Race Representation in Child-Targeted Television Commercials

Abstract

This study examined the visibility, status, and roles assigned to major U.S. racial groups in commercials broadcast during children's programming on 8 stations over 1 weekday and 1 weekend day (N = 1,487). Although the proportion of Whites and African Americans surpassed their actual percentages, Asians, Latinos, and Native Americans were dramatically underrepresented. The visibility of racial minorities was further diminished by their segregation into commercials for a limited group of products. When commercials showed racial minorities, they tended to cast them in stereotypical, lower prestige roles. Commercials privileged Whites by showing them in every type of commercial and role. Whites were the only characters in high-status roles and, in comparison to racial minorities, were significantly more likely to be spokespeople, initiators of action, and problem solvers. This asymmetry reveals that modest improvements in the demographics of child-targeted commercials are insignificant when weighed against the racial bias evident in the depiction of social power.