We learned so much about heavy black ladies in this morning's Times. For instance, they're allowed to sell a variety of products ("Blacks regularly appear in commercials selling products as diverse as toothpaste, credit cards and erectile dysfunction medication."). They're often combative. ("Large black actresses have had recurring roles in commercials over the years, and often are cast in roles where their aggressiveness is a defining trait."). And even when they're docile or quiet, you know they're just waiting to explode ("She is not shown being aggressive or loud, but the commercial leaves the impression that if the man had given the wrong answer, she might have erupted.")

But lest you worry too much about the troubling use of stereotypes in commercial these days, please enjoy what may very well be the best "to be sure" sentence of all time:

"To be sure, sassy overweight black women appear to represent only a small fraction of the African-American actresses who appear in commercials."

Thank God. For a second there we were concerned.

An Image Popular in Films Raises Some Eyebrows in Ads [NYT]