Effects of Television Advertising On African American Teenagers

The 1990 census reported that the 31 million African Americans, the largest minority group, accounted for 12. 1 % of the U. S. popu-lation, up from 11. 7 % a decade earlier (dquo;1990 Census Shows, dquo; 1991). African Americans as a group represent a large and growing consumer market. According to a recent consumer survey, African Americans spent more than 170 billion a year. Although many African Americans are poor, two thirds are not (Waldrop, 1990, p. 32). As African Americans become a major economic force, the representation of African Americans in advertisements has been increasing significantly in recent years. Previous research sug-gested that African Americans in general react favorably to adver-tisements and products that use African American endorsers. The most widely used celebrity endorsers have been sports figures, actors, or other types of entertainers. However, critics say that using African American models in advertisements for products such as tobacco and alcohol is unethical, particularly when these products are aimed at the African American market. They argue that such a practice only serves to exacerbate health and family problems in the community. Nike advertisements that feature basketball player Michael Jordan and film director Spike Lee have recently been the target of negative press. Critics have noted that shoes have become so important that young urban African Americans are willing to kill for them (Waldrop, 1990). African Americans were estimated to generate one third of