Snickers Ad Out Over Homophobia Complaints

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White Rain

White Rain

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http://www.wsbtv.com/entertainment/10946449/detail.html

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. -- A commercial for Snickers candy bars launched in the Super Bowl broadcast was benched after its maker got complaints that it was homophobic.


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. (more at link)
 
White Rain said:
http://www.wsbtv.com/entertainment/10946449/detail.html

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. -- A commercial for Snickers candy bars launched in the Super Bowl broadcast was benched after its maker got complaints that it was homophobic.


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. (more at link)
Click to expand...

I didn't see the ad, but it was discussed at length this morning where I work.

To me the satirical target of the ad is the "homosexual panic" of the two mechanics. If I understand it correctly, I don't have a problem with it.

(But I want to be clear that GLAAD and the HRC do very good work. I donate to both and have for many years.)
 
I thought the laugh was on the homophobes myself. I didn't view it as a slam on gays but the other way around, which made it comical.
I mean these 2 homophobes looked like a couple of idiots and i had a good laugh at their expense.

This is a good topic anxious to hear what say you .
 
Nova said:
I didn't see the ad, but it was discussed at length this morning where I work.

To me the satirical target of the ad is the "homosexual panic" of the two mechanics. If I understand it correctly, I don't have a problem with it.

(But I want to be clear that GLAAD and the HRC do very good work. I donate to both and have for many years.)
Click to expand...
Oh! I so agree Nova.
 
JBean said:
I thought the laugh was on the homophobes myself. I didn't view it as a slam on gays but the other way around, which made it comical.
I mean these 2 homophobes looked like a couple of idiots and i had a good laugh at their expense.

This is a good topic anxious to hear what say you .
Click to expand...
I agree with you. I mean the guys are supposedly ripping out chest hair to appear "manly." Oooohhhh yeah that's real macho baby. :loser:
 
When I watched "The View" today Rosie was making some of her points about it and how she went to the website and viewed the alternate ending ect....That is when I thought to myself I can see how people get upset over it. It did in away make it seem like two men were grossed out by kissing and I can see how that would hurt some gay men's feelings. I did see it and thought it was funny though, lol.....JMO
 
michelle said:
When I watched "The View" today Rosie was making some of her points about it and how she went to the website and viewed the alternate ending ect....That is when I thought to myself I can see how people get upset over it. It did in away make it seem like two men were grossed out by kissing and I can see how that would hurt some gay men's feelings. I did see it and thought it was funny though, lol.....JMO
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They should remember, perhaps, that just a few years ago, the kiss would have drawn nationwide protests. Things have changed quite a bit.
 
Nova said:
They should remember, perhaps, that just a few years ago, the kiss would have drawn nationwide protests. Things have changed quite a bit.
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Yes they have changed. Rosie was actually pretty calm considering how she gets really fired up sometimes.
 
JBean said:
I thought the laugh was on the homophobes myself. I didn't view it as a slam on gays but the other way around, which made it comical.
I mean these 2 homophobes looked like a couple of idiots and i had a good laugh at their expense.

This is a good topic anxious to hear what say you .
Click to expand...
This is how I felt. The joke was on the two mechanics and on homophobes in general.
 
southcitymom said:
This is how I felt. The joke was on the two mechanics and on homophobes in general.
Click to expand...

I believe the tide turned, culturally, with the "Not that There's Anything Wrong with That" episode of Seinfeld. From then on, it's the homosexual panic of straight men we laugh at, in most cases, not gay men per se.
 
Nova said:
I believe the tide turned, culturally, with the "Not that There's Anything Wrong with That" episode of Seinfeld. From then on, it's the homosexual panic of straight men we laugh at, in most cases, not gay men per se.
Click to expand...
That's exactly what the ad was about! I don't understand why this group complained about it. All the gays I know (and I've lived in Atlanta for a while so I knew quite a few :D ) had a sense of humor. Sheesh.
 
This link was on the Super Bowl thread in the Jury Room. I saved it as a favorite until I had seen all the ads.

http://www.myspace.com/superspots

It's Snickers Kiss, second row on the right end.

I thought it was cute. I got a laugh out of it. Not a thing wrong with it I could see. You can view all the ads there.

Of course, I too have a sense of humor too, Nova and Janet Elaine, if it's funny, count on me to laugh
 
JanetElaine said:
That's exactly what the ad was about! I don't understand why this group complained about it. All the gays I know (and I've lived in Atlanta for a while so I knew quite a few :D ) had a sense of humor. Sheesh.
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Yeah. Historically, we were famous for our humor.

I should point out that while GLAAD and the HRC have national organizations, I don't believe they are monolithic. Like the ACLU, actions are often taken by members in one place that may not reflect the feelings of everyone who belongs (and, obviously, not everyone who supports the groups).

On the whole, they've been pretty good sports in the past, particularly GLAAD.
 
Nova said:
I believe the tide turned, culturally, with the "Not that There's Anything Wrong with That" episode of Seinfeld. From then on, it's the homosexual panic of straight men we laugh at, in most cases, not gay men per se.
Click to expand...
Interesting. I've never thought of that connection. I am greatly heartened with how far we have come in this regard - though we've still a ways to go.
 
southcitymom said:
This is how I felt. The joke was on the two mechanics and on homophobes in general.
Click to expand...

ITA. This is one of those things that makes you roll your eyes and think, "Did they run out of real problems to worry about?"

I think there is plenty of actual harrassment and hate-crime going on that we can move the Snickers commercial to the bottom of the list. :doh:
 
Well when no one on this planet, is killed for their sexual orientation, when it is accepted, when the church and preachers do not declare it a sin, people are not attacked and killed for being gay, when it is mainstream, then I would agree with all of you, but I still remember Matt Shepard.

When discrimination against gays does not exist anymore, when no one is harmed for being gay then I would love to see this commercial.

It is the implication and "underscore" of the message that is important here.

When same sex marriages are in all of the states and accepted then I may find humor in this commercial. I for one do not find it funny, I find it offensive.

In Canada, the Government had to inact laws that prevents speaking out against gays, since the churches are very vocal. Speaking out against gays is viewed in Canada as a hate crime. Just as speaking out against Jewish people, natives Indians, lesbians etc.

The church was not happy that they could not spew their hatred for gays publically.
 
I keep hearing about different commercials offending people, and people writing in to complain about the ads. I feel bad for companies these days. They are just trying to promote their business, and maybe throw some humor in ... yet, because some people get their pants in a wad, free speech and expression get taken away.

Snickers didn't have to pull their ad in my opinion. If I get offended by something, I just don't watch. I change a channel. I turn the other cheek.

These days, everything seems to be offensive.
What is this world coming to? :banghead:
 
I saw this commercial and thought that it was a cut to blue collar workers not homosexuals. It really made the guys look ridiculous in trying to prove their manhood due to a little brush on the lips with one another. Have any union members protested this commercial? :rolleyes:
 
Perhaps they should make an alternative commercial with one gay man and one gay woman kissing and have them both be disgusted. Would heterosexuals then have a right to complain?

I think this was a harmless commercial and a few are making something out of nothing. What's next? Will Al Sharpton complain that one of the men in the commercial were not black?
 
PrayersForMaura said:
I keep hearing about different commercials offending people, and people writing in to complain about the ads. I feel bad for companies these days. They are just trying to promote their business, and maybe throw some humor in ... yet, because some people get their pants in a wad, free speech and expression get taken away.

Snickers didn't have to pull their ad in my opinion. If I get offended by something, I just don't watch. I change a channel. I turn the other cheek.

These days, everything seems to be offensive.
What is this world coming to? :banghead:
Click to expand...

There's nothing new here, except perhaps that the media covers these things more.

Companies have always had p.r. problems and have developed various strategies to deal with those problems.

Snickers didn't "have to" pull their ad, and that's a fact, not opinion. They chose to do so (perhaps figuring rightly that the publicity over the matter was as valuable as anything the ad might have accomplished without a controversy). Snickers get to appear responsible, while sending millions to look at the ad on YouTube.

Like I said, the ad doesn't bother me, but the sky isn't falling because it was pulled.
 
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