I was watching some tube (aka flat-screen) the other day and caught my-self doing a double-take on a Match.com commercial. I cannot remember who came on screen first, but here I am watching a handsome black man, chatting it up with a pretty white woman, all thanks seemingly due to the good folks at Match.com. I could barely catch the conversation, but there was some light mention of basketball and soccer – huh?Now, since when does a good looking black man and equally dashing white woman need anybody’s help hooking up? Get serious! At first I thought Match was trying to say that they can fix up anybody, no matter how oddball, but that’s just it – these two did not look oddball. Good looking people together never look odd, perhaps exotic in a forbidden kind of way. Think about it - a picture of two diverse good-looking people tearing each other’s clothes off, in a passionate frenzy. Now picture two unattractive same-race folks? Got it? OK, you get my drift.
Here’s the thing, the average-looking folks of any ethnicity will use racism to try to hold their attractive members in the fold, while freely giving away their ugly-stick victims. Every group needs their good-looking folks to stay put. Blacks did not want to let Mr. Berry get away, and white folks tried to keep Mrs. Berry in check, but each side failed, and viola – here comes Halle! Now, if only the girl had some sense.
I guess what I am saying is that the reason I never watch Ugly Betty is because Betty is not really ugly. She is a good looking actress who’s been popped with a faux-Hollywood ugly-stick. And Match.com is really in the business of hooking up folks who would otherwise disqualify each other too quickly, by virtue of some obvious flaw. The black guy/white girl I witnessed in the commercial might not marry and live happily ever after, but they certainly do not need any help recognizing each other - Match.com or not.
James C. Collier
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Technorati Tags: Mismatch Dot Com, Halle Berry, Interracial, Fever, Acting Black, Acting White
Perhaps, maybe, Match.com wanted to just present a diverse couple. Most of the couples advertised use what many would say "good-looking" people. It is what advertising usually does. But I guess we all see what we want to see.
ReplyDeleteMy wife an I met on match.com! We probably never would have met and I would still be living in some dumpy bachelor pad if it was not for that web site.
ReplyDeleteI am not against Match.com - I just find it ironic that a site that leverages the reduction of 'gaming', in forming relationships, resorts to same in attracting clients.
ReplyDeleteI applaud you for trying to be comedic in this post and switching up your style a little bit. I think more of your post could use that, seriously. You have good topics but the delivery could use some help.
ReplyDeleteBut this post was all over the place and your point was a little muddled. The comment you made above summed up the post better for me. Because before that what I took away was...Attractive black men are always going to be attracted to attractive white women and vice versa. And it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. I mean...you didn't mean that did you?? Because that would be, among other things, ridiculous. And what was the bit about us picturing an interracial couple getting naked? Like that takes it up a notch. And where was the attractive same race couple in this equation of yours. I don't know about you...
Do you date or are you married to someone of another race?
The subject of attraction, dating, sex, and race (and humor) is great for bringing out the edge in some folks, but hey, it's all good. No offense meant, none taken.
ReplyDeleteIt's weird, but the guy you pictured looks a LOT like Will Smith...
ReplyDeleteAnon 11:28, perhaps you are correct, but you may be experiencing a phenomena of cross-racial identification, whereby in-group identifications are more accurate than out-group. He doesn't really look like Smith to me, but I have heard this from non-blacks.
ReplyDelete"He doesn't really look like Smith to me, but I have heard this from non-blacks."
ReplyDeleteNo Mr. Collier its much more simple than that. White people tend to think that ALL Black people look alike.
MK
I haven't seen the commercial, but, I agree with Ms. N: any dating service would show attractive people in their ads as a matter of course. But the thing I have to wonder is, is the coupling of a black man and a white woman so shocking in the media today? It doesn't seem to be so from my experience. I think that there is a perception that this combo is somehow bold or daring or progressive. But, really, whenever you see (fictional) black/white mixed-race couples, it is more often than not this very combination. It's nearly a liberal fetish. In fact, it's so prominent, I am usually surprised to see - in ads, in fictional narratives, etc - a black woman with a white man. I suppose it's just not as exciting. Probably comes from the same line of thinking that convinces some people this little skit is actually funny and perceptive: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OThTFySGR90
ReplyDeleteWhat was really your point in this article because I may have missed it? I sense that you have an obsession with white women since you are always talking about them. And bm/ww couples and anyone else on t.v. for dating sites are always exceptionally attractive people. It's funny how you claim that halle doesn't have any sense yet you are uplifting this bm/ww couple like no ones business. You need serious help.
ReplyDelete"I haven't seen the commercial, but, I agree with Ms. N: any dating service would show attractive people in their ads as a matter of course. "
ReplyDeleteSome of the ads I see feature ordinary looking people. Not ugly, but not particularly noticeable in a crowd good looking either.
And some feature old people (40+) and people with average, kind of out of shape body types.
Actually I can't think of one ad I've seen that features "hot" folk.