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i used to like snickers, too.
Now, at the gym I go to there are several openly gay guys who workout and none of them remind me in any way of the guy in this ad. In fact, most of them seem a lot more "alpha male" than my straight friends.
At any rate, back on subject, what do people think the hidden motive is, is it to just capitalize on gay stereotypes to sell candy bars, or is Snickers making a morality statement too?
Firstly, Mr. T apparently does eat nuts.
Secondly, is a Gatling Gun ever an appropriate prop in a supposedly light-hearted candy commercial aimed at both young and old?
Thirdly, I thought the actor playing the walker was a handsome fellow playing straight and not camping the part.
Fourthly, Shouldn't Mr. T. have burst thru the building with a walker rather than a car at his age?
Stunning.
nobody bats 1000.
a tag line? "are those highlights? pussyboy."
.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xcfuCYNIcdY&feature=...
https://secure.aclu.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=...
Is this why the secret prisons have been constructed around the country. Is this his ultimate plan to take control. John you need to do some research into this.
more:
Tell Congress to reject the Bush/Mukasey plan to subvert the Constitution.
Dear ACLU Supporter,
Here they go again. On Monday, Bush’s Attorney General, Michael Mukasey, called on Congress to take dramatic steps to subvert the Constitution.
Mukasey is demanding that Congress issue a new declaration of war that would make the entire globe -- including the United States itself -- a “battlefield” where the president decides who will be locked up forever.
Instead of ending the Bush system of injustice, he wants Congress to make it permanent.
Tell Congress to reject the Bush/Mukasey plan to subvert the Constitution.
Not only has Bush’s Attorney General called on Congress to issue a new declaration of war, but he is also asking Congress to:
1. Gut habeas corpus -- the freedom that protects people from being thrown in prison illegally -- with no help, no end in sight and no due process.
2. Cover up the Bush administration’s systemic torture and abuse of detainees. Judges would not be allowed to see evidence of torture and abuse and would instead simply have to trust that a president is holding the right people as ”enemy combatants.”
With only five weeks left in the congressional schedule and only six months left in the Bush presidency, Mukasey’s power grab should be laughed out of town. But, given this Congress’ track record, the Mukasey proposal is no laughing matter.
Yeah, yeah, I am one of your oppressors, blah, blah..
My guess is the demographics they want is 16-25 year old redneck young men, given the car stunts, the gatling, the silliness with Mr. T. I think the add is more sophmoric than out and out homophobic.
If they want to hurt the heteros, use frozen snickers.
Maybe thats just me though, course im not gay so I'm obviously not as sensitive or in tune with the whole community.
"A global company with family values, Mars products are consumed in over 100 countries"
It's like Invasion of the Body Snatchers, feeling. I had no idea I was buy their products and this. No idea. See for yourself:
http://www.mars.com/global/home-lite.htm
I hate VISA and their stupid commercials.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=RLoSo2WYBrY
Well, there's my slightly OT peeve.
I read on Wikipedia that the Bolthouse Foundation supports the Evangelical Christian Alliance Defense Fund.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xcfuCYNIcdY&feature=...
I've been saying for the longest time that there's a difference between Gay/Lesbian issues and gender issues and this ad highlights that difference.
Does the ad say the gay is gay? No. Could he be gay? Not necessarily.
The guy isn't acting masculine (ie, "like a man") and Mr. T is telling him to "get some nuts".
You see the whole thing about gender roles playing out in several parts of the LGBT and straight communities. In films, women are taking on roles of power and being smart, while men are looking like wimps or children; in tv and magazines, we live in an age of the metrosexual, sensitive male. Women in the LGBT community seem to be still uncomfortable with men showing images of masculinity and power; Bears are something to be laughed at in John Waters's comedies. Even in the transgender community, there's a movement towards representing T's as androgynous and pushing aside FTMs that go towards a more outwardly masculine gender role.
The ad really highlights how politically incorrect it is for men to be masculine nowadays and that's part of what makes it edgy and funny. If you're a gay, lesbian or transgender that's offended, get over it and embrace that truck-drivin', bronco ridin', gun totin' gay male or ftm down the street - they're just being themselves, like you are.
I am tired of the automatic equating of gender-behavior and sexual orientation. Gay does not equal fey. Straight does not equal butch. Where I live, there are more soft, crying, long-haired, hippie-sarong-wearing "feel my feelings" New Age noodle-armed straight guys than you'd believe. They are not nearly as butch as the muscled, clean-cut, fabulous gay boys around here either.
The Jack character on Will & Grace, stereotypical gay, perhaps he's a role model for some gay guys, like Paris Hilton is for a small percentage of girls. It's not how most people behave. Most people are just people, regardless of sexual orientation.
M&M (also made by Mars) is keeping their brand more oriented towards families; their ads are aimed at adult and kids markets. Their ads use the M&M characters in different kinds of funny pop-culture references that are kid-friendly, but adult aware, such as their tv ad campaign with that uses an Addams Family theme.
I don't think gun imagery is inappropriate for the demographic that Snickers seems to be going for.
And, by the way, I think guns can be funny. Haven't you laughed at old Looney Tunes where Bugs puts his finger in Yosemite Sam's or Elmer Fudd's gun and it explodes in their face?
Just fyi, I used to like to have a snickers bar once in awhile, and liked Uncle Bens rice, but I have not purchased a Mars product since then. So, not much of a sacrafice on my part to keep boycotting them.
It is the worst advertisement I think I have ever seen. It is downright repulsive. I am through with Mars products forever----they can't redeem themselves. I'm not only through with them---but I will lobby every store I deal with who sells the product to quit selling the product, and where possible I will boycott those stores as well.
That add is hideous and the people who are running it are sickos.
Joe Watts
Listen, I like Mr. T as much as the next guy and his part in this ad is entertaining. However, it's just too bad that those who created & approved this commercial were fine with the it's-OK-to-beat-up-the-gay message.
Mr. T talking about nuts makes me chuckle though.
What matters is what the non-gay or homophobic crowds see.
The truth is, "inappropriate" gender performance, which many here at ABlog know to be unrelated to sexuality, is STILL used to make judgements about sexuality and it's those attitudes, couple with violence which help legitimize violence agains gay people.
So ask yourself, as far as you can: what does this look like to someone who doesn't understand that gender and sexualtiy are not linked?
Then ask if it plays homophobic.