Burk says this Kahlua ad, in which a White couple gets transported to the court of a group of Aztec-like “natives,” reminds him of something out of the original King Kong movie. One of the Aztec-y individuals asks if the White people are “kings,” and when they say yes, the natives cheer and carry them around on thrones:
The ad might be useful for a discussion of discourses about the “modern” world versus the “ancient” world, and how “native” groups (whether American Indians in the U.S., Aborigines in Australia, etc.) are often portrayed only as ancient tribes, in contrast to Whites, who inhabit modern society. Sometimes, such as in this post, the modern world is the source of stress and anxiety, and native peoples are the source of a simpler lifestyle and wisdom. This Kahlua ad, on the other hand, reinforces the idea of native peoples as naive groups who mistook Whites as royalty (or even gods), thus acquiescing to their own conquest.
Also, the tagline, “Explore your curiosity with Kahlua,” is a little weird. Your curiosity about what, exactly? The ancient world? Other cultures? Mexico?
Thanks, Burk!
In a comment, Zach says,
I see a pun, more so then a western vs. ancient metadiscourse. Moreover, it’s clear that the “natives” are used to exoctize the drink, to provide some outside freedom from western coolness. It’s not a white taking over the “native”, but more like a 19th century anthropologist: seeking the “exotic”, this time though, through a product.
My point about the modern/ancient dichotomy is simply that when American Indians, Australian aborigines, etc., show up in ads, it’s almost always in “traditional” outfits and they’re somehow leftover elements from the ancient world, dropped into the modern world of Whites to scare them, warn them, enlighten them, save them, etc.
