In May 2013, Cheerios released a television commercial portraying an interracial family which consisted of a white mother, a black father and their biracial daughter. The commerical sparked a controversy over race and what an American family should look like. For its representation of an interracial family it received such a strong racist backlash on social media that the YouTube channel of the company had to be disabled.
The seminar paper aims to develop a lesson plan on the sensitive topic of racism and its impact on individuals, families and society, using the Cheerios commerical from 2013 and the debate it sparked on social media.
The author starts by depicting the commercial and its reactions following the release. In the next step, brief information on the history of interracial relationships and current data on interracial marriages in the US is given. Then, the author focuses on short films and commercials by presenting their definitions and arguments for their integration in the TEFL classroom. The paper concludes with a realization of the lesson and an explanation of the didactic decision.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Commercial “Just Checking”
2.1 Reactions
2.2 Interracial Relationships in the US
3. Theoretical Chapter
3.1 Short Films
3.2 Commercials
3.3 Short Films and Commercials in the TEFL Classroom
4. Realization of the Lesson
5. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This seminar paper explores the impact of racism on social media by analyzing the public reception of the 2013 Cheerios commercial. It aims to develop a didactic lesson plan that addresses contemporary debates on race, representation, and American identity within the context of English language teaching.
- The role of social media in amplifying racist discourse.
- Historical and demographic perspectives on interracial marriages in the US.
- Didactic integration of short films and commercials in TEFL classrooms.
- Practical lesson design for secondary education (Qualifikationsphase).
- Media literacy and critical discourse analysis of online content.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 Reactions
The commercial triggered a backlash of racist and offensive comments for its representation of a mixed-race family. Due to the hateful reactions Cheerios decided to close the comment section for the video, but refused to take it completely down (ibid.). Camille Gibson, vice president for marketing at Cheerios, explained that the actors had been casted because “[u]ltimately we were trying to portray an American family, and there are lots of multicultural families in America today” (Stump 2013). In a NBC News interview the real-life father of the six-year-old actress in the commercial said, that he was not upset about the comments, but “pretty much really excited to have this type of reaction so we could see where we still stand in America” (Biracial Cheerios Girl and Parents Interview 'Excited' About Negative Comments 6 12 13: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4zSkcF4SVc). Apart from the racist statements, Cheerios also received a lot of support for portraying an interracial family.
Also, several response videos and parodies of the commercial have been created and uploaded to YouTube. In one of these response videos, two actresses pretend to be members of the Cheerios marketing team who have changed the commercial due to the received feedback “regarding a non-traditional family” (Cheerios “Just Checking” Backlash: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dda2PyoSO4s) by people “not ready to see a health-conscious interracial family enjoying breakfast” (ibid.). Therefore, they now give “America what it wants” (ibid.) by replacing the biracial girl by a white girl with blond hair and blue eyes and the napping black father by a white man wearing a Ku Klux Klan mask. At the end of the video, one of the supposed marketing team members ironically asks the viewers, if that is better.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the controversy surrounding the 2013 Cheerios commercial and outlines the paper's aim to develop a lesson plan tackling racism on social media.
2. The Commercial “Just Checking”: This section details the commercial's content, the subsequent social media backlash, and provides demographic data regarding the prevalence of interracial relationships in the United States.
3. Theoretical Chapter: This chapter establishes the theoretical foundation by defining short films and commercials and discusses their pedagogical advantages and integration methods for the TEFL classroom.
4. Realization of the Lesson: This section presents a practical lesson plan designed for the Qualifikationsphase, focusing on media competence and critical discussion of racist comments found online.
5. Conclusion: The concluding chapter synthesizes how the commercial serves as a relevant medium for teaching sensitive social topics while meeting educational standards.
Keywords
Racism, Social Media, Cheerios, Interracial Marriage, TEFL, Lesson Plan, Media Literacy, Discourse Analysis, Short Films, Commercials, Cultural Competence, American Dream, Qualifikationsphase, Diversity, Representation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic paper?
The paper examines how racism manifests on social media platforms, using the specific case study of a 2013 Cheerios commercial to illustrate the controversy surrounding representations of interracial families.
What are the central themes discussed?
Central themes include the intersection of media and social identity, the evolving nature of the American family, the pedagogical use of authentic video materials, and strategies for teaching controversial social issues.
What is the core research objective?
The primary goal is to develop a lesson plan for secondary school students that uses the commercial as a vehicle for discussing racism, media influence, and critical social awareness.
Which methodology is employed in the work?
The work utilizes a combination of social media discourse analysis, statistical evaluation of US demographic trends, and didactical framework development based on TEFL theories.
What does the main body of the paper cover?
The main body covers the history and reception of the Cheerios advertisement, demographic data on interracial marriages, theories on utilizing commercials in classrooms, and the step-by-step practical implementation of the designed lesson.
Which keywords characterize the study?
Key terms include racism, social media, media literacy, interracial marriage, TEFL, classroom integration, and cultural competence.
How does the author define the pedagogical approach?
The author advocates for "Balanced Teaching," a synthesis of closed and open methods that combines teacher-led instruction with student-centered tasks to foster various communicative competences.
Why is the Cheerios commercial considered a valuable teaching tool?
Its brevity, authenticity, and visual nature make it an ideal medium for younger learners to analyze complex social narratives, provoke discussion, and practice critical language skills.
How are racist comments on social media utilized in the classroom lesson?
They are used as primary source material to prompt students to analyze the motivations behind hate speech and to practice responding in a respectful, informed, and critical manner.
- Quote paper
- Daria Cappel (Author), 2018, Racism on social media in the Cheerios commercial "Just Checking", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/475291
