UPDATE: Thanks everyone for taking action, Mars has pulled the ad in light of Queer activists sending a message of disapproval.
The ad agency Omnicom which has produced homophobic and violent ads in the past is at it again. See for yourself below...
Contact Snickers and urge them to apologize and pull the ad...
http://www.snickers.com/contact.asp
Contact Omnicon and tell them to stop creating homophobic ads...
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28 comments:
wow, that is pretty blatant.
I agree, please contact Snickers and let them know. Everyone please do this, this ad must be pulled, it is disgusting.
I don't see the man necessarily as a gay man, but one who doesn't meet traditional masculinity. I think this is less an attack on gay men and more of an attack on men who aren't ruggedly masculine.
These are the kind of ads that make middle-school boys feel like crap for who they are.
This isn't even the first ad that Snickers has done like this. Remember that add in the Super Bowl where the two men accidentally kiss and then rip out their own chest hair as penance? ...
I agree with Kid A that it seems to be more... "sissy-phobic"? Not to say that's any better. I feel like every company is now advertising their product as being for "tough men" (tacos, alcoholic lemonade, and body wash) or "sensitive women" (cereal, yogurt, and paper towels.) What ever happened to maximizing your audience? I don't get why any advertiser would want to alienate so many people.
I put this out on Topix this morning... lets see if we can get some notice on this one.
Come on this is just humor in the way speed walkers walk. Let's get out of our victimized response to being gay. As was stated this has nothing to do with being gay unless your one who swooshes down the street like a speed walker. Well are you?
Well we all know that Mr. T. is the poster boy for what a manly man should look like.
Oh if only all men looked like Mr. T. and acted like him. I would be straight and having babies.
wow...what a ass hat.
C.
For more discussion on this article click here
I don't think this is homophobic. But i do think that it will encourage school yard bullys to pick on the kids who are weaker. This sends the message that it is ok to do that.
I posted this story on my blog also. And, as I said in my posting, even though it could be argued that this isn't necessarily an anti-gay ad, the image they chose to use is that of a thin, young man who "swishes" while walking. That clearly plays off of the stereotypical image that most of the ignorant and uninformed religious fanatics have of gay men. And, when we have a minister in Wisconsin calling on his congregation to literally shoot gay people, this becomes a very serious issue.
I think that snickers add makers and those pissing about the ad need to both grow up...
As a gay dude... I don't take offense at this.. But as a member of a/the community I wonder why violence is used at all... Painting violence in a non serious matter desensitizes us to the dramatic effects of what we are exposed to and what we allow ourselves to be exposed to. If violence is condoned it will be perpetuated to great ramification. Lets not give a green light to violence of any kind...
Be the change you want to see!
I don't get how it's homophobic. I consider a real man anyone who is gay or straight. Man, male. In a point of being a sissy or a nancy who cares. I would rather be a nancy then Mr T. Reality is Speed walking is funny looking and Mr T I don't think I need to elaborate. The whole add is just pointless and dumb.
Food for thought. Anyone who thinks it's blatant. I know very few gay men who walk like that. I actually know no one who does nor anyone who power walks other then retired people at the mall. Just because someone is dressed like they are stuck in the '70 doesn't make them gay. Who is stereotyping? The add agency or people up in arms over it?
Of course many gay men don't walk like that, I don't. The fact is that is the stereotype of gay men, and Snickers tried to portray the man as one. Even if that was not the intention this is promoting violence against someone who displays a different gender identity than society has approved for ones sex.
Queer, I agree. Even if the man wasn't wearing an "I'm Gay" t-shirt, that's what Snickers was trying to portray. Any ad that tells men to "get some nuts" is attempting to further perpetuate the stereotype of what it means to be a "real man". That alone is enough reason for it to be pulled.
Update...HRC has contacted the Mars Corporation and they have pulled this commercial and apologized. I wonder if HRC will get further criticism for stepping in on this from some of the commenters on this site.
Offensive? Slightly
Homophobic? I think you're reading a little too much into this...
I am all for your cause and believe in all rights for all people, but this Ad wasn't that harmful, at all. Sure it's a bit down on people for being less of a man than Mr T. But who IS more of a man than Mr T?
I also thought R. Ray and her scarf was wrongly accused, but more so than this ad.
It's just ads, for shits and giggles, I would think that enlightened people like me and you won't put that much thought into a stupid ad, in the perfect world ?
GLAD TO SEE THIS PIECE OF HOMOPHOBIC, "OK TO BASH SOMEONE DIFFERENT THAN YOU" TRASH THINLY DISGUISED AS ADVERTISING WAS REMOVED.
As a straight man, I have to admit, I did think it was aimed at gay men.
In this day and age of enlightenment, I was surprised such a theme was even considered.
Why is it people just can't leave others alone to live their lives as they choose?
It's just a 30 second commercial. I don't see it as homophobic at all. Are people that bored as to go looking for things to whine about? I could care less who Mr. T was launching candy bars at, it doesn't make a good commercial, that's why they pulled the advertisement. It wasn't because the "gay community" was up in arms about it. A few complainers online aren't enough to get an ad pulled from the airwaves.
This is absurd. Why do you assume that the speed-walking guy is gay? Seems like you - not the ad agency - are the ones stereotyping homosexuals (or speedwalkers...).
I thought that commercial was rather funny - if we can't laugh at people who sashay, who can we laugh at? And don't give me BS about "this encourages bullying". Bad parenting encourages bullying. This ad encourages laughter
this advert isnt homophobic in the slightest. some of you guys REALLY need to stop playing the victim.
So...to continue, the crime of this commercial is that it tells men they aren't good enough if they're even slightly like a woman in anyway, and that they need to get "some nuts."...cuz really, anyone who's like a female is also probably gay...which = not good enough. It doesn't need to be more obviously anti gay...
people who complain about this add are the true homophobes. this add makes no reference to homosexuality. if you think it does then you have something wrong with your brain. im so angry about all the people campaigning against this add that i am going to start campaigning for this add. speedwalking man does not = gay man. its the self lothing homophobes who are making this connection as they are stupid idiots.
Wow... could you be more blind? "oh if you think this is gay-bashing you're the true homophobe"... cause we all know that now in the age of enlightenment gay men are NEVER stereotyped by the population as being 'sissy' types. And obviously for it to be anti-gay the guy has to be wearing a shirt that says "I'm a Homo! Ask me how!" Because subtlety is just NEVER used by the media to get certain messages across. Yeah, geniuses. You fail. This ad blows in every way. Learn to inference, pls.
Okay, I understand that you guys have best interests at heart for the LGBT community when you say those ads were offensive, but me and many of my friends are part of that community and we thought they were funny. However, I also don't agree with the comment about the "true homophobe" thing.
I think, in this one specifically, the target is a little sissy guy because Mr. T is so creepy and manly. Hence, opposites. If you ask me, it would have been funnier if a manly man was getting snickers tankfired at him, but whatever. And yeah, the kissing one would have been better if the "Do something manly" part hadn't been in it, but it also wouldn't have been funny. Yes, it's intolerant to a point, but you have to understand that there's a fine balance between entertainment and getting people to buy your crap when you're in advertising. Unfortunately, most peoples' sense of humor is dependent on someone getting embarrassed, regardless of how. Look at all of the negative ads Burger King runs. They don't target a specific group, but they're still horrible, and they have been for years, but you don't see anyone making a fuss about that, now do you?
I don't really see Snickers as trying to alienate gayness, but more as trying to incorporate it casually. Like I said, I DON'T agree that freaking out about this is something to be, in turn, also freaking out about, but it's only alienating the community more to show this kind of incredulity. So like I was saying, if you're going to protest one (or in this case, two) negative ads, make a point about all of them, not just those that could potentially be against you. It would definitely have a bigger impact.
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