On the recordFebruary 8, 2011
I have a sense of humor and I believe in the First Amendment; and I truly believe that many Americans had a great time either participating at the Super Bowl or maybe fellowshipping with family members. It's a great opportunity to share information and to inspire. That is why I'm so disappointed with the Pepsi advertisement that showed a demeaning role for African American women, in an ad that showed a can being thrown and being utilized to wound someone else or hit someone else, and that individual fell to the ground. In this month of African American history where we're trying to celebrate what is good and great, it certainly seems ridiculous that Pepsi would utilize this kind of humor. It was not humorous. It was demeaning--an African American woman throwing something at an African American male and winding up hitting a Caucasian woman. I think that we can come together in a much better way, sell Pepsi, and as well talk about good nutrition. But, frankly, I consider this insulting, and so did many other women of all colors. It would be great to have a lot more women in ads at the Super Bowl and great to have more women involved, but it also would be great to have a sense of balance that will respect individuals for who they are and how they contribute--great women like the Honorable Barbara Jordan and the Honorable Shirley Chisholm. I think even though they probably had a great sense of humor, they would find this very offensive.
