MillerCoors a beer company marketing its Miller Lite brand has created two commercials that embraces sexist and transphobic ideas. One commercial features a man asking the bartender for a light beer. She asks him if he cares how it tastes and since he doesn't she tells him that when he starts caring he should "take off his skirt" and get a Miller Lite. The man looks obviously humiliated and the commercial then says "man up" He then goes to his friends saying "check it out, I lost the skirt and got a Miller Lite."
The other ad features a man asking the bartender for a light beer, she asks if he cares how it tastes. He responds that he does not, and she says "when you start caring put down your purse and I'll give you a Miller Lite."
What do these commercials teach us? That women can't handle a "real beer" and that men who drink other light beers are sissies. In order to fit the image of a true masculine heterosexual male, you should lose the "skirt or purse" by purchasing a Miller Lite.
Tell MillerCoors to drop this sexist and genderphobic ad.
Contact MillerCoors corporate offices via e-contact or by phone at 1-800-645-5376.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Miller Lite Ads Invoke the Straight Man's Fear of Being Perceived as Sissy
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25 comments:
There is absolutely nothing wrong with either ad! I found them both amusing. Lighten up - not everything is "transphobic" or "sexist". And by the way, you really should learn how to use an apostrophe if you want to be taken seriously. See "sissy's" toward the end of your post. Now THAT is funnier than either commercial, tells me all I need to know!
These ads are not sexist or "genderphobic" at all.
The fact that the bartenders are women is actually empowering. It's difficult to claim that the ads belittle women when they are the ones verbally belittling the men!
The men are portrayed as weak, but in a reversal, the women seem to be portrayed as strong here. When you consider that most beer commericals portray women as idiots with big breasts, this is quite an improvement.
I think these ads are sexist for certain. The guys even act a little swishy as well--but that seems to fit the mold ironically. Most of the gay men (but not all) that i have met often drink miller lite, bud lite, and coors light exclusively. In fact when i see a guy drink a light beer i immediately think "probably gay."
I think "fear" is the operative word here. The ads play on the straight male fear of being perceived as anything less than ultra-macho, which only adds to the reality of that fear's effect on society (homophobia, transphobia, etc.)
If the ad existed by itself - which is to say, when you look at it out of social context - it's amusing. But with the context that straight men often become violent against women and LGBTs because of these kind of encouragements from media, this ad helps fuel a fire that needs to be put out.
I figure only a straight man would wear such an ugly skirt anyway. I call it a slam on their lack of fashion sense. ;-)
I think the issue here should be that they are drinking Miller Lite in the first place... have you every had that sh*t?
I didn't notice the guys acting "swishy" but they appear to be straight in the clip trying to attract the females at the bar. But another thing I realized is that this ad is playing on the stereotype that women won't like "effeminate" men. The man loses his game because he didn't choose Miller Lite and chose a "girly" beer. Many women like sensitive or "girly" men.
The plural of "sissy" is "sissies".
I seriously wonder about ANY guy the drinks light beer regardless of the brand
I didn't find them offensive, but I did find them boring and unnecessary. Kind of stupid too. Bad idea overall.
Can't tell you how many gay men and women drink this beer...OR DID!
why has no one even mentioned that miller lite is crap beer? Seriously, this is a ridiculous discussion. Most guys don't want to be perceived as soft, or feminine, or gay. I don't see how this is deragotory to those men who actually do wear skirts (or drink bad beer).
They are offensive. They are meant to be offensive because they are targeted to "not yet legally drinking" seventh graders. Yes. If you know anyone who does market research for the ad agencies, that's their target, underage drinkers.
agree with anon 6:33. Miller light is crap beer. Also, agree with Jay Spears that "sissies" was correctly used. "sissy's" would imply ownership, not plurality.
and besides, I know so many sissies that drink miller light--probably for the fact that they (incorrectly) assume it carries with it some masculine connotation.
Real men drink Hopslam. Now that will put hair on your back.
It's not a necessarily homophobic commercial. It's kind of offensive to straight men too implying they have to act a certain way. Women face pressure a lot to be or act a certain way, but not much attention gets paid to how society (and Miller Lite) are pressuring men to adhere to certain ideas of what being a man is.
@Arelle: I absolutely agree with your comments.
@Queers United: Yes, many women like sensitive or "girly" men. For everything EXCEPT fucking.
In the "carry-all" clip, I find it interesting that when the bartender tells the guy it's NOT a carry-all she shakes her head negatively AND nods her head affirmatively
this article is more crappy than any miller beer.
stop being so sensitive. the fact that you saw sexism in this commercial says more about you than miller.
As a flaming queer myself, I find that when I wear a skirt and carry a purse (with my knife tucked safely inside) into a straight bar, I'm not there to drink Lite Beer. I'm there to trick drunk straight men into having a quicky with me in alley behind the bar, whereupon I pull out my knife and demand all their money so's I can then go to a queer bar and buy my drugs and cosmos for the night.
All I got from the ads were that they were juvenile to the point of being targeted at the 12-18 year old boy "market".
Sad campaign for a sad "beer".
See "sissy's" toward the end of your post.
Unless you have forgotten the rules of writing, that form of the word shows possession. He used the correctly by using the plural form.
I think that both of those ads are TOO funny. I also agree that no self respecting gay man would wear such an ugly skirt. haha. I AM gay and I reluctantly admit it is more or less a purse. Lighten up people. ha
I was offended by both ads. They give the message that it's OK to make fun of people because how they dress or present themselves. If we lived in a world where people weren't bullied then it wouldn't matter. But we don't.
Isiah, you've missed the point entirely. Wake up! Any woman telling a man how to be a man is just as bad as any man telling a woman how to be a woman. It's offensive to both genders.
Who cares what the intent was? To be funny, to sell beer, to teach a man how to be a man? wtf?
I absolutely couldn't agree with this blog more. Good on you for writing it.
Miller makes fun of someone in all their ads. (someone is the butt of their joke.) Who's next.
These commercials are not empowering to women, but are offensive to both gender. The female bartender belittles the men and basically calls them weak for possessing feminine traits/habits/interests. It therefor implies that women are weak. It's really not that much of a stretch.
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