Government Money, Gangbangers, and Gold Diggers
by Racialicious special correspondent Latoya Peterson
The name Matthew Lesko is somewhat unknown in DC.
However, if you say “the guy in the question mark suits with the free money commerical” most people will remember the crazy informercials.
A staple of late night and daytime TV, Lesko’s commericals feature him clad head to toe in an eye-popping suit covered in question marks, screaming about free money and being chased around the capitol by government agents.
However, it looks like Matthew Lesko is looking for a different feel to his new commericals.
According to this article in Sunday’s Washington Post, Lesko seems to have found the answer:
Lesko’s here in the coffeehouse to meet with his director, Mike Fleg, who has an idea for a new ad. No geriatric muggers this time. This ad will feature Lesko rapping.
Rapping? Is the world really ready for Matthew Lesko rapping about how to get free money from the government?
Fleg thinks so. He’s 23 and he just graduated from the University of Maryland. He’s here with Elijah Harvey, another new grad, who raps under the name “XL.” Together, they explain their idea for the ad: Lesko’s walking through a funky neighborhood in his nerdy question-mark suit. A gaggle of gangbangers spot him, and one of them — to be played by XL — starts rapping about how lame Lesko looks. Then Lesko starts rapping back, talking about how he knows how to get free money from the government: “I got billions in free money and it’s waitin’ for you / So come get your money and your life will be new.” And pretty soon, the gangbanger’s girlfriends desert him and flock to Lesko because he’s got free money. Then the music swells :”Getcha money! Getcha money!”
Lesko smiles and sings along: “Getcha money! Getcha money!” Then he says, “I like that. But the beginning is too long. How do we get to the ‘getcha money’ faster?”
Ew.
On so many levels.
One – why do people still think the tired “nerd goes to hood, meets gangbangers, has rap showdown, wins and gets the girl” is funny or innovative? I can see why Lesko might think it is a new, refreshing take on things – the concept probably would never have crossed his mind. (Lesko’s last informerical featured himself as an old woman, mugging a doctor.) But a 23 year old? A 23 year old rapper? Please…
I would file the new Lesko commerical with the Casa Furniture Commericals or the Eastern Motors Radio spots – but there is one key difference.
The Casa & Eastern Motors commericals use stereotypes to pander to specific communities. Lesko’s commerical plays on black racial stereotypes – namely gangbangers and gold-diggers – to attract mainstream attention.
Thoughts?
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of
hoo_boo wrote:
The difference is that (a) at Eastern Motors my job *is* my credit, (b) they have Fords, Hondas, Chevys, Beemers *and* minivan instead of dubiuous “free”goverment money (c) Eastern has the balls to rotate the same lame spots with athletes no longer playing for local teams lipsynching badly the same corny catchy lyrics overthe same Shaggy tune since 1995; (d) Robert Bassam (Eastern’s founder) is a minority entrepreneur with a more inspiring background (1st link); (e) there’s the infamous “Eastern Motors” commercials curse (2nd link)
http://www.examiner.com/a-376995~Eastern_Motors_founder_Bassam_finds_fortune_with_second_chance_financing.html
https://secure.washingtoncitypaper.com/cgi-bin/Archive/abridged2.bat?path=q:%5CDocRoot/2006/061103/cheap
Posted 16 Jul 2007 at 11:56 am ¶
LM wrote:
Tired stereotype, yes, but I don’t have issues with cultural appropriation here. An ad this lame can’t help but lead to the death of this form of the stereotype.
I’ve seen Lesko around DC, mostly at Tryst, in his silly suit, and he does “work” tirelessly at selling the same claptrap. This is a man who calls himself a “huckster” on his own Website.
The most offensive notion to me — and the Eastern Motors ads fall in this category too — is the sale of “easy” financial solutions to people who tend not to be able to afford what they’re buying.
Posted 16 Jul 2007 at 12:37 pm ¶
gatamala wrote:
Now I’m going to have the Eastern Motors song in my head all day! I’m dying at the curse. They need to hit up training camp to get the latest faces.
I’m annoyed that the actors in free money from the gubmint people are black. Folks will debase themselves.
Most of the businesses are very predatory in nature (usury). One missed payment and your house, car etc…is gone.
Posted 16 Jul 2007 at 1:52 pm ¶
deb wrote:
I’ll get interested when he’s starts rapping about reparations.
Posted 16 Jul 2007 at 3:11 pm ¶
Latoya Peterson wrote:
LM – I’ve never seen him in real life. That must be a sight…
Gatamala – me too, that song and the freaking “casa on fire!” commerical, which I can’t find anywhere…
Posted 16 Jul 2007 at 3:40 pm ¶
e wrote:
Matthew Lesko is a huge scam artist. His books are nothing more repackaged (free) GPO pamphlets that he sells for $39.95 to the broke and desperate. And now he stoops to new lows trying to “reach” the African American community. *shaking my head*
Posted 19 Jul 2007 at 11:06 am ¶
LM wrote:
e, you can’t stoop when you’re already so low. And I don’t think he’s pandering with the “rap” so much as with what he’s selling, period. Believe that he’s sold lots of his stuff to poor people of every stripe.
Posted 19 Jul 2007 at 2:33 pm ¶