"A slick new civil rights-themed video promoting MSNBC's forced name change to MS NOW features paid black actors playing ordinary Americans, intercut with pensive shots of MSNBC's white primetime stars. The promotional spot, narrated by Rachel Maddow reading the Constitution, appears to be a ham-handed effort by MSNBC's new parent company, Versant, to cater to MSNBC's large black audiencethe largest in cable newswhen its primetime and morning anchor lineup is overwhelmingly white, led the Beacon's Collin Anderson and Thaleigha Rampersad before diving into the heart of the matter: It uses archival protest footage, video of Martin Luther King Jr., and Maddow's patriotic narration to portray MS NOW as a beacon of racial and social justice."
"The actors, Alex Mason, Shekaya Sky McCarthy, and Marcel Noel, stare off into the distance as Maddow speaks of forming a more perfect union. Mason is shown by himself, while McCarthy is pictured next to a black child, and Noel plays a coffee-drinking patron at a diner. It's just another day on set for Mason, a veteran commercial actor who has starred in spots for the likes of ZipRecruiter, KFC, Target, and Intuitive Surgical, where he played a surgeon in training."
A promotional spot for MS NOW juxtaposes paid Black actors portraying ordinary Americans with pensive shots of MSNBC's white primetime hosts and archival civil-rights footage. Rachel Maddow narrates portions of the spot by reading the Constitution while footage includes Martin Luther King Jr. imagery and protest material to position MS NOW as committed to racial and social justice. The campaign was produced under parent company Versant and features actors Alex Mason, Shekaya Sky McCarthy, and Marcel Noel in everyday roles without on-screen identification as paid performers. Several cast members have established commercial credits.
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