If anything, I think they're making fun of metrosexuals. But they certainly do speak to the way that many people of color (not just black people) react to stereotypes.

I'm unsure if I agree with Angry Black Woman's connection between Geico's cavemen and people of color. I definitely differ with her opinion that the cavemen are stupid. I think the cavemen come off as intelligent and sensitive, not brutish and dumb. The non-cavepeople seem to be the ignorant ones. This is irony is what is supposed to make the commercial funny.

I agree with both Malik and John.
I think what is more concerning is how the media deals with difference and how it finds that exploiting highly racialized scenarios through mockery and comedy are formulas for commercial success.

Remember: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blackhistory/news/story?id=1983393

John, I think you may ave missed my point. I said that, in the world of the commercials, the in-ad geico commercials depict the cavemen as brutish and dumb. I wasn't agreeing with that assessment. Clearly the cavemen are not brutish or dumb. That's one of the points.

While I understand that the irony of the commercials make some people laugh, having been on the receiving end of people who *act exactly like the non-cavemen* in the commercials, I don't feel like laughing.

I agree ABW. Too many times I've been made to feel like the cavemen with people assuming i'm not on their level. one time while reporting in south africa, i took a trip to swaziland. a white man walked up to me in a gift shop and said: "can you tell your boss i said hello." i was clearly not an employee, not there there's anything wrong with that. but in places like this where whites are used to seeing blacks in only subservient positions, the idea never crossed this man's mind that i too could be in the gift shop as a tourist, looking for gifts!

Thanks "Angry Black Woman" for now comparing Black people to cavemen. ABW, do you even realize what you're saying?

i have to say ABW needs to stop projecting how she feels about her community and its response to racism to the rest of the world....

i kinda understand that this commercial is sort of a parody of how minorities react to stereotypes and it is offensive, but i must say Geico doesn't need to apologize cuz they're just being insensitive/condescending (maybe w/out even realizing it) and if all condescending pricks were made to apologize we'd be hearing apologies 24/7 in the media.

Malena - That story makes me sad, but doesn't at all surprise me.

Jessica - Wow, you really just don't grok my point at all. I'm not comparing black people to the Cavemen from your 3rd grade education of what Cavemen are. I'm simply saying that I think the Geico cavemen are meant to represent minorities. A decision that the advertising company made, not me.

Sarah - 1) I never asked for Geico to apologize. You must be thinking of someone else. 2) How exactly am I 'projecting'? I don't think that word means what you think it means. 3) If all condescending pricks were made to apologize, people might think twice about being pricks and the world would be a better place. Not holding people accountable for their flaws only leads to more flaws.

Malena - Interesting how you can know what has crossed that man's mind. I guess there is no possible way that it was an honest mistake. If a black male asked you that same question I'm sure you would have taken it as a mistake. What is actually racist is that you assume because he was white that he looked down at you. You make assumptions because of color. Shame on you.

ABW is correct, I always thought these were funny, and it took a while but it slowly dawned on me that these commercials are parodying a group of people dealing with untrue, insulting sterotypes. It's pretty clear it's black people. (Take the episode at the party, with the whole "sold out" dynamic.)

But there's also something harmless about it. As you say it's sympathetic to the cavemen, harsh on the prejudiced folks. You could say by parodying the whole dynamic, it is belittling the whole concept of prejudice, but I choose not to look at it that way. Instead, I think the fact that we laugh so easily at the people who are so wrong about these cavemen shows how far we've come: their views are so outdated its funny.

You guy's have missed the whole point...

The very concept of "evolution" (from RNA, TO DNA, SCALES TO FEATHERS, APES TO MAN) is a racist concept...

The fact is, most people believe our ancestors we're "sub-human"...
I think these commercials show that quite well...