Stereotyping

Advertisements tend to appear everywhere nowadays. You could spot an ad while driving down the road, waiting in line at a grocery store, or watching a video on youtube. Although these adverts may vary in promoted products, they are all produced for the same reason: to persuade the target audience. Yet, considering the relevance of these ads in our daily lives, we are subconsciously forced to absorb the ideals promoted in advertisements. For example, the majority of beauty advertisements tend to promote airbrushed models usually of caucasian ethnicity, leaving little possibilities for models of different races. When an African-american model were to appear in an advert, the ratio of white models to black models tends to be very high. These models are usually referred to as "exotic", insinuating that their race   is unusual. What does this promote to the audience? The preference of one race to another? How unfair would this be from the point of view of an African-american? Although this may not have been the intention of the advertisers, I believe they should have the moral duty to avoid stereotyping people, which could cause further racial issues. Since the media have the power to persuade us, they should also have the power to promote realistic and fair ideals.