Here's a close-up.
Yeah, I get it. The Paris-esque socialite is the wrong blonde to bring to your May 2-4 cottage party. She'll be all "That's Hot!" when you and your buddies are all "Let's play drunken fireworks tag!" And she'll probably complain about the bugs and, by day two, your manly odour.
But this ad also made me wonder if the "blonde" beer jokes have worn out their welcome. For one, they're sexist. For another, they're cliché. And perhaps more alarmingly for a Copywriter, they're based on a pun — the lowest form of ad humour.
But, from my new buddy Hamish's Skinny Blonde in Australia to more subtle brands like Toronto's Natural Blonde, the international beer industry will never be at a loss for blonde jokes.
Let's have a look:
"What's the deal?" some women may ask. The fact is, the association of drinking and sex is pretty hard-wired in the average young man's brain. As Drew Curtis, founder of popular (and sometimes damn funny) news discussion site Fark.com says in his bio, "Drew likes boobies and beer. That's pretty much it."
It's kind of embarrassing to be such a simple-minded folk,for us men. But despite being unoriginal and possibly offensive, I'll bet this latest blonde joke will be quite effective in driving sales. Among men.
BTW, I consider it no coincidence that my GIS for "blonde beer" turned up as many pictures of Paris Hilton (and soft-core blonde women) as it did of actual beer.
Hahahahaha "Let's play drunken fireworks tag!" Sounds about right for may 2-4.
ReplyDeleteIMHO as a young woman (and brunette), I think this appeals to more than just young men. Blonde jokes are a staple to women and men alike. Even some "dumb blondes" like them.
Think of the target market: Guys and girls who like to rough it and head out to the woods for a good campfire and far too many beers. Blonde female or not, they're going to enjoy making fun of the pretty-little-blonde-thing.
What I find more offensive than being a bit sexist and making fun of blondes: the terrible photoshop work done in the first image and the obvious wig on the 4th girl from the left.
I'm a blonde and I hear every blonde joke in the book! Sometimes I laugh because it is so ridiculous. How did the whole "dumb-blonde" stereotype even start? (Tom, you always know everything..do you know the history?)
ReplyDeleteRed Baron should know that not all blondes are prissy or materialistic (hehe)...don't let my hair colour fool you, because I would be the first girl out there ready to play sports, go fishing, play "drunken fireworks tag", and whatever else a May 24 weekend brings!
@Amanda, scientists believe the genetic mutation that resulted in blonde hair in Europe sprung up about 11,000 years ago — during the last ice age.
ReplyDeleteThe specific joke is a matter of scientific speculation, but based on interpretation of cave paintings and mammoth ivory carvings from the contemporary archeological sites, it has been reconstructed and translated as:
"How Zog get yellow-hair mate out of tree?
Wave."
My Tom, what a rapier-sharp wit you have.
ReplyDeleteI'm a blonde, and I can't stand these ads. I used to have a sense of humour about blonde jokes, until I discovered that some people actually believe blondes are stupid. Now I'm just so tired of it. Can you imagine if this commercial implied that some other group, like blacks or gays or what have you, are all stupid because of how they were born?
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