4 ms·

There is something odd about this that I do not understand. Laws prohibit discrimination based on race, so the housing advertisements obviously shouldn't be al

by dvdhnt 9y ago

There is something odd about this that I do not understand. Laws prohibit discrimination based on race, so the housing advertisements obviously shouldn't be allowed to use race as a targeting attribute. However, retail items that target ads by race don't seem crazy. For example, there are hair care products only relevant to African Americans. Why would I, a Caucasian, need to see those ads? I'm not going to buy it, thus it's a waste for the advertiser. Not showing some group an ad is not the equivalent of denying service, which if that happened, would be illegal.

dragonwriter 9y ago
> For example, there are hair care products only relevant to African Americans. “Only relevant” is mostly untrue; there are hair care products whose marketing focuses on a African-American customer base, often either because they are designed for hair traits more common in (but not exclusive too) populations of subsaharan descent or because they are for fashions more popular with (but, again, not exclusive to) the African-American community than other American subcultures, but sometimes just as artificial market segmentation, with similar products with alternative branding marketed to other groups.
- dvdhnt 9y ago
  > there are hair care products whose marketing focuses on a African-American customer base Sure, but those aren't the products I'm referencing. I'm specifically talking about items such as types of brushes. Literally ONE non African American person makes something not exclusive, which for the purpose of marketing products, is besides the point. One of the first things you learn in statistics is to ignore extreme outliers. Additionally, discussing semantics gets us nowhere and misses the point of what I'm saying. Pretending that all cultures are interested in all products is a sham and we shouldn't force Facebook or anyone else to pretend otherwise, except in protected cases.
  - dragonwriter 9y ago
    > Sure, but those aren't the products I'm referencing. Yes, they are; your description is inaccurate. > I'm specifically talking about items such as types of brushes Yes, those are (mostly) in the first category I talk about, those wheels the marketing focus is largely because they targeted hair features most common in, but not exclusive to, the targeted race. > Pretending that all cultures are interested in all products is a sham and we shouldn't force Facebook or anyone else to pretend otherwise, except in protected cases. Race is a protected class in public accommodations in general, not just housing. While that doesn't—either in housing or other accommodations—prohibit racially biased advertising such as choosing to advertise exclusively in a publication with a well-known race-specific appeal, to the extent one can argue housing anti-discrimination law is a bar to housing ads which are exclusively targeted to (or which specifically are targeted to avoid) individuals of a particular race, that would seem likely to raise issues under public accommodation laws as well.
    - dvdhnt 9y ago
      > Yes, they are; your description is inaccurate. Oh, okay. Good to know you're inside my head. No, I didn't copy and paste the entirety of your quote because it didn't seem necessary. You're dancing around my point: particular characteristics are so pronounced in some groups, and less so in others, that it benefits an advertiser to target those groups. It just so happens to be, in this case, that those groups are categorized by race. The same would be true for the advertising of homosexual erotica - you probably want to target your adverts to homosexuals rather than heterosexuals, for example. Then again, you've already ignored the fact that these types of filters for adverts are in fact legal, preferring to encourage Facebook to both succumb to the vocal minority and act as our morality police. Specifically, when you say, "While that doesn't—either in housing or other accommodations—prohibit racially biased advertising...". > Race is a protected class in public accommodations in general, not just housing. You mention "public accommodations" twice, including the quote above and a reference to "public accommodation laws" at the end of your comment. Would you mind sourcing the particular laws you are referring to? I ask because Title II's definition of public accommodation is limited to "any inn, hotel, motel, or other establishment which provides lodging to transient guests".
QAPereo 9y ago
What products woukd be exclusive to a race? It’s not like hair straiteners are only used by black women for example.

by dvdhnt 9y ago

dragonwriter 9y ago

> For example, there are hair care products only relevant to African Americans. “Only relevant” is mostly untrue; there are hair care products whose marketing focuses on a African-American customer base, often either because they are designed for hair traits more common in (but not exclusive too) populations of subsaharan descent or because they are for fashions more popular with (but, again, not exclusive to) the African-American community than other American subcultures, but sometimes just as artificial market segmentation, with similar products with alternative branding marketed to other groups.

dvdhnt 9y ago
> there are hair care products whose marketing focuses on a African-American customer base Sure, but those aren't the products I'm referencing. I'm specifically talking about items such as types of brushes. Literally ONE non African American person makes something not exclusive, which for the purpose of marketing products, is besides the point. One of the first things you learn in statistics is to ignore extreme outliers. Additionally, discussing semantics gets us nowhere and misses the point of what I'm saying. Pretending that all cultures are interested in all products is a sham and we shouldn't force Facebook or anyone else to pretend otherwise, except in protected cases.
- dragonwriter 9y ago
  > Sure, but those aren't the products I'm referencing. Yes, they are; your description is inaccurate. > I'm specifically talking about items such as types of brushes Yes, those are (mostly) in the first category I talk about, those wheels the marketing focus is largely because they targeted hair features most common in, but not exclusive to, the targeted race. > Pretending that all cultures are interested in all products is a sham and we shouldn't force Facebook or anyone else to pretend otherwise, except in protected cases. Race is a protected class in public accommodations in general, not just housing. While that doesn't—either in housing or other accommodations—prohibit racially biased advertising such as choosing to advertise exclusively in a publication with a well-known race-specific appeal, to the extent one can argue housing anti-discrimination law is a bar to housing ads which are exclusively targeted to (or which specifically are targeted to avoid) individuals of a particular race, that would seem likely to raise issues under public accommodation laws as well.
  - dvdhnt 9y ago
    > Yes, they are; your description is inaccurate. Oh, okay. Good to know you're inside my head. No, I didn't copy and paste the entirety of your quote because it didn't seem necessary. You're dancing around my point: particular characteristics are so pronounced in some groups, and less so in others, that it benefits an advertiser to target those groups. It just so happens to be, in this case, that those groups are categorized by race. The same would be true for the advertising of homosexual erotica - you probably want to target your adverts to homosexuals rather than heterosexuals, for example. Then again, you've already ignored the fact that these types of filters for adverts are in fact legal, preferring to encourage Facebook to both succumb to the vocal minority and act as our morality police. Specifically, when you say, "While that doesn't—either in housing or other accommodations—prohibit racially biased advertising...". > Race is a protected class in public accommodations in general, not just housing. You mention "public accommodations" twice, including the quote above and a reference to "public accommodation laws" at the end of your comment. Would you mind sourcing the particular laws you are referring to? I ask because Title II's definition of public accommodation is limited to "any inn, hotel, motel, or other establishment which provides lodging to transient guests".

QAPereo 9y ago

What products woukd be exclusive to a race? It’s not like hair straiteners are only used by black women for example.