Hi Everyone!
I know this is a little off topic here… but…
If you saw the superbowl you saw just one of the homophobic advertisements Snickesr is releasing. Some of the ads actually show violence in resopnse to homosexual kissing. And they all condemn any kind of gener non-comfortity whatsoever.
Take a look at these terrible ads at snickers.com And please sign the petition!
Please share widely!
and all the other Super Bowl ads, at this link.
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Are there other Snickers ads that are worse than that one? It didn’t seem at all offensive to me….
I didn’t think much of the ad that actually aired either, but then the Snickers folks put up a whole multimedia experience based around the ad that AmericaBlog has more on.
This one is pretty appalling.
what cause of action Massachusetts laws might offer here.
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Let’s see how quickly hair-trigger Coakley jumps on this one.
Watch NFL players be homophobes here on the Snickers-NFL website, and tell me if you still find it amusing.
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A thoughtful discussion of the campaign can be found here.
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I suppose different parts of the country got shown different ends to the ads, since there were 4 alternates. Which ones did people see where?
Not that I’m calling anyone stupid.
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Item #1: if much of American wasn’t still homophobic, would this ad get any laughs at all? It’s only because a certain subset of our country still squirms in their seat at the idea of getting caught accidently “gay” (especially men) that this humor even works.
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It wouldn’t be cool to see someone reacting like this on TV or the internet over an interracial couple, we’d immediately cry foul…well, in a few decades, this ad will elicit the same disgust, not humor. Hopefully.
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Item #2: watch all the ads again, but from a point of view of a homophobe, and trust me, you’ll feel dirty, but you have to understand the cultural implication, especially of the ads on the website. It’s better to drink motor fluids, or get your head bashed in a car hood, than get caught seeming “gay.” And they would nod their head in agreement as that sentiment is enforced on their TeeVee.
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Item #3: all this was done in prime time, in front of America’s kids. Nice way to introduce them to the concept of feeling “oogey” when seeing men together, and teaching ’em it ain’t natural, instead of teaching them self-confidence and tolerance.
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Item #4: even the original ad made me feel uncomfortable, like as though the humor in it was rather at gays’ expense, not the homophobes’. It didn’t, in my opinion, condem in any way these oogey feelings that these men exhibit. Instead, it just uses the situation (that it knows you “understand” because you feel “oogey” too) to make the joke work. It’s more a wink and a nod than a smart satire of homophobes.
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And finally, because Mars is already known to be an evil right wing company, I am SURE their intention isn’t pure to begin with.
picks up on what you say:
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I was thinking earlier, it should be possible to splice in fake footage of a black woman and white man into the scene, then watch the players react with revulsion.
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Maybe we could also do the same with a blonde and a guy in a yarmulke.
These ads are homophobic yes, and they also encourage very rigid standards for gender expression. The idea that men have to “act like men/manly” is where a lot of violence towards LGBT people comes from.
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When I was in high school and getting called faggot, and punched, and spit on, etc. IT wasn’t because they knew I wanted to have sex with men, it was because I was effeminate and din’t fit society’s rigid gender roles.
The NFL has an “In the Community” web page with an email comment form. The email I just submitted is below. It bears remembering that it is not just the Mars Co. (Snickers) that took part in this, but NFL too. Their players were part of the ad campaign, and NFL still is promoting Snickers on their website. My email:
Are you talking about the guys ripping a chunk of chest hair off THEIR OWN chest as violence against gays??? Because when you say . . .
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“The commercial advocates violence against gays as a way of proving that one isn’t gay. It sickens me that the NFL advocated violence against gays.”
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It just seems like you are making this into something that it’s not. I don’t think the commercial is “advocating” violence against gays. These guys ripped THEIR OWN chest hair off, not the other guys.
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Anyway – They are just making a joke. I think you may be reading too far into this – that’s all. I’m sorry if the commercial offended you.
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I mean you understand right . . . when you say something like “It sickens me that the NFL advocated violence against gays.” It leads people to believe that the NFL is encouraging people to go out and commit acts of violence against gay people. That was clearly not the case here. It is just a joke.
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Update from John Aravosis
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Web
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Mars to John
NO apology or comitment to change from Snickers or Mars however. Instead they say that humor is “subjective.” Right.
I will admit that I have a pretty tasteless and dry sense of humor – I’m sure that my friends would admit that for me as well. The actual commercial during the SuperBowl did not offend me very much – I laughed a s a matter of fact. It wasn’t until I saw the “alternative endings” and players reactions that I became really angry. Portraying anyone drinking antifreeze or being hit w/ a wrench at the thought of being gay? And player’s reactions- obviously the players who participated are completely ignorant, probably never even met a gay person or had an openly gay friend/family member. If they had they would never feel comfortable acting that way for the entire world to see. Personally I don’t plan on eating a snickers bar ever again, which won’t be hard (I’m not a huge fan of chocolate) what’s worse is that the NFL actually allowed the use of their logo on this disgusting publicity stunt. The gay community has become more and more complacent, lazy even. But for this there should be an outright public apology from both the NFL and Mars Corp. Bottom line: This material is offensive, and bigoted. As said before, I’m a guy with a pretty dark sense of humor and I’m a football fan as well. Removing the site is not enough. Not in this day and age. If anyone has info on where to send formal complaints, fill me in or post online.
There is one simple fact that is being lost through all of the anger. The reaction by the players is something that is never going to change, straight men will always find two men kissing a little gross, offensive, disturbing, what ever you want to call it. The reaction of “oh that’s gross, did they really have to kiss” is natural for straight men. Getting mad at the NFL or Mars, Inc. is not going to change human nature. Just like sending homosexuals to “deprogramming” camps are not going to change them. Some people may become more “comfortable” with it by exposure to friends and family that are homosexual but that just means that their reactions are less prominent.
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As far as the claims that the alternate endings advocate violence against homosexuals, IMHO, this is a stretch. If in the “Love Boat” ending the two guys beat up the third and he was effeminate, that would have been advocating violence against homosexuals.
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I’m sorry but outrage at Mars, Inc. and the NFL over this is not helping your cause it’s hurting it. It makes you look ridiculous, you look like the authorities did last week when they overacted to the litebrites. You are marginalizing yourselves by getting made over an advertising campaigning that most of us found a little humorous and would have forgotten about if the you didn’t make suck a stink over it.
It is exactly like the Lite Brite hoax. The Marketing team at Mars is high five-ing each other right now. You can’t buy this kind of publicity. And I expect HUGE sales from Mars this Halloween.
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