little cauliflower ([info]xmorningxrosex) wrote in [info]feminist,
@ 2007-02-05 14:23:00
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Mars brand boycott
Snickers Superbowl website promotes violence against gays and lesbians, football players react in disgust to gays

The author spells out what happens in the commercials so you don't need to watch (although he provides links so you can), and why this marketing campaign is so bad.  He also proposes a boycott of Mars products (Snickers, M&Ms, Twix, etc.), and gives contact info to register a complaint with Snickers.  You can also go to mars.com to view a list of their products by country, if you're interested in boycotting in addition to emailing them. 

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[info]ladyvorkosigan
2007-02-05 08:58 pm UTC (link)
That's disgusting - thank you for sharing that (I didn't watch the Superbowl and so was completely uninformed).

Although, it's amusing to note that in an entirely different context(i.e. one meant to provoke thought rather than to titilate) the shot showing men drinking antifreeze to be "manly" after kissing could be a rather clever satire of the "cut off your nose to spite your face" aspects of homophobia and the like.

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[info]donnaidh_sidhe
2007-02-05 09:19 pm UTC (link)
Yes, I rather like that interpretation of the ad as well.

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[info]fallenintograce
2007-02-05 09:17 pm UTC (link)
Honestly, the only alternate ending that offended me was the one with the effeminate third guy. The others came across as almost making fun of manliness - if drinking poisonous antifreeze is what it takes to retain one's masculinity, then go for it.

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[info]no2ndtroy
2007-02-05 10:17 pm UTC (link)
Funny, the "Love Boat" ending was the only one I liked because it didn't have the "death and having the shit beaten out of you are better than being gay" theme of the others. I thought that one was pretty positive. Just interesting how different our reactions are.

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[info]kayunderscore
2007-02-05 09:22 pm UTC (link)
Egads! I missed that commercial.

And wait, how is this going to sell their product? So, if they assume that their average viewer is a homophobe whose reaction is going to be "Eww! Guys kissing!", then why are they using something "disgusting" to sell food?

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[info]xmorningxrosex
2007-02-05 09:27 pm UTC (link)
Cuz clearly, Snickers supports the Man Code and understands how icky that is, and they're supporting Nascar and the Superbowl, so clearly men should buy their products to be even more macho. *eyeroll*

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[info]bifemmefatale
2007-02-05 09:48 pm UTC (link)
Here's the webpage to let Snickers know what you think:
http://www.snickers.com/contact.asp

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Update
[info]viruswshoes
2007-02-06 12:14 am UTC (link)
According to both The America Blog on Blogspot AND a friend of mine, the Snickers Mechanics site has been removed.

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[info]unsomnambulist
2007-02-06 12:54 am UTC (link)
While I did not see the commercial last evening I heard all about it on this mornings radio talk shows... To say the least I'm not sure if actually watching it could be any worse than hearing the ridicule that went on over the radio. (And is it just me or too many car CDs but since when has it been the thing to say "fag" over the radio?) Thanks for the link!

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[info]just_here
2007-02-06 02:03 am UTC (link)
This reminds me of the Burger King ads that suggest eating a Texas Whopper makes you a real man, rather than eating healthy food "like your girlfriend would force you to."

Thank you for posting this. It seems that the marketing companies think most American men have masculinity issues. Maybe they do? Or maybe they feel threatened by women? I hope it's the latter, and I hope they stop making ads such as these.

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[info]dayslikethisone
2007-02-06 03:11 am UTC (link)
Oy I can't stand that stupid Burger King commercial. Everytime I see it I cringe and want to write the company but I just can't think of anything intelligent to say. (I let emotions get the best of me and always come out sounding inarticulate).

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[info]callmegim
2007-02-06 07:37 am UTC (link)
Apparently I need to get heart disease in order to maintain my masculinity.

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Don't you know?
[info]mooshka
2007-02-06 05:57 pm UTC (link)
Healthy men aren't hot!
I was reading a anthropological explanation for this. By showing that you can eat poison and live, you show you are strong. And yes, a hamburger does border on poison.

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Re: Don't you know?
[info]callmegim
2007-02-06 07:19 pm UTC (link)
Hmmm....I suppose that fits with a lot of cultures "feats of daring do" have around proving that your strong/have good genes.

Well, off to eat till i'm sick *dons hat*

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[info]idemandjustice
2007-02-06 01:24 pm UTC (link)
Have you found a place where you can send them comments? I remember looking around last year when I first saw the commercial, but I couldn't figure out how to contact them. And when I mentioned it on my journal, one of my former "friends" said that I was oppressing their freedom of speech.

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[info]idemandjustice
2007-02-06 01:23 pm UTC (link)
They started playing those commercials again, too. I'd thought they were gone, but lately, they've been back.

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[info]life___question
2007-02-06 03:12 am UTC (link)
I thought it was funny and thought-provoking in a sense.

Pulling out chest hair to prove masculinity?
Drinking MOTOR OIL?

I definitely got the impression that it was poking fun at the idea of masculinity, not suggesting violence toward gays..

Sort of like how my boyfriend will call his friend a wuss for not tazing himself, just because he knows the kid will do it because he's so terrified of emasculating himself.

The footage of the football players' reactions, however, is deeply unsettling.

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[info]ladyvorkosigan
2007-02-06 11:20 am UTC (link)
The footage of the football players' reactions, however, is deeply unsettling.

Yeah, that's what got me - it could be satirical without that, but when they're deliberately showing football players who the target audience presumably looks up to reacting negatively?

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Oh my god.
[info]mooshka
2007-02-06 05:59 pm UTC (link)
Sort of like how my boyfriend will call his friend a wuss for not tazing himself, just because he knows the kid will do it because he's so terrified of emasculating himself.

THAT IS THE FUNNIEST THING I HAVE READ ALL DAY!!!!!!
(And yes, in that case the caps lock was needed.)

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[info]iris_spiorad
2007-02-06 02:29 pm UTC (link)
Why are men so afraid of male attraction? Is the penis so powerful that all must quake in its path? That proximity to a foreign penis makes someone subservient and weak? I really don't get it.

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[info]__ephemera
2007-02-07 01:31 am UTC (link)
YOUR. ICON. IS THE BEST THING I HAVE SEEN ALL DAY.
:D

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