Shifting Stereotypes

Posted by Bossip Staff

Diddy is looking to change the perception of black males:

With the launch of his newest men’s fragrance on the horizon, Sean “Diddy” Combs is utilizing president-elect Barack Obama to promote the scent, in an effort to redefine the perception of African Americans.

The Wall Street Journal reports the rap mogul will appear in a black-and-white ad for the new I am King fragrance. The ad will be featured in magazines and on billboards across the country in December.

Dressed as a black James Bond, Combs wears a white dinner jacket as he is seen on jet skis, in casinos and aboard a yacht on the French Riviera.

Although the ads could come across with being out of touch with the current economy, Combs maintains that the promotion is reflective of what he labeled as an “affordable indulgence.”

“Everything on the market isn’t going to be attached to the bad economy,” he said. With Obama’s historic victory over Republican rival John McCain, Combs believes the time is now for marketers to shift their perception of the urban black male from the stereotypical person with lots of “bling,” to one of successful black men such as himself and Obama.

It makes perfect sense for Diddy to use Obama’s status as opposed to his own. Hell, he has only spent 15 years in the spotlight doing everything possible to perpetuate the same stereotype he is trying to change. SMH

Source