It is Girl Scout cookie time once again.
For some reason this causes rejoice from many adults. I say that with a sly smile. I admit that in the past I was a waiting and willing customer of girl scout troops standing in front of the local grocery store. That changed for me when I was forwarded an advertisement for Girl Scouts of America. When I first saw the advertisement less than a 1000 views had been logged on the YouTube ticker. Today it is over 5,000.
To the casual observer the 60 second spot sounds like it should. Two young teenage girls discussing the positive attributes of being a Girl Scout as the conversation continues they speak about how selling cookies during the annual and anticipated fund raising event builds self-esteem and character. Attributes that are important things to share with all young people. Nearing the end of the commercial one of the young ladies comments that she has an aunt that got her first taste of being in business for herself from a time as a girl scout in her youth. As a result of that activity she now owns her own business. The other young lady laments that perhaps someday she could work for her friends aunt in said aunts business.
Uplifting positive and forward thinking, if the commercial were to end right there. Someone somewhere within the production of this commercial felt that more was needed. The niece quips back "...Or one day you could work for me." This could be seen as a display friendly ribbing between two people that know one another very well. To some degree I feel this was the intention in the writing. It failed in its execution and delivered a completely different message.
I have based two separate speeches for Race Diversity and Culture Equity events. During the discussion portion White men see no problem with the commercial at any point during the discussion. White women apologize once it is explained. Black women are often split into two groups 1) they think the advert is acceptable if the language is slightly changed or re-edited 2) it is wrong and should never see the light of day again. Black men polled most often feel that it sends an skewed message. The responses listed are the popular ones, there are varied responses across the spectrum of possible answers.
The commercial was posted in the fall of 2012, it aired on TV for the Girl Scouts of America campaign for both 2012 and early 2013. It has been left on youtube along with all of their other advertisements. On the GSoA youtube channel the commercial I am speaking about is surrounded by other commercial as well as positive multi-cultural based testimonials singing the positive effects which the Girl Scouts of America has played in their lives. Every personal testimonials I have seen is nothing less than poised and sincere in the effect GSoA has had on their lives and those that are influenced by these wonderful young ladies.
As noted earlier I am willing to absolve GSoA from biasness as well as what I see as being an oversight of a potential issue. I do know and understand that in any marketing campaign phrases or statements will be said different from the intent. It is the job of the script editor, set director and final editor to ensure that the message equals the organization. In this case I feel this one slipped through the cracks. The current leadership at GSoA is reflective of the organization and its members. The five member national board is made up of four women and one man. It is headed by Kathy Hopinkah Hannan a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation (WI), a past winner of the Anti-Defamation League’s Woman of Achievement award.
With all of that as a positive, I stand behind my position and claim of having an African American young woman told that she can someday "work" for someone else instead of learning business from a woman (of any color) that has her own business is limiting in scope as well as assumed ability. At BSFS we insist that we are pioneering ways for African Americans to be seen anywhere doing anything, yet we fail in some regards to calling out perceptions being perpetrated in areas we control. It is commonplace as well as acceptable to not expect it to change.
I hope that you will view the commercial with a refreshed vision
http://youtu.be/2odNuFThytU?list=UUomSNCPbDIYSO5Xea0jBzvg
I hope, when you look at the GSoA board page on the website you understand my indignation surrounding this commercial.
http://www.girlscouts.org/who_we_are/leadership/ntl_board_office.asp
If there is a question an issue, a problem or a lack of clarity in anything I have ever said written and joked about in the chat room that you have taken offense of feel free to call me and talk it out to our mutual acceptance. Short burst of text do not carry much explanation and it has zero inflection of emotion.
We are equal to the sum of our parts - BSFS is more than a hangout spot. I find that BSFS members are people I prefer to spend more time with socially online than some folks in person. There is never an issue that can not be discussed, it simply requires all parties to listen. The last clauses is in reference to myself.
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