Lamar and Ronnie Tyler are the creators of the award-winning blog BlackandMarriedWithKids.com . They also are behind the Amazon.com bestselling DVDs Happily Ever After: A Positive Image of Black Marriage, You Saved Me and Men Ain’t Boys that explores manhood in the African American community. The Tylers are also the proud parents of four children.
I think it's hilarious!!! Very funny. However, when my husband and I decided to get a new car for our expanding family we decided on a Suburban..We just couldn't give in to being a minivan family. Rolling on 16" or 17" rims didn't sound very cool to us :)
I LOVE this commercial series. That couple is hilarious! I don't think it's offensive. It's cute. They're not wearing big chunk jewelry or pimp/hoe wear or anyting like that.
I must admit, I find it hilarious! However I can see an offensive tone to it due to the fact that it's hip hop swagger (if you will) is from our culture and it's not exactly solid coming from the current actors. Meaning, hiphop is known for it's appeal to this generation but it's generally from Black people. Could this video be making fun of it? Nonetheless, I was cracking up! I'm not offended because I know our culture is much more than just a "hip hop culture" but I can understand the undertone that could be taken from this clip.
This is brilliantly hilarious, and a smart move on their part in terms of marketing! There are so many points in the ad to which parents can relate, and that's the point of it all. Long after I close this browser, I'll be humming "Swagger Wagon"--I can't even front!
I enjoyed it--good humor! No offensive material jumped out at me, and believe me, my no-they-didn't radar is always on the prowl :)
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With 4 kids, we've looked at the Sienna, but I thought I was too cool for a mini-van. This was too cute and hillarious. Is this video going to change my mind?
LOL, I don't take offense to it. They weren't looking ridiculous (well not on purpose anyway). I get offended when they purposely look and sound ridiculous. This was cute. That little girl is toooo cute.
I thought at first, "hip hop culture influences the world, Black Folk should have listed it on the market & invested in it" The world SOOOOO watches us. Trust and believe that!!
Then I was cracking up cuz it was truly genius.
Then I watched the series and the only one I didnt like was the "Make It Rain" video.
Ummmm yeah. They didnt even offer any commentary or filler. Just daddy making dollas rain over his wife while she stands outside the Sienna. You have to read the youtube caption to understand the concept...
Funny though. Don't know if I would EVER buy from Toyota but it was cute. At least for exposure...
@Tameika I'm with you. This is not a racist video at all. It just shows how hip-hop has transcended any kind of color barriers we thought may have existed. But it's just a commercial about a cool-looking mini van. I wish they made these types of vehicles when my children were small my husband and I would have most definitely invested in one. They are fuel efficient and Toyota is a green company. I currently own an '05 Camry that is soon to be pasted down to my 16 year old. And I was actually considering purchasing a Toyota Venza for my new car, they have swagg too! :-D
This was a very "clever" commercial/video on the part of Toyota. As a famous quote says, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." I think you really have to be uptight to begrudge them on this video. Let's face it - Toyota is about SELLING cars, not purposefully offending a huge buying segment of the population. This video pays homage to "hip-hop" while making (or at least trying) to make mini-vans "cool."
Hilarious! Love good marketing! I too have been faced with a decision to get a family car or a cute car. This put's the family car into perspective for us "still-trying-to-be-hip" parents. My husband hates the idea of a mini-van but maybe persuaded to just look at the Toyota Sienna just from the coined "Swagger Wagon" LOL!
For the others that are taking this commercial to a whole other policital level....LIGHTEN UP! Hell, why don't you try laughing at it?!?!?
so, still chucklin at this one by lunch...
quick question to any who (commented or not) find any type of offence in this: r u offended by the notion that *our* women shld all be 36-24-36s & shakin what their mamas gave em in panties & a bra all day (in between mani/pedis & having their waist length weaves redone) while a drug dealing thug keeps her (and the rest of hhis harem) financed and sexually satisfied?? Hopefully ur answer is yes. I'd also hope since ur answer is yes, that you take an active voice in declaring the vices of such portrayals. Personally, I'd much rather hear *hip hop* with these kind of lyrics...
back to laffin! :D
I loved that commercial, brought me to tears laughing with the wife. If you found this offensive then your vision is narrow.
I hate minivan's but she was the one that convinced me to get our Town and Country (no disrespect SE...lol) and admit that its comfortable but I will be buying a suburban very soon, she's had four wonderful years with it and only 53k miles on it.
How cute is that?!?!? I love it...and I love that American culture is what it is...I wonder if white folk are offended when we aren't rapping and Beethoven is playing in the background of commercials that we star in...hmmm...I'm just saying? It's fun...it's not offensive...just fun!
Love the swagger wagon commercial.....I loved the original commercial where the daughter is looking for mom and dad statement to her "Mommy is on a time-out". Meaning mom need a minute or two for herself. But, the best part to me was Dad was aware that mom/wife needed some self/me-time.
This was hilarious! not offensive at all...in my opinion!
Thank you for sharing....
PS: Happy Mother's Day to all of BMWK Family!
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Reading these comments, I was actually shocked to hear someone was offended by the commercial. The very fact a white, suburban family is doing a gangsta rap video is the whole joke. It was well done and absolutely hilarious. I still can't stop laughing every time I see the dad knock the tea cups off the table. No mother-father swearing...lol. That my new motto now.
Yeah....I don't know about this one....It was interesting...but I did feel a little something unsettling when I was watching the video. Maybe i'm getting tired of cars being marketed to black folks on the concept of "cool". I appreciate the creativity.....but....why in the h*ll is a white couple trying to sell me "swag"? Are you serious Toyota? White suburbanites (late 30's early 40's) selling swag....LOL
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I wasn't impressed. Historically, the unique creativity of Black American and Afrikan culture has been ripped off by whites (for the media and elsewhere) without $$$ compensation. In this case, 4 white actors got PAID for imitating our creative moves, while Black unemployment among Black actors remains high. That is what is offensive about this commercial.
I don't understand why anyone would be offended by this. In the year 2010, people are still trying to separate blacks and whites, I don't get it. The commercial wasn't targeted to black folks, it was for everyone. As far as white actors getting PAID while black actors are unemployed, there are white actors on unemployment too. I'm sure that there were black people involved in the making of this commercial. If you want things to get better, why don't you stop being so sensitive and just appreciate the commercial for what it is. A fun way to sell cars. Thats it, nothing more.
This isnt the first item up for purchase that has been made cool by black folks music and mannerisms. Did I just stereotype? I take myself too seriously.
This totally is not meant to be offensive. There are a couple of messages: It's supposed to say "hey, we think this is cool so we'll give it a shot". There's a hint of irony here too because the people doing it are supposed to be the coolest of the cool parents and yet they're still parents. Parents by definition aren't really cool in spite of their best efforts to try to be cool. It's hard to make tea parties and diapers cool. The evidence was "mommy I gotta go potty" just when she was hitting her stride.
Side note: cool site with great conversations! Props to the designers.
Definitely a great move on Toyota's part! State Farm's recent campaign shares a few parallels in the humor department. Check it out: http://www.whyagent.com.
FYI - I am just helping State Farm spread the word.
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