Naomiwynn wrote:



This ad is a HUGE FRICKIN' BILLBOARD on Houston St somewhere between sixth and second ave in manhattan.

a couple of years ago, ck had a huge billboard on houston and lafayette that was far racier than this.  let's just say the word 'rimjob' came to mind.  not offensive to me, though.  i advocate the de-tabooing of naughty things.

Lamonica wrote:
I have seen it and I still don't understand. I really don't think thats what they were trying to say. If the guy was black, I don't think everyone would freak out that they were saying that they are trying to say that black people love donuts.

Actually, Lamonica, it's the same thing, and theme I see bubbling up here is the contemptuous treatment by advertisers of, essentially, their target audiences through caricature and stereotype.

We haven't lost our sense of humor.  Go to any car buff show, and you'll see a small community of two- to four-foot high, thereabouts, mechanic dolls rigged up in backward brimmed hats and overalls and leaning over something with a wrench handy in the back pocket.  That's li'l Bubba.  But Big Bubba--he's my high tech engineer friend in D.C. earning six figures, commuting to Lockheed in a Corvette, and watching NASCAR, religiously, on Sundays.  I'll tell you what he doesn't like, and it's based on a still recently formed, baby-boom inspired, powerful market demographic: threatening ads about medical problems he doesn't yet have--the ED spots, of course, but also Lipitor, and others--right up there with hair coloring and recovery remedies for men.  Shudder!

But getting back to us dumb, male animals, also black people and fat people and just about everyone else who ever inspired a cheap shot at their humanity: we're tired of being demeaned, patronized, preyed upon, and threatened.

Kaiser Permanent tells me, "Be your own cause."  Hey--stay the hell out of my hair, keep a bed ready for when I need it, and spare me the cheerleading Dylan: I am and have been my own cause from back before Methuselah (and so has everyone else).

Melvin Moten Jr wrote:

Maybe your plus-sized friends don't see themselves as "plus-sized."

Ooh, trust me, Bran does... heheh... he thinks he's big and beautiful... He's not ashamed of his size, he embraces it. That's why I love him, he's not afraid to just be him. Our one friend was freaking out over something and he told her to go eat a candy bar and shut up....lol... I love him. He thinks its ok to be sensitive, but things get out of hand when people become overly sensitive (ie, the bondage thread).

Black Ricco wrote:
I think that CK ad is a beautiful shot. I don't see anything offensive about it at all.

Personally, neither do I. I just object to having to answer my 6 yr old neice saying "what are they doing, UncleJoe?" I think they should be more careful about the venue in which such ads are shown/displayed.

Lens N Light wrote:

Personally, neither do I. I just object to having to answer my 6 yr old neice saying "what are they doing, UncleJoe?" I think they should be more careful about the venue in which such ads are shown/displayed.

Kids will pay no attention to this stuff..its something they dont know about.....what they do know is "ELMO", so if "ELMO" was up there, then kids will NOTICE......kids pay no mind...people need to STOP. These lines "what are they doing", and "why are they laying like that", from kids...just doesn't happen.....you're quoting a punchline from a joke, that is going to end up a dirty joke by daddy answering the kid........"Mommy, what is that long thing between the elephant's legs"?  "oh thats his trunk"..."no mommy, that long thing"....."well son....." 

In real life..kids are'nt going to bug their parents about a billboard that they have no clue to it, except if it is elmo up there...

Lens N Light wrote:
I just object to having to answer my 6 yr old neice saying "what are they doing, UncleJoe?" I think they should be more careful about the venue in which such ads are shown/displayed.

funny how this works.  if your neice were to ask the following in an even more powerful venue would you have the same sense of dismay/consternation, "uncle joe, why do so many people shoot and kill eachother on television?"

in the spirit of ultimate advertising and promotional awareness similar to nascar,
--face reality and the nikon-broncolor-chimera-bogen team of services

Mikes Images wrote:
Where is it written that people have some sort of "right" to not be offended?    Non-christians are offended by schools which have "Christmas celebrations". Others are offended by "In God we Trust" on US currency.  Some are offended by the phrase "One Nation under God", or the flag or National Anthem.  Some are offended by public prayer.   Others are offended by clothing styles, fashion styles, billboards, magazines, etc.  Fine, it's ok to be offended.  Enjoy being offended if you like.  What really bugs me is those people who feel they have some "right" to an "offended-free life" and try to impose their views on others.  If such people are given credibility, we'll have more illegal immigrants with driver's licenses voting, become a seven language country, women will wear loose fitting black clothing and hide their faces beneath veils, liquor won't be advertised or even available, magazines will become non-existant, movies will cease to exist, music will be terminated, and the creative nature of the entire society will become stifled.

If someone is offended by Penthouse or Hustler, write them a letter and tell them you won't buy their prduct.  If enough people do that, they'll change.  If they don't change, you're probably in the minority....accept that.

The same is true with Calvin Klein ads, or anything else that eminates from a company who'd like your business.  If chidldren inquire about why the people on the billboard aren't wearing any shirts, why not spend energy giving them a good answer and don't worry so much about being offended.  Such questions from children should be viewed as an opportunity to communicate and explain.

When it comes to everything else, please understand that even though you may have come from another country, you chose to come here.  Here, we speak English.  Here we have customs based on OUR (not your) historical heritage.  When my ancestors came here, they stopped speaking Polish, German, and Irish and began speaking English.  They began to celebrate the customs of the US, even though they differed from those of their own.  Sure, they still danced to polkas, and ate Polish sausages, but they didn't bitch about pledging allegiance to the flag.

If we are going to have freedom, we are going to be offended from time to time.  If we have a society that believes everyone has the "right" to not be offended, we will no longer live in freedom.  The difference between the two is infinite.

God bless a Free America.

I agree with you 100% -- but the OP did ask what advertisements offended us, which is a reasonable question.  My being offended by something dosen't mean i demand any type of policing action against said ads...The only police I need is the "off" button on the front of my tv set.

Melvin Moten Jr wrote:
I agree with you 100% -- but the OP did ask what advertisements offended us, which is a reasonable question.  My being offended by something dosen't mean i demand any type of policing action against said ads...The only police I need is the "off" button on the front of my tv set.

When it comes to people who are offended, you seem to be unusually tolerant.  I wish more people were.  Too many scream "there ought to be a law!"

Mikes Images wrote:
When it comes to people who are offended, you seem to be unusually tolerant.  I wish more people were.  Too many scream "there ought to be a law!"

People just need stop being offended....and stop being tight-asses!
I like Christmas decorations in department stores, but for idiots that are "offended" by it, really ruins it for others.
I don't like "rap" music, and its on 5 different radio stations, but I'm not offended. I know some of the music can be graphic, and i'm still not offended. I'll hear it, but pay no attention. Others, would have a crisis and write a book or get into politics cuz they heard a bad, bad song!

If I was jewish, I wouldn't care walking into a Boscov's with Christmas trees, Santa Claus saying hello to my kids...its all in celebration, and everyone celebrates differently. Ok, i can just go on and on....so I stop here.

Bottom line....people should erase the word "offended" and move on and do what you do in your own life, dont worry about what goes on around you.


PS: what am i going to do if I was jewish....Punch Santa in the face for saying hello to my child? And tell Santa while he is laying flat on his back with a bloody nose do not say hi to my child, he is jewish  LOL!

FosbreStudios wrote:

People just need stop being offended....and stop being tight-asses!
I like Christmas decorations in department stores, but for idiots that are "offended" by it, really ruins it for others.
I don't like "rap" music, and its on 5 different radio stations, but I'm not offended. I know some of the music can be graphic, and i'm still not offended. I'll hear it, but pay no attention. Others, would have a crisis and write a book or get into politics cuz they heard a bad, bad song!

If I was jewish, I wouldn't care walking into a Boscov's with Christmas trees, Santa Claus saying hello to my kids...its all in celebration, and everyone celebrates differently. Ok, i can just go on and on....so I stop here.

Bottom line....people should erase the word "offended" and move on and do what you do in your own life, dont worry about what goes on around you.


PS: what am i going to do if I was jewish....Punch Santa in the face for saying hello to my child? And tell Santa while he is laying flat on his back with a bloody nose do not say hi to my child, he is jewish  LOL!

I fully agree. It seems like sometimes, people are just looking for something to be offended by. If I let everything get to me, I would never be able to enjoy anything else. To be honest, I'm more offended when people perpetuate the sterotypes they are trying to break down.

Mikes Images wrote:
Where is it written that people have some sort of "right" to not be offended?

"You have the right to be offended. If you exercise this right, anything said to you may be twisted by you to permit you to take further offense. If you cannot muster the energy to be offended, someone else may be offended in your name. During any discussion, you may decide at any time to exercise this right, not answer any questions, and leave in a huff. "

On the other hand, nobody is under any obligation to care that you're offended...

Lens N Light wrote:

Personally, neither do I. I just object to having to answer my 6 yr old neice saying "what are they doing, UncleJoe?" I think they should be more careful about the venue in which such ads are shown/displayed.

Why couldn't you just say "They're laying on top of each other?"  It's the truth.  She doesn't know sexual overtones yet.

MsChris wrote:
Nothing really offends me as much as the scantilly clad 20% human, 80% plastic women that strut out with the cash on those poker shows. I don't know why this erks me so much, maybe because my husband watchs those shows and I'm just jealous that I am a flat chested homely looking midwest housewife.

Thanks, but maybe I wasn't clear. I'm trying to limit this to advertising on a national or global level only (altho' I'll admit I've seen some really weird local ads).

But yeah... you're the section of the country that I'm especially interested in hearing from since it appears most of the "offendees" seem to originate in the Midwest. Like I said before, advertising in a great part, is formed on the two coasts ... so there appears to be a great divide in sensibilities. I don't have the figures or graphs on consumer power geographically, but maybe I can dig that up later in the week (when my computer is fully online....).

Jim Goodwin wrote:
I hate the Burger King ads with the guy wearing the "king" mask, and the slogan is "wake up with the king". Those commercials just creep me out.

Those squick me out too.

Mayanlee:  I'm from the midwest so I'll share this with you.
My father hated the carl's jr commercial with paris hilton in it.  He's probably the type of demographic you're aiming too.  Don't know how helpful that is to you.  My mom hates women's period products commercials cuz they're always so damn happy.  She is convinced men make them and ignore the woman exec who tries to tell them the truth.  For what it's worth.

Lamonica wrote:

I have seen it and I still don't understand. I really don't think thats what they were trying to say. If the guy was black, I don't think everyone would freak out that they were saying that they are trying to say that black people love donuts. If I remember correctly, doesn't the guy say that there are donuts in some conference room. I'm not saying you shouldn't be offended, your entitled to believe what you want, I just don't understand why this one rubs you the wrong way.

It wouldn't be a black guy dreaming about donuts - that's not the regular steretype for black men. If it were a black man, it would be him dreaming about a woman with a big ass or a bucket of fried chicken.

Melissa Lynnette wrote:

Those squick me out too.

Mayanlee:  I'm from the midwest so I'll share this with you.
My father hated the carl's jr commercial with paris hilton in it.  He's probably the type of demographic you're aiming too.  Don't know how helpful that is to you.  My mom hates women's period products commercials cuz they're always so damn happy.  She is convinced men make them and ignore the woman exec who tries to tell them the truth.  For what it's worth.

OK, but WHY does your father hate that ad (he's not alone, btw). I have my own reasons, but it mostly centers on the fact that I think Paris Hilton's grandfather is probably rolling in his grave to see how his hard work went to the shytter.

How does your mom think women SHOULD be portrayed in feminine product ads?

Naomiwynn wrote:

It wouldn't be a black guy dreaming about donuts - that's not the regular steretype for black men. If it were a black man, it would be him dreaming about a woman with a big ass or a bucket of fried chicken.

Hey...who's been telling you about my dreams?!!???!

Mayanlee wrote:
How does your mom think women SHOULD be portrayed in feminine product ads?

I saw one the other day in which the woman using the ubiquitous blue liquid to substitute for menstrual blood demonstrated the absorbant power of a pad by rubbing it all over her chest.  It didn't offend me, but I did wonder whose bright idea that was.  Definitely touched my "ewwww" button.

Richard Tallent wrote:
I'm offended by the glut of advertising and sitcoms that portray every married man as a fluffy-but-lovable idiot and every wife as a smart-ass who mothers and manipulates her husband.

I hate Raymond. And Kevin James. And Tim Allen.

Give me comedies where men and women are equal nutters. The Costanzas of Seinfeld. King of the Hill. Married with Children.

I'm offended by racial pandering through token representation. The fact that every show, every advertisement, every freaking logo *must* have a person of color, a person of almost-can't-quite-make-out-the-color, and a few random white people.

I'm offended by the lack of racially-mixed couples on television and advertising. Sure, not all that common, but it isn't 1960 either.

I'm offended by scary graphics and music and unblinking coverage of utter useless crap by 24-hour news stations. Instead of focusing on some shark sighting in Florida, why not talk about the thousands of Americans who die every day from auto accidents and heart disease? Geeze, not wonder we have absolutely no perspective.

I'm offended by political "debates" that only include candidates from the two major political parties.

I'm offended by "news" programs that pit a blue idiot against a red idiot.

OMG, the first time I step into this post and the first post mirrors my thoughts exactly.  What are the odds?

Mikes Images wrote:

When it comes to people who are offended, you seem to be unusually tolerant.  I wish more people were.  Too many scream "there ought to be a law!"

Well, lets just say I've done my shift on the "other" side of the "offense" line, and have a unique view of both sides of the issue.  Judge not, lest ye be judged and all that. 

As I said earlier, the way I choose to deal with negative stereotypes is head on when I encounter them in real life.

Mayanlee wrote:
*bump*

I know it might be a boring subject, folks, but I could still use input.

I'm out looking for something to offend me.

Naomiwynn wrote:



This ad is a HUGE FRICKIN' BILLBOARD on Houston St somewhere between sixth and second ave in manhattan. I mean, possibly the biggest billboard i've ever seen outside of times square.
The sexual nature of the image is one thing - which was perhaps even more offensive than it otherwise would have been because i saw it when walking from a place where I work with children. ("what are they doing, mommy? Why aren't they wearing shirts?") And then the pedophilic nature of it is something else. Everything about her is dwarfed by him. It looks exactly like those ads that have a man holding an infant, except the infant is a topless woman, the man's package is clearly displayed and they are steps away from doing the nasty. He, a 30 yr old man. She, a freshman in high school.

To create an ad like that is one thing - it is a stunning image. I see the aesthetic value in it, although I wouldn't endorse it myself - but put it in a magazine. Do not blow it up to epic proportions and shove it down peoples' throats.

Oh, come on people - no one has even tried to refute the fact that the model looks like a primped up 14 yr-old. Which is really what mostly offended me in the first place. Sex is sex. Fine. Sex with a child is offensive.

Mayanlee wrote:
Like I said before, advertising in a great part, is formed on the two coasts ... so there appears to be a great divide in sensibilities. I don't have the figures or graphs on consumer power geographically, but maybe I can dig that up later in the week (when my computer is fully online....).

i think your research will also show the majority of advertising is under creative control in the midwest, not the right and left coast.  generally speaking, of course, sans the oft campaign that reaches beyond that might border on provocation such as those in the fashion industry.

chicago is a heavyweight for the industrial belt (trade magazines as chicago is a major design-build printing production center).  virtually every madison ave. agency has a major office in the windy city.  chicago is also in close proximity to where many consumer products are manufactured (p&g - kellogg - automotive - pharmacology).  there is a much stronger finger on the pulse for consumer sensibility and there are far more test markets in the midwest as well.  the midwest is the breeding ground, nyc-la bring the campaigns to life.

the primary reason nyc and la are so readily thought of as the nation's advertising centers is mostly due to production and media buying.  however, what people see in national campaigns is primarily the common sense midwest directive.

--face reality

Hey...who's been telling you about my dreams?!!???!

Are you black? if so, then obviously no one told me about your dreams. I just know. All black people dream about about big asses and fried chicken. Common knowledge.