Originally posted by jer2665
But I am saying how there is a big surge in "urban ads" as far as dancing to hip hop, hip hop music, rapping, all that stuff.
Maybe by "urban" you really mean "urbane?" Truth is, there is not much of the cutting-edge coming from middle America. Suburban culture is, practically by definition, bland, if it is existent as a discernable entity at all. Urban culture, which has unfortunately become a rather racist euphemism for "black," is more vital and vibrant because it often stems from mixing and co-mingling of cultures, races and ethnicities, tastes, modes of expression, etc. Face it, strip malls and picket fences are not cool. A soccer mom holding an iPod won't work in a commercial, no matter how much she says she loves her new Apple product.
White suburban teenagers like rap today for the same reason that teenagers in the 50s liked rock n' roll -- because it was rebellious. Both rap and rock n' roll started as black musical expressions, gaining popularity among whites because they speak/spoke to some of the alienation and tensions even white Americans feel/felt in society. As a minority culture, Black culture is by definition counter-culture, and teenagers like to rebel. Whites often co-opt those cultural expressions to capitalize on that sentiment. Just look at the popularity of Elvis and Eminem among white teenagers.
This is getting off topic, though. I like the new iPod ad, and didn't once think to myself that it was an "urban" add (read: "black"). It's hip, trendy, and urbane.