Opinion: What Rev. Martin Luther King Jr actually said about Materialism
Meghan Salinas, Associate Writer
The views and opinions expressed on in this article are solely those of the original author. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of The Vision NGU or North Greenville University.
The #RamBuiltToServe Superbowl LII advertisement for this year’s Super Bowl was one of the most heartfelt things I’ve ever seen. It was also one of the most controversial, at the same time, after researching more about the context of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech used in the advertisement.
In case viewers might have missed this advertisement, Ram trucks featured excerpts from King’s “The Drum Major Instinct” sermon.
The ad showed the beautiful act of people serving one another and that is something King believed strongly in. King used a variety of remarkable quotes in his sermons that reminded people how to live in unity with one another no matter the color of your skin, gender, religion, etc.
King said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?” The advertisement shows an array of construction workers, fishermen, teachers, firefighters and soldiers in the military. Also, the Ram truck is carrying a church. In hindsight, it was a commercial that almost brought me to tears, but the fact that it was for a Ram truck was completely unsettling to me.
In “The Drum Major Instinct”, King focuses on how we all have a desire to be leaders. Instead of squelching this selfish impulse, he reminds us that serving others is a beautiful act. King says in the advertisement, “But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That’s a new definition of greatness.”
The advertisement narrowed in on the act of service which was wonderful. But, the advertisement took King’s speech out of context. If you were to listen to the whole sermon, you would know that King was listing the dangers about capitalism and materialism. The sermon also discussed the issues of persuasion in the media.
Some examples of that in “The Drum Major Instinct” were:
1. “In order to make your neighbors envious, you must drive this type of car.” Oh, what irony.
2. “In order to be lovely to love, you must wear THIS kind of lipstick or THIS kind of perfume.”
Also, King warns us against the dangers of spending too much on a car. A simple pick-up truck would’ve sufficed. Also, if the advertisement was for Black History month or just a simple commercial showing that there is beauty in unity, it would’ve been such a beautiful image.
Ram advertisers took a legend like the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who believed that we are people who can co-exist in love and preached about being content in what’s in front of us, and used a part of his sermon and took it out of extreme context in attempt to sell an expensive pick-up truck.
Yes, Dodge did get the King Estate’s permission to use the excerpts from King’s speech, but his family did not. Just because permission was given doesn’t make the advertisement ethical or moral by any means.
Ryan Grenoble from The Huffington Post said, “What we saw with the Dodge commercial is a common tendency of advertising, which plays on people’s emotions in order to get them to make irrational choices.”
Here are what viewers of the advertisement are saying on social media about the issue:
