Categories: Entertainment

Have you seen those Malibu Rum commercials? You know, the ones that put Caribbean folk in typical Western situations, the ones that begin like, “what if Caribbean people took life as seriously as the rest of the world?” They’re hilarious I must admit, but the people they have portraying West Indians look like rejects from “Roots.” They’re dark skinned, buck-toothed, dress like they came from the market and look like their lives revolve around fish and sugar cane. As a Caribbean national, I feel somewhat offended by this. They make us look positively backward!

We have paved roads, not dirt tracks. We drive in cars and SUVs, not broken down country buses. The majority of use live in cities, where we earn our income from regular blue collar jobs, not farming or fishing. And we’re not “easy going.” We have bills, problem children and ungrateful spouses just like everyone else. They should have done some research. But hey, why explore the nuances of another culture when you can slap a big ol’ stereotype on them? The Caribbean consists of third world countries, and all third world countries are the same, right?