There's a commercial running right now for AT&T, that I wonder how it made it through a conference room of creative writers without getting shot down for being utterly stupid, and offensive to at least 50% of it's intended audience.
The commercial, is the one where the whipped husband, sheepishly tells his disapproving wife, he's added unlimited text messaging to their cell phone plan. She then summons the steeds of bitchiness and contempt, to belittle this guy for wasting such household money without discussing it with her first.
Does anybody notice, this cranky yenta is busy watering her precious hothouse flowers?
I would venture to say, if you own a home with a greenhouse, you are not strapped for cash for extra cell phone minutes. Unless she's working at a local nursery, and this poor sap just came by to update the missus on the cell plan, and let her take a free swinging kick at his manhood in the process. (Doubtful).
Assuming many men DO control the cell phone plan at home, how exactly is this commercial going to make them feel like calling AT&T and getting a piece of that? So, whatever. Another commercial where men are made out as spineless, stupid, helpless saps without their better halves.
I suppose there are an equal number of commercials that freely clown women with the same degree of condescension. But maybe not. Do me a favor folks, and remind me of what those commercials are.
The commercial, is the one where the whipped husband, sheepishly tells his disapproving wife, he's added unlimited text messaging to their cell phone plan. She then summons the steeds of bitchiness and contempt, to belittle this guy for wasting such household money without discussing it with her first.
Does anybody notice, this cranky yenta is busy watering her precious hothouse flowers?
I would venture to say, if you own a home with a greenhouse, you are not strapped for cash for extra cell phone minutes. Unless she's working at a local nursery, and this poor sap just came by to update the missus on the cell plan, and let her take a free swinging kick at his manhood in the process. (Doubtful).
Assuming many men DO control the cell phone plan at home, how exactly is this commercial going to make them feel like calling AT&T and getting a piece of that? So, whatever. Another commercial where men are made out as spineless, stupid, helpless saps without their better halves.
I suppose there are an equal number of commercials that freely clown women with the same degree of condescension. But maybe not. Do me a favor folks, and remind me of what those commercials are.
Czabe, I daresay that would be ZERO especially in these PC days where men, that the household depends on, are the easy target. The yentas would get those dimwits from the View all enraged to boycott the product and negative publicity for a 'minority' would cause marketers to pull the plug.
ReplyDeleteAnd, it can only be a pudgy/fat white male that can be made fun of without flak-think Peter Griffin and Homer Simpson.
ReplyDeleteThat commercial isn't aimed at men, it's aimed at women. That was a "powerful" women shluffing off the oppression of a man, which women enjoy seeing. According to a recent study, 68% of women use social media versus 54% of men. Additionally, women text 30% more than men. The AT&T guru's sought a women's happiness, not the pathetic husband that will only get a smartphone in order to get the family package and thus make their wives happier they can keep track of them, their kids, and get a cheaper plan.
Spot on.
(references to above stats: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/23/women-use-social-media-more_n_978498.html; http://www.marketingvox.com/marketing-data-roundup-women-text-shop-online-more-than-men-apple-tops-in-smartphone-satisfication-048914/)
Put a notebook in front of your tv for a week and put a check mark for every dumb guy commercial vs anyone that shows women in a bad light. You will see the overwhelming majority is dumb guy commercials. Funny thing is even my wife hates this particular commercial.
ReplyDeleteThere is no way any particular ethnic, racial or sexual preference group can be made fun of these days, with the exception of white males. After all, white males have caused all of the trouble in the world today. Oh, fat people are fair game, and it will be a matter of time before it's fat white guys who are the fops in all of these commercials.
ReplyDeleteI agree this guy seems whipped, but in the end, he is redeemed for getting the minutes for free and she comes across as an uber-beatch for jumping to conclusions. And I thought the same thing about her having a greenhouse and carping over the cost of cell minutes.
ReplyDeleteThis pales in comparison to the "guys doing stupid things with their cell phones" commercial. They are all looking like fools when a woman comes back from making copies and has to witness such childish behavior. Never mind that there isn't an office in the world where guys would be acting like the dolts in the commercial.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen the new Dr. Pepper 10 commercials? I feel as though they are a real insult to my intelligence because it claims that diet soda is for women and that this is no diet soda.....wouldn't by definition a soda containing a reduced amount of calories (only 10) be a diet soda? Are they implying that I should wear a skirt because I like Diet Coke? I do not need advertising campaigns telling me what is manly and what is not.
ReplyDeleteAnnoys the crap out of me when the NAACP, PETA, any women's group, etc dig up the smallest, unintended detail of something just to be offended by anything to show they are paying attention. Obviously, this is made to insult the white man but fukkin-a, big deal.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I watch this commercial, I can't help but wonder how much the unlimited messaging cost him. I am guessing it cost something ,so in the bizarro reality of this commercial, perhaps she is still going to be pissed at him.
ReplyDeleteIn another time, and another world, the Jim Brown response to her muttered desire to have married "John Clark" instead, would have been to throw her through the plate glass window of said hothouse.
ReplyDeleteOne of my married friends who earns the bread in the family has a good line for his wife when things like this come up.
"Hey, how's it spendin'..?"
A real conversation ender, that one.
wow, didnt know you all checked your man cards in at the door. Do you want to have a focus group later and talk about your feelings and lower testosterone levels? Man up and quit whining.
ReplyDeleteThe Swiffer ads got past the gatekeeper somehow as women portray discarded dirt, who suddenly magentically latch themselves to the Swiffer mop. This could be symbolic of the social climber who uses her "skills" to ascend to the next floor.
ReplyDeleteIt's a metaphor for real life.
Rarely have I met an attractive woman that moved up the ladder with merit alone.
One commercial you're looking for, Czabe:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAExoSozc2c
The Flinstones commercial from the 60s. A classic and that's about how far you have to go back.
Thank you internet for never forgetting.
Right on Postulation. It's not free, he had to sign up for unlimited minutes.
ReplyDeleteI want to set my oven to "clean" and stick my head in everytime I see that stupid ad.
The best part about this commercial is when he says he got the minutes for free by signing up for something else, shouldnt she again say, well how much did that cost!!!
ReplyDeleteits a commercial that pokes fun at how uptight people can be sometimes....and your response is being uptight.
ReplyDelete