Eminem's New Chrysler Ad Borrows Some Spirit

So, about that Chrysler “Imported from Detroit” Super Bowl ad with Eminem that’s been the focus of so much heated discussion. I can’t speak to the implications of the ad for the American car industry, nor for Eminem’s career, but not too long after I first saw the spot on the internet, I started thinking about the black gospel choir that shows up near the end. Though the choir figures only briefly in the spot, it is far more than background noise. Indeed, the more I watched and rewatched the video, the more I was struck by how central the choir’s subtle but significant presence is to the overall effect that the ad is trying to achieve—and how the pop-culture ubiquity of the black gospel choir belies its complicated cultural capital.