From a commenter over at J. Derbyshire’s National Review column:
I too have noticed the “iron rule in TV commercials”, but have refrained from mentioning it to family & friends to avoid being labeled a kook or a crank. Expanding on the rule: If a commercial includes more than one person, there will be “diversity”. The man is always the dupe, hapless moron or jerk. More than one man – it’s the white guy. Only women – it’s the white woman. I challenge anyone to find an exception to this rule!
I accept this challenge, and have enlisted a battalion of Chateau acolytes to watch hundreds of hours of TV commercials in my stead for the elusive exception to the Iron Rule of Dopey White Men in Any Scenario and Dopey White Women in Female-Only Casts. When the elusive exception is found and tagged, there will be a party at John Stewart headquarters where champagne toasts will be hoisted to the continued predominance of self-congratulatory snark.
