (e.g. “The Dukes of Hazzard”). Maybe the OP got the two stereotypes confused?
I’ve heard the one about how non-blacks assume that all blacks are related or know each other (and are shocked that the black guy from California doesn’t know Tyrone from Florida or what ever…, but never the black people think that everyone is their cousin sterotype. Perhaps the two are related somehow.
Count me in the “never heard that stereotype” group. And I’ve got a lot more than 14 first cousins and a lot of second cousins that I count, as well. I’m from MA if that lends any weight to the regional argument. I think that Old Navy ad campaigns are generally equal opportunity annoyers.
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I’m another person (a black person, at that) who has never heard of this cousins stereotype thing.
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I’m not at all convinced that the woman being sung to in that particular ad is even black. She’s darker complected than your average white person of northern European lineage, but I’m not sure that she’s of African lineage at all.
I, too, have never heard that stereotype.
Perhaps, but every Canadian has that story of being somewhere around the world and having someone say, “Canada? I have a cousin in Toronto. Do you know him?”
Never heard the cousin thing before.
Haven’t seen the commercial yet, either.
The point of the commercial is consumerism. Old Navy has the solution to your buying requirements, ie all those cousins’ Christmas presents.
How would covert racism sell pastel sweaters at unbeatable prices? You think this is some nazi copywriter’s sneak attack?
But in Freejooky’s defense I have heard of the cousins thing/all black people being related, which may be a corollary of a “breeding like rabbits” thing (which is pretty much used against any race you see “too many” of).
I just immediately discount it because my interpretation seems so much more obvious (IMHO of course 
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Just posted to say I have never head the cousin stereotype either. I grew up in a rural small town in Oklahoma that had a bunch of rednecks and absolutely no black people. I know (unfortunately) some racist people and have never heard that. I’ve never even heard a black comedian joke about it.
I just noticed that they’re selling the black fleece blankets at a discount rate…only $5.00, instead of the usual price of $14.50. Maybe there IS something to this racist bit, after all…
I’ve never heard of the cousins thing either
Shh, you weren’t supposed to know that it was a racist ad. It’s all part of the Jewish Plan to rule the world. I heard about it at the meeting where we discussed that and the overthrow of Hungarian goverment. I finally got invited to one. Very interesting.
Just kidding. In short, I’ve seen the ad, found it annoying but not at all racist. And I’ve never heard the cousin thing. Maybe it’s a Southern thing. I’ve only lived in MA, near Boston, which while being a world away from the rural south, can be just as racist.
I’ve never heard of the “cousins” thing, either.
Isn’t one of their models, singing to the lady, also black?
Never heard it before this thread either. I’m white and I have 22 first cousins. My son has 17. I don’t buy presents for my cousins, but do for my nieces and nephews.
I’ve never heard the “cousin” thing either. “Brother” or “bro” yes, but not cousin.
I also find it really weird how anything related to race is such a touchy subject in America. It seems like everyone’s deathly scared of anything that could in any way possibly be interpreted as ever-so-slightly racially questionable. I know there are plenty of historical reasons for this, but still. Get over it already… bro
I’ve never heard the cousin thing either, but I would point out that they had Li’l Kim, of all people, front and center in some of their recent television ads. Haven’t seen her lately (maybe someone wised 'em up about her lyrics) but it doesn’t seem racist to me.
Okay, I read the OP and didn’t read the answers, but here’s mine.
My daughter and I saw the commercial (we are white) (well, kind of pink really) and I turned to her and said, “You have 14 cousins!” She said, “No, I have more than that!” That’s right, 14 on her dad’s side on 9 on my side. She has 23 cousins. She is an only child, so it’s a little weird.
I don’t think the commercial is offensive at all.