Posts Tagged ‘Mississippi’
Really good stereotypers
Recently, I’ve been working on a minority-focused campaign, and it’s done nothing but made me ask lots of questions. Now, for a typical white guy working in the ad industry, I am blessed to both work for a minority-owned firm and have very candid relationships with several black people I work with, which means they will give me nothing but honest feedback on whether or not an idea is treading too close to that mythical line of offensiveness. And for our whole creative team, that’s an invaluable asset. But this process has made me analyze the way other brands flail in their attempts to market to segments by ethnography instead of demography. All that’s to say: I don’t think anybody is getting minority-targeted marketing right.
Book review: Billy
While on vacation this past week, I read Albert French’s seminal work, Billy. From a literary standpoint, the book was very good. Set in the rural hallows of Mississippi in 1937, the story revolves around Billy Lee Turner, a 10 year old boy who kills a 15 year old white girl in quasi self defense. The book chronicles his capture, conviction and eventual execution at the hands of the white establishment. Throughout the novel French maintains a mastery of the language throughout the book and tells the story from an intriguing and compelling point of view. The plot, which careens toward destiny even from the opening pages, gives the reader hope that what seems both eminent and gut-wrenching might not actually happen. And while I can praise Mr. French for his literary prowess, I have to harshly critique him for writing that which he does not know.
I grew up in Mississippi, a fact I am proud of despite everyone outside of the state telling me I should be ashamed of. Albert French never lived in Read more »