Yet another reason to go to the candy-free checkout lane in the grocery store:
Mars, Inc./Masterfoods has decided that homophobia sells Snickers bars. In a new clip from AMV BBDO London, an effeminate speedwalker is chased by Mr. T, who shoots Snickers bars at him with a Gatling gun, shouts “It’s time to run like a real man!” and tells him to “Get some nuts!”
Pam has more on this, and Bil suggests, “Get some nuts, apologize, and make one hell of a large donation to the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Shooting at gay people isn’t funny – it’s a hate crime.”
This is Mars’ second homophobic ad in recent memory. A Super Bowl ad of 2007 showed two men accidentally kissing as they ate the chocolate confection, then being so repulsed they engaged in an aggressive display of masculinity. One alternate ending offered to Web site viewers showed one man attacking the other with a wrench. Joe.My.God has republished an open letter from Advertising Age critic Bob Garfield to John Wren, CEO of advertising agency Omnicon, criticizing the mega-agency for a string of homophobic ads it has produced in recent years.
Contact Snickers if you’d like to tell them what you think.
Ad embedded after the jump.
How is this homophobic? He’s SPEED-WALKING not ‘mincing’ or whatever straws you’re clutching at. What the hell.
Is there any other indication other than the fact he’s doing EXERCISE and speedwalking, which straight people do aswell. There is competition for speedwalking – does that mean all that enter are gay? No.
I think it’s pretty wrong to make assumptions and stereotype peoples gender purely on the way they act. Not all ‘camp’ men are gay. Just like not all ‘butch-dress-like-men’ women are lesbians.
Yes, maybe if there were two men walking down the street holding hands and Mr T zapped one of them into a woman *CUE SLOGAN*. THAT would be homophobic.
I think this advert is harmless. Only people looking for something to complain about is.
Just like the heinz advert. That is WRONG they took it off the air and WRONG people complained about a kiss which wasn’t even a ‘gay kiss’ it was a peck. If you want something to complain about, complain about that.
I agree there’s no evidence the speedwalker in the commercial is actually gay–but:
Most hate-crimes legislation that includes sexual orientation and gender identity/expression also includes those who are “perceived to be” LGBT, not just those who are. The speedwalker in the ad comes across to me as swishy and effeminate. He’s seen as less than fully masculine (“It’s time to run like a real man!” says Mr. T) and thus deserving of being shot at. To me, that perpetuates attitudes that are dangerous to LGBT people as well as those who are perceived to be, and makes this commercial far from “harmless.”
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