Of course it is about selling cereal. There is no hidden agenda in placing Bill Lester on the box. Anyone with a simdgeon of intellect understands it is a "for profit" thing and related only to selling that brand of breakfast crunchies to a targeted market. It is the American way.
Funny though, but in the real world, it is no different than using anyone else in a position of public profile for the designated purpose of selling to a designated class of people of targeted area. Once again, it is the American way.
Sometimes the cynis"ism" doesn't show unless the color is black.
But drop the racial profile for a moment and analyze the entire scene. America'a corporate structure was built on the exact same logic exhibited by a cereal company. If this were not the case, perhaps Kerry Earnhardt or Mathew Martin might not be paid to sing the praises of thier sponsors. Are they truly deserving ?? Or are they getting the benefit of Dad's good name and accomplishments??? Just as Bill Lester is placed on a cereal box. All thngs considered, the "ism" doesn't apply unless it covers all bases and is ALWAYS brought to the forefront of EVERY commercial utilizing EVERY celebrity, regardless of race, color, creed or popularity. Only then can the "ism" be added. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.
In any case, whether it be Bill Lester, Kerry Earnhardt, Matt Martin, Derricke Cope or anyone else using thier celebrity status for selling a specific product to a targeted market the logic is sales. It is legal, it is moral, according to current day standards, and it is the foundation America is built on. To consider this as being questionable or sucking up to a minority group is taking a stand against capitalism, the backbone of doing business in America.
If anyone feels they want to save the world, eradicate racial injustice, teach white guys how to jump or black guys how to drive, the place to start is by accepting the photo of Bill Lester for what it is intended and give due thought process to all commercialism using celebrities, rather than selecting one because the celebrity in question is black or considered by some as underqualified. If anyone really thinks Bill Lester is another "token", then so is every minority who has a place in commercial advertising. And if not Bill Lester, then who ??? Under the premise noted, any Black American would become a "token" if used for commercial purposes.
In the event corporate America were to do away with this format, the corporate profit will decline. Stock holders will pee and moan as thier investments lost value. Next comes a stock holder rebellion whose sole purpose is to get the board of directors to do what they were doing before, using profiling to target specific people and markets, to get profits back on track and increase the value of thier investment. More than likely these will be the same people who decried the practice in the first place, if they own any stock.
As noted in an earlier post, it is all "GREEN". It makes no never mind if the skin color is black, white, yellow, red or pink, it is all "GREEN".