Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 4:01 am Posts: 19477 Location: Brooklyn NY
This is really pushing it. Maybe its upsetting because its in a product advertisement and not a film, but I'm not sure I agree with the gay groups on this one. Do we really need this level of political correctness in society? I don't know, it might be necessary to solve some long-term issues.
Los Angeles, CA - The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and the Matthew Shepard Foundation today strongly condemned elements of an ad campaign launched by Snickers ® - a brand of Mars, Inc.'s Masterfoods USA, and the official chocolate bar sponsor of the National Football League (NFL) - that includes a Web site featuring video of NFL athletes reacting with prejudice and disgust to depictions of two men kissing.
"That Snickers, Mars and the NFL would promote and endorse this kind of prejudice is simply inexcusable," said GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano.
The campaign, created by TBWAChiatDay New York, was launched during CBS' February 4 Super Bowl® telecast with an ad that showed two mechanics eating from opposite ends of a Snickers candy bar and, after their mouths touch, ripping out their chest hair in a desperate attempt "do something manly."
In early January, TBWAChiatDay New York asked GLAAD to review and provide analysis on a Snickers spot. GLAAD agreed. The next day, the agency abruptly withdrew its request without having shown GLAAD the ad.
Mars' campaign Web site (http://www.snickerssatisfies.com) shows alternate endings for the ad - among them, a version called "Wrench" where, instead of ripping out their own chest hair, one man grabs a wrench and uses it to bash the other, who responds by slamming the hood of the car down on his head. Mars is asking visitors to vote on this and three other endings - including the one aired on the Super Bowl telecast - to determine which version will air during the Fox broadcast of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 18.
The site also shows five NFL players, two from the Indianapolis Colts and three from the Chicago Bears, reacting to the several versions of the ad. The players' reactions range from general amusement (Bears quarterback Rex Grossman and Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison) to non-verbal disgust (Bears wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad) to overt expressions of prejudice (Bears tight end Desmond Clark and Colts linebacker Cato June).
"I am outraged that Mars, the NFL and these players would promote such an anti-gay message. This campaign encourages the same type of hate that led to the death of my son Matthew. It essentially gives 'permission' to our society to verbally or physically harass individuals who are gay, lesbian or bisexual," said Judy Shepard, Executive Director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation. "In particular, I am dismayed that these players, who are role models to our young people, would participate in perpetuating such discrimination and prejudice."
The Mars/Snickers Web site bears the logos of the NFL and PLAYERS, INC (National Football League Players Incorporated).
"Mars, Inc., needs to apologize for the deplorable actions of its Snickers brand, immediately pull the 'Wrench' ad and the offensive NFL players clips from its Web site, and hold those within the company and at its ad agency publicly accountable for promoting anti-gay prejudice and violence," GLAAD's Giuliano said. "We want to sit down with both Mars and the NFL to address our concerns and give them an opportunity to raise public awareness about the destructive impact of these kinds of anti-gay images and comments."
_________________
LittleWing sometime in July 2007 wrote:
Unfortunately, it's so elementary, and the big time investors behind the drive in the stock market aren't so stupid. This isn't the false economy of 2000.
when are companies going to realize that you can only make fun of white straight males??
_________________ "Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires." -- John Steinbeck
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:19 pm Posts: 39068 Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA Gender: Male
"It offends me as a comedian."
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2005 2:18 am Posts: 3920 Location: Philadelphia
The whole ripping out chest hair thing was confusing and disturbing to me. I don't know how that got associated with "doing something manly". The ending left me going
_________________ I remember doing nothing on the night Sinatra died
And the night Jeff Buckley died
And the night Kurt Cobain died
And the night John Lennon died
I remember I stayed up to watch the news with everyone
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:19 pm Posts: 39068 Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA Gender: Male
ranting in e-minor wrote:
The whole ripping out chest hair thing was confusing and disturbing to me. I don't know how that got associated with "doing something manly". The ending left me going
There is something distinctly girly about the removal of body hair.
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
Joined: Thu Dec 16, 2004 1:54 am Posts: 7189 Location: CA
B wrote:
ranting in e-minor wrote:
The whole ripping out chest hair thing was confusing and disturbing to me. I don't know how that got associated with "doing something manly". The ending left me going
There is something distinctly girly about the removal of body hair.
word.
I don't think GLADD will be happy untill there's a tofurkey in every pot and gay, gay sex in every bedroom.
HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (AP) - A commercial for Snickers candy bars launched in the Super Bowl broadcast was benched after its maker got complaints that it was homophobic.
This Snickers ad aired during the Super Bowl sparked complaints of homophobia that have resulted in the commercial being pulled.
The ad showed two auto mechanics accidentally kissing while eating the same candy bar and then ripping out some chest hair to do something "manly." One of the alternate endings on the Snickers Web site showed the men attacking each other.
The Human Rights Campaign and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation complained to the maker of Snickers, Hackettstown-based Masterfoods USA, a division of Mars Inc., which also makes M&M's and other candies.
The Web site also featured video of players from the Super Bowl teams reacting to the kiss.
"This type of jeering from professional sports figures at the sight of two men kissing fuels the kind of anti-gay bullying that haunts countless gay and lesbian school children on playgrounds all across the country," Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese said in a statement.
GLAAD spokesman Marc McCarthy said Tuesday the group believed "this kind of prejudice was inexcusable."
Masterfoods spokeswoman Alice Nathanson issued a statement in which she said the company would stop running the ad on television and the Web site.
"As with all of our Snickers advertising, our goal was to capture the attention of our core Snickers consumer," Nathanson wrote.
"Feedback from our target consumers has been positive. In addition, many media and Web site commentators of this year's Super Bowl commercial line-up ranked the commercial among this year's top ten best. USA Today ranked it #9 of its top ten picks," she continued.
"We know that humor is highly subjective and understand that some people may have found the ad offensive. Clearly that was not our intent," she wrote.
Masterfoods brands include Uncle Ben's rice, Pedigree dog food and Whiskas cat food. It is part of Mars Inc., a family-owned company.
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 5:51 am Posts: 17078 Location: TX
People "jeering" at two men kissing has nothing to do with homosexuality. I have absolutely nothing against gays but that doesn't mean I can watch homosexual acts on TV with a straight face. Not only that, it's two men. Just like I don't want to see some middle-aged guy in his underwear on TV.
It's too late for me to formulate a real argument against this but it really is just blatantly fucking retarded.
The next time I see a joking commercial with a man and woman kissing or hugging I'm going to file a complaint. Clearly that would constitute defamation of heterosexuals. Oh, and god forbid I see a joking commercial with an obese person in it, and let me catch someone cringing at that! Anyone that cringes from looking at something they find less than appealing to the senses is clearly a prejudiced piece of shit.
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 5:51 am Posts: 17078 Location: TX
This is just as bad as the bloated and vastly excessive coverage given to "racism" and all that other bullshit during the past two weeks surrounding the NFL. Makes the shit absolutely no fun to watch. I swear if I had to hear something about black, or white, head coaches one more time I was gonna kill myself/others.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 4:01 am Posts: 19477 Location: Brooklyn NY
Buffalohed wrote:
People "jeering" at two men kissing has nothing to do with homosexuality. I have absolutely nothing against gays but that doesn't mean I can watch homosexual acts on TV with a straight face. Not only that, it's two men. Just like I don't want to see some middle-aged guy in his underwear on TV.
It's too late for me to formulate a real argument against this but it really is just blatantly fucking retarded.
The next time I see a joking commercial with a man and woman kissing or hugging I'm going to file a complaint. Clearly that would constitute defamation of heterosexuals. Oh, and god forbid I see a joking commercial with an obese person in it, and let me catch someone cringing at that! Anyone that cringes from looking at something they find less than appealing to the senses is clearly a prejudiced piece of shit.
Yeah, but heterosexuals are never defamated against. If you could choose to be black, gay, or even a woman, you wouldn't. White straight males have it easy.
_________________
LittleWing sometime in July 2007 wrote:
Unfortunately, it's so elementary, and the big time investors behind the drive in the stock market aren't so stupid. This isn't the false economy of 2000.
Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2005 3:13 am Posts: 4932 Location: SEX MAKES BABIES?!
glorified_version wrote:
Buffalohed wrote:
People "jeering" at two men kissing has nothing to do with homosexuality. I have absolutely nothing against gays but that doesn't mean I can watch homosexual acts on TV with a straight face. Not only that, it's two men. Just like I don't want to see some middle-aged guy in his underwear on TV.
It's too late for me to formulate a real argument against this but it really is just blatantly fucking retarded.
The next time I see a joking commercial with a man and woman kissing or hugging I'm going to file a complaint. Clearly that would constitute defamation of heterosexuals. Oh, and god forbid I see a joking commercial with an obese person in it, and let me catch someone cringing at that! Anyone that cringes from looking at something they find less than appealing to the senses is clearly a prejudiced piece of shit.
Yeah, but heterosexuals are never defamated against. If you could choose to be black, gay, or even a woman, you wouldn't. White straight males have it easy.
I'd choose to be Usher. He gets all the girls
_________________ What I'm currently watching: Two Hot Lesbians in Double Loving Hot Spa Outing Extravaganza
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 5:51 am Posts: 17078 Location: TX
If someone makes a joke about a gay person it is discrimination, a joke about a black person is racism, but if it's about a white straight male it is ok. Yeah ok...
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 10:51 pm Posts: 14534 Location: Mesa,AZ
glorified_version wrote:
Buffalohed wrote:
People "jeering" at two men kissing has nothing to do with homosexuality. I have absolutely nothing against gays but that doesn't mean I can watch homosexual acts on TV with a straight face. Not only that, it's two men. Just like I don't want to see some middle-aged guy in his underwear on TV.
It's too late for me to formulate a real argument against this but it really is just blatantly fucking retarded.
The next time I see a joking commercial with a man and woman kissing or hugging I'm going to file a complaint. Clearly that would constitute defamation of heterosexuals. Oh, and god forbid I see a joking commercial with an obese person in it, and let me catch someone cringing at that! Anyone that cringes from looking at something they find less than appealing to the senses is clearly a prejudiced piece of shit.
Yeah, but heterosexuals are never defamated against. If you could choose to be black, gay, or even a woman, you wouldn't. White straight males have it easy.
Have you walked alone through a lower-class black neighborhood?
_________________
John Adams wrote:
In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress.
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 5:51 am Posts: 17078 Location: TX
I wish someone would give a better explanation as to how this is really going to far and pushing the limits of sense. It just seems absurd to me that something like this could possibly be "banned", but I can't find the words to say why.
People "jeering" at two men kissing has nothing to do with homosexuality. I have absolutely nothing against gays but that doesn't mean I can watch homosexual acts on TV with a straight face. Not only that, it's two men. Just like I don't want to see some middle-aged guy in his underwear on TV.
It's too late for me to formulate a real argument against this but it really is just blatantly fucking retarded.
The next time I see a joking commercial with a man and woman kissing or hugging I'm going to file a complaint. Clearly that would constitute defamation of heterosexuals. Oh, and god forbid I see a joking commercial with an obese person in it, and let me catch someone cringing at that! Anyone that cringes from looking at something they find less than appealing to the senses is clearly a prejudiced piece of shit.
Yeah, but heterosexuals are never defamated against. If you could choose to be black, gay, or even a woman, you wouldn't. White straight males have it easy.
Have you walked alone through a lower-class black neighborhood?
My brother is a Marshall in Milwaukee and he tells me stories about walking through the black neighborhoods and being called a racist. He was workign with a black FBI agent, and that guy was called a traitor. It's not always the white straight man who brings up the race issue.
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