Mixed race couples.

Wizzerboy

Wizzerboy

Well-known member
In 2001 the census recorded that 1.2% of Britain's population were of mixed ethnicity marriages.
Statistics later estimated in 2009 that 956,700 people were in a mixed race marriage. Surprisingly very few imo. Having said that, of all the people I know, I know only one couple of mixed ethnicity.

My question is...

Why do advertising companies nearly always portray families as mixed ethnicity?
Are they doing this to appease the PC do gooders yet again?

Don's tin hat!!
 
Wizzer, it is quite noticeable. I would say over represented.
I'm sure I saw one family in an advert with white person, black person and Chinese child! Or maybe I dreamt it cos I haven't seen it again.
 
Straighters, do you think that the advertisers are accurate in their presentation of the typical British family?
And you don't have to look for it its rammed right into your face!
As for the nearly always, I'd say at least 85% of adverts that show families are of mixed race.

As a disclaimer, I'm not saying it's right or wrong , I'm just asking if advertisers are pandering to the PC brigade!
 
As Blue Mink once sang - different times of course as the lyrics show for "Melting Pot" - but I think the end result will be about right in the future, though I would imagine racism would still exist and depend on what shade of coffee you were!

Take a pinch of white man
Wrap him up in black skin
Add a touch of blue blood
And a little bitty bit of red Indian boy
Oh like a Curly Latin kinkies
Oh Lordy, Lordy, mixed with yellow Chinkees, yeah
You know you lump it all together
And you got a recipe for a get along scene
Oh what a beautiful dream
If it could only come true, you know, you know
What we need is a great big melting pot
Big enough enough enough to take
The world and all its got And keep it stirring for a hundred years or more
And turn out coffee coloured people by the score
 
Foolweary said:
The only people who care are those who go looking for things to be offended by.

Snowflakes.
Click to expand...

Before you start throwing your accusations about, please read my O/P
I am asking a question that's all, with your response you seem to fit in the 'let's not offend the PC brigade'
If that's how you want to live your life then great.
TBH you Mr Weary are the one who comes across as the snowflake.
 
Wizzerboy said:
In 2001 the census recorded that 1.2% of Britain's population were of mixed ethnicity marriages.
Statistics later estimated in 2009 that 956,700 people were in a mixed race marriage. Surprisingly very few imo. Having said that, of all the people I know, I know only one couple of mixed ethnicity.

My question is...

Why do advertising companies nearly always portray families as mixed ethnicity?
Are they doing this to appease the PC do gooders yet again?

Don's tin hat!!
Click to expand...

I would hope the companies that do portray their products using mixed race families, do so because they want to show their values as being open and inclusive, alongside portraying many modern families.
Yes maybe if you take the figures you've posted, it might not be a an accurate representation, but so what!! I don't know where you live, but here in London those ads are representative and i as a black woman like to see it. I would go as far as saying that sometimes not all, it can influence my buying decisions.
I am in no way, one of the 'PC brigade' or a 'snowflake' 😂 but just like to see people like myself being represented in positive ways when I switch on my TV.
 
Has anyone noticed that, in TV adverts, there is about 50/60% of 'mixed' families etc.
Surely the average should be 1.2%?
 
but just like to see people like myself being represented in positive ways when I switch on my TV.

I have no doubt that they are shown in a positive way, what I was eluding to was that the adverts are a misinterpretation of what they are trying to portray.
I have no problems seeing adverts/programs, that have mixed ethnicity couples.
I was trying to point out that with the PC brigade banging the drum (some even saying that we should be interviewing black coaches for the next managers job at Blackpool), maybe the advertisers thought that they'd do a "blue mink" and throw everyone into the advertising pot!

I will concede that the big cities, and London moreso have more mixed couples but it still isn't an accurate portrayal of the family in Britain
 
It really depends on where you live. In my county (Lincolnshire) the ethnic minority population is only about 3% of the county so the occurrence of mixed raced relationships is relatively small. In London and many cities around the country the percentage is much higher and likewise the number of mixed raced relationships. Often the Government and media focus on the London / big city perspective rather than the wider world.
My niece on my sisters side has a mixed relationship and children from this. They live on the Fylde coast. One of my wife's brothers is also in a mixed raced marriage for 35 years and live in Surrey.
The profile will inevitably change over time as we are wn ageing population, so continued inward migration and diversity will be needed to keep our economy and society going.
 
Wizzerboy - it's probably more to do with the advertising companies trying to appeal to as many people as possible in the same advert (and thus as cheaply as possible) by using a broad brush to populate the people who feature in them, to be honest if they just put a puppy on with "buy meat" I would probably rush out and buy some!

I guess this is why so many adverts are cartoons or animated ones so they can "play safe" - at the end of the day, they are just trying to sell stuff to all and sundry and if they get your dollar they don't care if your black or white.

TBH I don't actually watch much telly channels that have advertising on them - unless advertising their own shows.
 
Being in a "mixed-race" relationship myself and having two mixed-race Nieces, I feel qualified to put in my two penneth here

Yes, there is a ridiculous imbalance and overcompensation between reality and the media's current politically correct driven infatuation of portraying everything as open and inclusive, whether that be race, religion, gender, sexuality or disability.

However, the problem as I see it stems from the fact that society is OBSESSED with labels, and that is not just the negative labels that some people put on others it's as much to do with the labels people attach to themselves too. Labels themselves create segregation and separation, this is who I am and you are not, therefore I am different to you, which creates at least some division at some level be it however small. Some people embrace that "viv la difference" others are fearful and strike out against it. It's almost like the human race has a predisposition that if something cannot be neatly filed into a box or have a label put on it (even ourselves) then we cant handle it.

If the world was able just to take a step back and rather than looking at each other and themselves saying you're black, I'm white, you're gay, I'm straight, or any combination of the like and looking to see how we are different from each other rather than see each other as other the same human beings trying to make our way through life the best way we can then this kind of social commentary doesn't even need to exist.

As Dr King said "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

and this is what we should all aspire to if we think ourselves so morally superior as to judge people, then it is by the content of their character and their actions, nothing else.

Edited to add, Also I am in no way a Snowflake I absolutely abhor how easily offended society has become, especially on other peoples behalf it's starting to impinge on freedoms of speech IMO, but again it all goes back to my original point about labels.
 
Last edited:
Wizzerboy said:
In 2001 the census recorded that 1.2% of Britain's population were of mixed ethnicity marriages.
Statistics later estimated in 2009 that 956,700 people were in a mixed race marriage. Surprisingly very few imo. Having said that, of all the people I know, I know only one couple of mixed ethnicity.

My question is...

Why do advertising companies nearly always portray families as mixed ethnicity?
Are they doing this to appease the PC do gooders yet again?

Don's tin hat!!
Click to expand...

Wizzer, I think Attendant addresses the point you make well.

"Yes, there is a ridiculous imbalance and overcompensation between reality and the media's current politically correct driven infatuation of portraying everything as open and inclusive, whether that be race, religion, gender, sexuality or disability"

The world has gone mad I imagine that eventually all the idiots who pretend to be over the moon re diversity will start saying, "What a load of b0110x" and that will put an end to the nonsense you describe.
 
Furthermore...mixed race young people are significantly over represented in the youth justice system, the child protection system and the looked-after system. Make of that what you will.
 
Wizzerboy said:
In 2001 the census recorded that 1.2% of Britain's population were of mixed ethnicity marriages.
Statistics later estimated in 2009 that 956,700 people were in a mixed race marriage. Surprisingly very few imo. Having said that, of all the people I know, I know only one couple of mixed ethnicity.

My question is...

Why do advertising companies nearly always portray families as mixed ethnicity?
Are they doing this to appease the PC do gooders yet again?

Don's tin hat!!
Click to expand...

I think that the percentages are somewhat bigger than you quote. Here are some more recent ONS stats from 2011;

2011 Census analysis - Office for National Statistics

We examine couples (either married, in a civil partnership, or cohabiting) who each identify with a different ethnic group. This analysis explores some of the different factors that may affect the number of inter-ethnic relationships, including ethnic group, gender, age, type of relationship and...
www.ons.gov.uk


It's more like 10% of relationships and that was nine years ago - it will be a higher percentage now. I wonder why the figures from 2001 were used when making this point (which is 20 years ago).

I don't buy the PC argument, advertising is about shifting product and adverts featuring mixed race couples probably work better because they appeal to more people.

Finally race itself is a man made concept in that it has no real scientific basis. We are all unique in terms of our DNA. Putting people in racial groups is about labelling people and is usually done for political ends.
 
Wizzerboy said:
In 2001 the census recorded that 1.2% of Britain's population were of mixed ethnicity marriages.
Statistics later estimated in 2009 that 956,700 people were in a mixed race marriage. Surprisingly very few imo. Having said that, of all the people I know, I know only one couple of mixed ethnicity.

My question is...

Why do advertising companies nearly always portray families as mixed ethnicity?
Are they doing this to appease the PC do gooders yet again?

Don's tin hat!!
Click to expand...
Because it must sell things - marketers/advertisers only focus on that, they only pander to the people who pay for the Advertising/marketing campaigns - absolutely no other reason !
 
Wizzerboy said:
Before you start throwing your accusations about, please read my O/P
I am asking a question that's all, with your response you seem to fit in the 'let's not offend the PC brigade'
If that's how you want to live your life then great.
TBH you Mr Weary are the one who comes across as the snowflake.
Click to expand...
Yes but why raise it in the first place? I might think something similar when I watch adverts but I don't consider it to be any issue of importance.
 
1966_and_all_that said:
Yes but why raise it in the first place? I might think something similar when I watch adverts but I don't consider it to be any issue of importance.
Click to expand...

It was just a matter for debate ffs!

Davepick I knew about Ince but was trying to forget the fact he had been our manager!!
 
1. I think mixed face relationships are now far more common than in 2001
2. Could it be advertisers are aiming to hit both demograghs?
3. Advertisers are driven by profit not being PC. Whatever appeals most.
 
Using a 19 year old census is always a good start 🙄
Seriously though, does it matter how many mixed race references there are? Inless you want a pure Arian race, then perhaps it doesn’t do any harm and shows we’re a forward thinking and inclusive society?
 
Wizzerboy said:
In 2001 the census recorded that 1.2% of Britain's population were of mixed ethnicity marriages.
Statistics later estimated in 2009 that 956,700 people were in a mixed race marriage. Surprisingly very few imo. Having said that, of all the people I know, I know only one couple of mixed ethnicity.

My question is...

Why do advertising companies nearly always portray families as mixed ethnicity?
Are they doing this to appease the PC do gooders yet again?

Don's tin hat!!
Click to expand...
Why are you using a 19 year old statistic ???
 
ElBurroSinNombre said:
I think that the percentages are somewhat bigger than you quote. Here are some more recent ONS stats from 2011;

2011 Census analysis - Office for National Statistics

We examine couples (either married, in a civil partnership, or cohabiting) who each identify with a different ethnic group. This analysis explores some of the different factors that may affect the number of inter-ethnic relationships, including ethnic group, gender, age, type of relationship and...
www.ons.gov.uk


It's more like 10% of relationships and that was nine years ago - it will be a higher percentage now. I wonder why the figures from 2001 were used when making this point (which is 20 years ago).

I don't buy the PC argument, advertising is about shifting product and adverts featuring mixed race couples probably work better because they appeal to more people.

Finally race itself is a man made concept in that it has no real scientific basis. We are all unique in terms of our DNA. Putting people in racial groups is about labelling people and is usually done for political ends.
Click to expand...
Interesting that the ONS stats from 2011 quote 2001 as being 7% mixed relationships. So the OP is founded on a spurious statistic and then makes up an 85% volume of adverts to justify an irrelevant point🤣🤣
 
Wizzerboy said:
In 2001 the census recorded that 1.2% of Britain's population were of mixed ethnicity marriages.
Statistics later estimated in 2009 that 956,700 people were in a mixed race marriage. Surprisingly very few imo. Having said that, of all the people I know, I know only one couple of mixed ethnicity.

My question is...

Why do advertising companies nearly always portray families as mixed ethnicity?
Are they doing this to appease the PC do gooders yet again?

Don's tin hat!!
Absolutely this country is the world leader in PC...that's why were doomed.
Click to expand...
 
Wizzerboy said:
In 2001 the census recorded that 1.2% of Britain's population were of mixed ethnicity marriages.
Statistics later estimated in 2009 that 956,700 people were in a mixed race marriage. Surprisingly very few imo. Having said that, of all the people I know, I know only one couple of mixed ethnicity.

My question is...

Why do advertising companies nearly always portray families as mixed ethnicity?
Are they doing this to appease the PC do gooders yet again?

Don's tin hat!!
Click to expand...

I thought I was the only that noticed this.
it’s absolute madness. Every advertisement now that features a family, is either mixed race or a homosexual couple with kids.

completely bonkers. But the state of our culture in general.
 
Wizzerboy said:
In 2001 the census recorded that 1.2% of Britain's population were of mixed ethnicity marriages.
Statistics later estimated in 2009 that 956,700 people were in a mixed race marriage. Surprisingly very few imo. Having said that, of all the people I know, I know only one couple of mixed ethnicity.

My question is...

Why do advertising companies nearly always portray families as mixed ethnicity?
Are they doing this to appease the PC do gooders yet again?

Don's tin hat!!
Click to expand...
Yep they are falling over themselves to portray us as a country that abounds mixed race couples.
My daughters son is mixed race and i personally don't know of any other mixed race families.
is it some PC thing or is it a Token.......
 
Just to add, also in adverts people of colour tend to be on the Tom Ince skin tone colour as opposed to Benjamin Mendy. Again, that must play out more positive when they test adverts on opinion groups?
Ridiculous
 
Wizzerboy said:
Because I couldn't get the 2011 census!
Click to expand...
The information that I quoted is freely available online and was the first thing that came up when I searched for it.
In any case you used a (false) 19 year old statistic to illustrate bias in stuff that is being shown on TV now.
Anyone would think that you had an agenda.
 
That’s may be why my wife is ethnically not white British. I just saw her for what she is a decent, attractive, lovely person. It perplexes me why people look at tv or anything else as an ethnic counting game. Does it reflect insecurity? Perhaps we should ask people to wear yellow stars on their clothes so we know which ethnic group they are from? Where does really go?
 
Cuthbert said:
That’s may be why my wife is ethnically not white British. I just saw her for what she is a decent, attractive, lovely person. It perplexes me why people look at tv or anything else as an ethnic counting game. Does it reflect insecurity? Perhaps we should ask people to wear yellow stars on their clothes so we know which ethnic group they are from? Where does really go?
Click to expand...

It goes both ways, even today we still hear comments about the "first black...", I remember it in the 70's with Laurie Cunningham and they still mention it today.

Why do some people get uppity when others mention race, it's as though they're trying to find an argument when there's normally not one there.
 
It perplexes me why people look at tv or anything else as an ethnic counting game.

It has perplexed me how so many on here have tried to flip this whole debate on its head trying to make me out to be a racist.
I asked the question about advertisers and how they were using mixed couples and did it represent a modern british family , never once have I said it's not right .
Unfortunately you only have to mention race in a conversation and the British public never fail to show their outrage.
Look at some of the posts digging me out, aryan race, wear yellow stars, I have an agenda ffs!!!
Well getting these responses from people off people who haven't either read the op or bothered to read the op, do they themselves "have an agenda?"
It's sad in today's society that you cant mention the words coloured, black, race, ethnicity for fear of folk jumping down your throat and has been done, calling that person out.

I asked a question about how the advertisers were functioning no more, no less. It's a shame that the thread ended up as it did😞
 
So Wizzerboy if I‘m correct in reading between the lines here You have a yearning for a Black Magic Women.....am I right or am I not incorrect?
 
Blood, you're a great lad but sometimes the joking has to be put to one side.
I know a few black women, all of whom are very nice. Mrs Wizzerboy would have something to say if I ventured off into the sunset with one of them though!
 
Aren't you approaching things from the wrong angle? I reckon (and I've not checked this as I'm sure someone will tell me if I'm wrong) that not far off half of Black Britons are in mixed-race relationships. So an advertiser wanting to appeal to black consumers is showing what is a perfectly ordinary family situation.

Anyway, it is the market that decides what advertising is and isn't made rather than some committee of snowflakes and no-one cares what colour the guy trying to sell me overpriced soap powder or his wife and kids are these days.
 
From an advertising standpoint, I'm sure its nothing more sinister than trying to appeal to the broadest demographic en mass. We obviously live in a multicultural society so if advertisers are only going to show one family per advert then a mixed-race family ticks most boxes.

On a wider societal note however, the problem is the fact that race is still seen and used as an identifying factor (a label) by all, which at some level still creates an element of separation between peoples, rather than it be overlooked as an incidental fact. For instance (and I'm not pointing fingers here just re-using your example), would people comment on how many Blonde vs Brunettes vs Redheads are used in advertising, no of course not, why not? it's still an identifying feature but it's overlooked as unimportant or incidental because we don't have generations worth of social programming bred into us about hair colour, where we do skin colour.

I'm ABSOLUTELY NOT calling anyone out on this board as racist far from it. Its a horribly abused word, thrown about with impunity and abandon these days by the generally falsely outraged PC point-scoring brigade.

Racism to me ultimately is within the intention of the words and actions of the beholder, who wield it to intentionally cause hurt and harm to those they see as different to them. Certainly not in a largely healthy debate such as this or even for instance, a poorly chosen turn of phrase that is now deemed unacceptable, or even for that matter well-meaning humour.

There is room for growth on both sides of the debate, the PC brigade also needs to start to grow a thicker skin, or we risk becoming a robotic humourless society. Millions of people fought and died for our right to free speech and I for one will defend that right to the end, but that's a whole other topic of conversation for another day.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top