# Is the Walmart commerical racist? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 10, 2012, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-walmart-commerical-racist/637268 "2012-10-10T00:04:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Naive\_Evian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Naive\_Evian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Naive_Evian)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-walmart-commerical-racist/637268/1 "2012-10-10T00:04:57Z")
Walmart has apparently brought back layaway. Here is the commerical: [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=walmart%20layaway%20commercial&source=web&cd=2&sqi=2&ved=0CEQQtwIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DuVqD4BZA1Dc&ei=37h0UP2FCoS0yAHe8YDABg&usg=AFQjCNHrna5WeDlThtMZpMb7z-DoHiG1Dg](http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=walmart%20layaway%20commercial&source=web&cd=2&sqi=2&ved=0CEQQtwIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DuVqD4BZA1Dc&ei=37h0UP2FCoS0yAHe8YDABg&usg=AFQjCNHrna5WeDlThtMZpMb7z-DoHiG1Dg) Is it racist to have a black man acting like buffoon, using ghetto slang like ya feel me in a commerical for layaway? There is longstanding stereotype about blacks and layaway. Now, they could have had a black person in the commerical without issue, if they didn’t make him a jive-talking buffoon. (Walmart sees to think black people speak jive.) Added to which is the condescending banner, “We feel ya,” which is Walmart saying we understand you blacks have bad credit and need layaway, so here you go you jive- talking credit risks. I am so sick of this stuff. But maybe I am just too sensitive. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-walmart-commerical-racist/637268/2 "2012-10-10T00:08:34Z")
> [@Naive\_Evian](#): > > But maybe I am just too sensitive. I think that’s the answer. If you think he’s a jive talking buffoon, I think you need to relearn your definition of jive, buffoon, ghetto slang etc… Maybe I’m not sensitive enough. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-walmart-commerical-racist/637268/3 "2012-10-10T00:50:15Z")
One time I was a little put off by egregious jivification\* in an ad, but it was less offensive and more funny. It was for a non-traditional local phone service and it started with an African-American spokesperson speaking in Standard American English: “Did your phone company ever drop you because you got a little behind on the BEEEEEL?” It’s like they told him “good take, Robert! But could you make it 10% more Jive?” \*Probably not the most accurate term but I like its euphony so I’m usin it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-walmart-commerical-racist/637268/4 "2012-10-10T00:56:17Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > \*Probably not the most accurate term but I like its euphony so I’m usin it anyway. Jivitization? Anyway I remember a program from long ago that would translate common English into Jive. ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-walmart-commerical-racist/637268/5 "2012-10-10T01:39:41Z")
I didn’t think he was a 'jive-talking buffoon" at all. I think it was more ‘dude speak’ than anything, especially combined with him having a hard time taking his eyes off the football on TV. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-walmart-commerical-racist/637268/6 "2012-10-10T02:05:50Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Jivitization? Anyway I remember a program from long ago that would translate common English into Jive. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0j2dVuhr6s](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0j2dVuhr6s)