Is the boy in the Moschino Barbie ad a leap forward?

That wasn't a rhetorical question. While I applaud gender diversity in a traditionally female toy category, the portrayal of the boy seems a little... umm... stereotyped?

FRIDAY IS FIERCE LIKE #MOSCHINOBARBIE

A video posted by Jeremy Scott (@itsjeremyscott) on Nov 20, 2015 at 5:00pm PST

Not that there's any problem whatsoever with implying that the little boy is gay, but did they have to do it with such a cartoonish cliché?

People seem pretty happy with this development (at least the Buzzfeed set) but I'm not sure this is as progressive as it seems. The idea that Barbie is an obsession for gay men is not exactly new, nor is the conspicuous presence of gay men in the fashion industry.

Making the only male character in the ad a miniature Jeremy Scott is a big wink to insiders, but what is it doing to transcend stereotypes? Heterosexual — or less stereotypically gay — boys who want to play with dolls in this sexist, homophobic world won't be helped by this stereotype. They might even be hurt by it.

Google goes gay for #Sochi

It was a busy day, so I only just noticed this now:

Text reads:

"The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play." –Olympic Charter

Way to be less evil, Google!

Is this NZ beer billboard the right way to welcome equal marriage?

Now that New Zealand has equal marriage, this ad brings up the question of whether the advertiser is taking a cheap shot at same-sex marriage or simply "normalizing" it by including gay people in some rusty old step-parent humour.

According to the brewer:

‘‘Our intention with the current Tui Yeah Right billboard ‘Dad’s new husband seems nice’ was to highlight the common situation or uncertainty experienced when someone’s parent remarries. 

‘‘Given the recent passing of the Same Sex Marriage Bill in Parliament, this ‘Yeah Right’ line is a topical spin at the age-old situation of a parent's new partner.’’

Tui's Facebook page is hosting an impassioned discussion of the ad's intentions, including the (regrettably) inevitable homophobic comments.

Adfreak's David Kiefaber concludes, "I don't think Tui meant any actual harm here, but the delivery was crap. If you have to explain a joke, that's proof that it bombed. That's not something you can blame on the audience."

British homophobes offended by pictures of women kissing... themselves

All images via Daily Mail

So here's a thing. The Daily Mail reports that these images, used on-site to promote the Harvey Nichols department store in the UK, provoked 17 complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority.

From the ASA site:

1. Nine complainants challenged whether the ads were offensive, irresponsible and unsuitable for untargeted display where they might be viewed by children, because they appeared to portray a lesbian kiss;
2. Ten complainants challenged whether the ads were offensive, irresponsible and unsuitable for untargeted display where they might be viewed by children, because they were sexually explicit;
3. Two complainants challenged whether the phrase "LOVE THYSELF", combined with the images in the ads, was offensive on religious grounds.

Here's their ruling. It's actually kind of entertaining reading:

Assessment 

1. Not upheld 

The ASA noted that each of the three ads showed an image of a woman leaning in to kiss her mirror image, rather than another woman. We considered that, particularly because of the identical styling of the model in each ad and the text "LOVE THYSELF", the content was sufficiently clear and was unlikely to be widely misunderstood. 

We acknowledged that some complainants had interpreted the posters differently and had understood them to depict a lesbian kiss. One person also mentioned a young child who had not identified that the kiss was between one woman and her mirror image. Although we recognised that some people might have found what they perceived to be a portrayal of a lesbian kiss distasteful, we considered that a reference to homosexuality in an ad would be unlikely in itself to cause widespread or serious offence or constitute irresponsible advertising. 

Because we considered that it was sufficiently clear that the posters showed one woman about to kiss her mirror image, and because we also considered that they were unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence even if interpreted differently, we concluded that the ads were not offensive, irresponsible or unsuitable for untargeted display because they appeared to portray a lesbian kiss. 

On that point, we investigated the ads under CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 1.3 (Responsible advertising) and 4.1 (Harm and offence) but did not find them in breach. 

2. Not upheld 

We noted that close-up images of models' faces were common methods of advertising beauty products, and that the emphasis in each of the ads was on the styling of the model. In addition, the text "LOVE THYSELF" was prominent because of its size and position on the posters. We therefore considered that the aim of the ad, to promote the beauty department of a well-known department store, was clear and that the images used were consistent with that message. 

The posters showed close-up shots of the face of a woman leaning in to kiss her mirror image; in each instance her lips were slightly parted but the faces were not touching. We noted that no nudity was shown and the poses were not provocative. We therefore concluded that the ads were not sexually explicit and were consequently not offensive, irresponsible or unsuitable for untargeted display. 

On that point, we investigated the ads under CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 1.3 (Responsible advertising) and 4.1 (Harm and offence) but did not find them in breach. 

3. Not upheld 

We noted that the words "LOVE THYSELF" bore some similarity to the bible verse "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" and understood that, if that association was made, the ads could be seen to distort a religious message for commercial means. However, in our view the text "LOVE THYSELF" was not so strongly linked to the most central tenets of the Christian faith as to be widely interpreted as mocking the sacred elements of that religion. We also noted that "LOVE THYSELF" was not a direct biblical quote, and for that reason considered that it was not exclusively associated with Christianity. Given the absence of any other imagery or references which could carry religious meaning in the ads, we concluded that, in the context of an ad promoting a store's beauty department, the phrase "LOVE THYSELF", combined with the images of a woman about to kiss her mirror image, was not offensive on religious grounds. 

On that point, we investigated the ads under CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 1.3 (Responsible advertising) and 4.1 (Harm and offence) but did not find them in breach. 

Action 

No further action necessary.

Love the Bible reference.

Sexualized? Yes. Exploitative? Yes. But officially not gay. That's a relief.

Tip via Jezebel

Kindle ad gives a shout-out to equal marriage

Worth watching:



Nice work. A little forced, but it's progress.

A feather in the cap for Amazon. But Google managed to screw it up.

According to Queerty:

...a Queerty reader tipped us off this morning that YouTube has removed the ad for Amazon’s e-reader because of a “violation of YouTube’s policy against spam, scams and commercially deceptive content.” 

He wrote, “I checked the link, and confirmed that was what happened: no video, but a notice that it had been removed.”...
Fortunately, by this afternoon the ad was back on the site.

Apparently, YouTube reacted to user complaints against the ad as "inappropriate", while allowing several homophobic comments to stand (in a violation of their own policy). Boo.

Tip via Buzzfeed

Pranksters successfully trade their homosexuality for some free Chick-fil-A with a fake coupon

John Nelson and Robert Stiefler run the satirical Chick-fil-A Foundation, through which they troll fundamentalist Christians in the name of LOLs. It's presumably a reaction to the chicken fast food chain's recent messy run-in with the public fight over equal marriage in the US.

The coupon, above, was part of the Chick-fil-A Foundation's "Trade Your Homosexuality for a Chicken Sandwich Day!" promotion last year.

In the video below, John and Robert actually succeeded in redeeming two of the coupons at an unspecified Chick-fil-A, despite the fact that the fake text says it's valid at the controversial NYU store and only on March 6, 2012 (the video was just published two days ago).

I'm wondering if the manager just gave them the sandwiches to get rid of them quickly.

Here's a less obvious fake coupon from the site:

Tip via Gawker

This ad is so gay

Via Adrants

And isn't that wonderful?

Red Hook, a beer brewed in Washington and New Hampshire, has come out in favour of marriage equality in the run-up to next Tuesday's election in the United States. Americans in Maine, Maryland and Washington will also have the opportunity to vote for equal marriage amendments, and Minnesota voters have a "traditional marriage" one to consider.

This year's massively-polarized political climate has several brands to "take sides" on LGBT issues, including Oreo, Target, Gap and JC Penney flying the rainbow flag, and Chick-fil-A becoming an accidental shibboleth for the anti-equality movement. And Marriott International, an organization that "once counted Mitt Romney as a corporate board member" and whose owner "is among the candidate's top donors," is (ironically?) targeting lesbian couples in its advertising.

Adrants' Steve Hall points out:

It's always a gamble when a brand takes a stand on such polarizing issues. At risk is the loss of business from one end of the spectrum or the other. But it's admirable when a brand is brave enough to publicly share its collective beliefs.

It is great. Although I'm not sure a microbrewery is taking much of a risk in appealing to a more progressive audience.

Lynx offers to help you "cure" gay women

This silly little promotion is on the Lynx Hong Kong Facebook page. But it has a shady context.

Cecil Chao is the Hong Kong billionaire who has offered a $65 million "marriage bounty" to any man who marries his daughter, Gigi Chao.

Gigi, 33, has a longterm relationship with another woman, who she wed via civil partnership in France earlier this year.

So to recap, Lynx/Axe would like you lads to know that drenching yourself in that stank is a surefire way to "convert" lesbians.

Total dick move.

Tip via Neil Hopkins, who shared the story from AdAge

Expedia comes out with touching same-sex marriage travelogue

Apparently, One Million Moms haven't seen this yet. Expedia Travel joined the many American brands that are coming out in support of same-sex marriage when they launched this short as part of their "Find yours..." campaign:



The campaign line is, "We know that every trip is unique, personal and has the potential to be transformational. With more travel options than anyone else, we exist to help each individual find exactly what it is they are looking for."

About this video, they state, "On this trip, Artie Goldstein travels across the country to attend his daughter's same-sex wedding, a journey that will test him, challenge him, and ultimately change him in unexpected ways."

It's a nice statement about love and acceptance. Unfortunately, many others have taken to Expedia's Facebook page to make statements of hate and intolerance, as documented by Buzzfeed:

However, in the words of Dan Savage, it gets better. As of this writing, the most recent comments are overwhelmingly positive:

Life imitates The Onion (once again)

First, here's The Onion:


Tampa Bay Gay Prostitutes Gearing Up For Flood Of Closeted Republicans

Ha ha ha...

Except it's sort-of actually true. Here's an actual promotional offer from a Tampa Bay bathhouse, Ybor Resort & Spa:

Hey, at least they won't have to pay for it.

The old "loud homophobes are obviously just closeted" trope would feel like homophobia itself, if it weren't the actual gay community who keep bringing it up. And if it didn't end up proving itself so damn often.

Target targets the same-sex wedding industry

Via Stylite

Following JC Penney and The Gap, low-price retailer Target has publicly taken sides in the United States' agonizing cultural struggle over equal marriage. 

Don't be fooled into thinking that they're doing it just to be nice, however — gay marriage is big business. Especially if One Million Moms reacts with predictable fear and anger, generating lots of free publicity.

Gay hookup site offers Tom Cruise lifetime membership #FdAdFriday

Huffington Post reports that Manhunt, a "gay dating/social networking site," is offering Tom Cruise a lifetime membership as consolation for his upcoming divorce.

It's a shrewd PR move for the site. They don't actually claim to know that the Scientologist/actor is gay (unlike porno actor Chad Slater, whose claims earned him a $100 million defamation lawsuit).

It's the outing that wasn't.

Oreo does its part in the mainstreaming of gay pride

According to AdFreak's David Griner:

Around 8 p.m. Eastern, Oreo posted a gay-pride-themed picture featuring a six-layer cookie colored like a rainbow, with “June 25” and the word “Pride.” The caption said “Proudly support love!” (The significance of the date is unclear, at least to me. San Francisco’s famous Gay Pride Parade was the 24th, as was the one-year anniversary of New York’s Marriage Equality Act.) 

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the tipping point for gay acceptance in the United States is well behind us. Marketers know this, which is why you'll see big suburban, soccer-momin', minivan-drivin',  Fifty-Shades-of Grey-hidden-in-the-bedside-table-readin' brands like JC Penney are standing up to the anti-gay lobbies.

Besides which it's not as if Kraft has anything to fear from "One Million Moms". They already pissed off those fundamentalist astroturfers when they used the colloquial euphemism "shut the front door!" in an Oreo ad last winter.

The response, both positive and negative, has however made the Oreo Facebook page blow up real good...

Although when I visited it, I discovered that this wasn't the first rainbow Oreo:

Hotel chain that loves Mitt Romney also loves women who love women

According to Buzzfeed Politics, Marriott International "once counted Mitt Romney as a corporate board member" and its owner "is among the candidate's top donors."

They have also launched a campaign targeted to gay women called "Be you, with us". Which is cool.

And this is no stealth campaign. From the press release: 

“We are proud of this campaign and of our long-standing reputation for our commitment to diversity and inclusion,” says Joanna Todd, vice president, segment strategy.  “Our core strength lies in our ability to embrace differences and make everyone feel respected and valued when they visit and stay in our hotels.  Later this year, we will also launch new campaigns to reach African American and Latino audiences.”

The campaign is by UniWorld Group, Inc., Marriott’s Multicultural Marketing agency, along with the company’s LGBT communications specialist, Bob Witeck, President of Witeck Communications. 

The Lesbian and Gay Travel section of their web site adds:

We’re proud to say Marriott was one of the first hotel companies to offer equal benefits to same-sex couples nationwide, earning us top ratings on the Corporate Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign. 

We want our gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender guests to feel at home at every Marriott property. We invite you to explore Pride celebrations around the globe, find special travel offers and packages, and discover all the ways we’re celebrating with you.

Which is awesome. But it should be interesting to see what happens when the worlds of Mitt "marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman" Romney and "Be you, with us" collide.

As they certainly will, once One Million Morons Moms gets a whiff of this...

Awkward Headline of the Day #2 #FdAdFriday

Via Copyranter

Now that Rick Santorum is out of the race, it's nice to see some new political headline awkwardness.

Who needs Princes?

This image was recently shared on Facebook by A Girl's Guide To Taking Over The World.

Since my lesbian friends on FB gave it the "thumbs up" I figured I could share it here and have it taken in the appropriate "Some chicks marry chicks. Get over it." context.

I think my gal-lovin' gal friends liked it because the body language shows real passion and affection, not just "making out".

I'm not sure Disney will be as pleased.

London Mayor blocks "cure your gayness" transit campaign

The above king board was supposed to run on several buses in London, England, next week. That is, until the city's mayor intervened.

According to the Guardian, the ad by "Christian" organization Core Issues was blocked by London Mayor Boris Johnson in his capacity as Chair of Transport for London.

In case you haven't noticed, it parodies the popular human rights slogan, "Some people are gay. Get over it!"

He defeated the frickin' Balrog, so you may want to heed him.

Surprisingly, the Advertising Standards Authority, which bans every ad that upsets even a couple of people, cleared the creative in advance.

"We went through the correct channels and we were encouraged by the bus company to go through their procedures," Core Issues Trust leader Mike Davidson told the press.

But the Conservative Mayor would have none of it. "London is one of the most tolerant cities in the world and intolerant of intolerance," he said. "It is clearly offensive to suggest that being gay is an illness that someone recovers from and I am not prepared to have that suggestion driven around London on our buses."

Core Issues is crying "censorship" which is their prerogative. But assuming homosexuality is something you're born into, these ads as bad as promoting programmes to teach people to stop being Swedish, or stop being female.

Brian Paddick, the Liberal Democrat mayoral candidate, is gay. He made light of the situation.

"As mayor I want to make London a place that is welcoming to all people," he quipped, "including Christians."

Posthumous baptisms countered by posthumous gay "conversion"

Huffington Post reported today that a radical group of Mormons in the Dominican Republic have declared famous Holocaust victim Anne Frank, who was Jewish her whole short life, "baptized by proxy" into their church.

As bizarre and disrespectful as this practice is, it was only stopped by the mainstream Mormon church after an agreement reached with Jewish religious leaders in 1995, and church leaders continue to apologize for renegade baptisms.

That's not enough for one group of anti-Mormon internet pranksters, however. They have set up as site called "All Dead Mormons Are Now Gay"

The site specifically adds, "*Holocaust victims are not eligible for conversion."

The site mines a Mormon database to give you the name of a random deceased Mormon who you can "convert" to homosexuality. Considering that homosexuality is a sin in their religion, this is quite an awkward position to be in.

Personally, I don't think religious intolerance should be fought with religious intolerance. Plus, equating sexual orientation with religion makes it seem that both are by choice — which is exactly how people against gay rights tend to see things.

But hey, I found this link on Fark. So what can you expect?

Ellen DeGeneres, 1; One Million Moms, 0

From One Million Moms:

Recently JC Penney announced that comedian Ellen Degeneres will be the company's new spokesperson. Funny that JC Penney thinks hiring an open homosexual spokesperson will help their business when most of their customers are traditional families. More sales will be lost than gained unless they replace their spokesperson quickly. Unless JC Penney decides to be neutral in the culture war then their brand transformation will be unsuccessful. 

Their marketing strategy is to help families shop and receive a good value for their money. Degeneres is not a true representation of the type of families that shop at their store. The majority of JC Penney shoppers will be offended and choose to no longer shop there. The small percentage of customers they are attempting to satisfy will not offset their loss in sales.
JC Penney has made a poor decision and must correct their mistake fast to retain loyal customers and not turn away potential new, conservative shoppers with the company's new vision. 

"Importantly, we share the same fundamental values as Ellen," said Michael Francis, president of J.C. Penney Company in a press statement. "At JC Penney, we couldn't think of a better partner to help us put the fun back into the retail experience. Moving forward, we'll be focused on being in sync with the rhythm of our customers' lives and operating in a 'Fair and Square' manner that is rooted in integrity, simplicity and respect. We're thrilled that she's joining our team to help convey the exciting transformation under way." 

"They have an incredible vision for the future and are completely re-inventing themselves to become America's favorite store," said DeGeneres in a press statement.

By jumping on the pro-gay bandwagon, JC Penney is attempting to gain a new target market and in the process will lose customers with traditional values that have been faithful to them over all these years. 

TAKE ACTION
Make a personal phone call to JC Penney's customer service department. Their numbers are 972-431-8200 (customer service) and 972-431-1000 (corporate headquarters).
Ask JC Penney to replace Ellen Degeneres as their new spokesperson immediately and remain neutral in the culture war. 

"Neutral"? Hilarious! Neutrality would mean accepting that sexual orientation has nothing to do with the issue.

But I love the way OMM quote JC Penney and DeGeneres as if we're supposed to be outraged. JC Penney has made an excellent move in striking up a partnership with a celebrity who gay and straight people alike love for her humour and intellect.

According to Reuters:

"DeGeneres' daytime talk show has more viewers than the American Family Association has moms. Between January 16 and January 22, "Ellen" averaged 3.38 million viewers -- or 2.38 million more people than the AFA has moms."

And then she totally owned them with this statement:

Give it up, one million morons. Your relevance has passed.

The anti-gay-marriage movement in New Hampshire needs a better agency

Just some thoughts...

Whose values will I embrace? I don't know... which one of these groups thinks people have a right to be different from them? I pick that one. I also pick the one with better slogans.

Erosion can be a good thing. We wouldn't have the Grand Canyon without it. Or George Takei.

Tip via Buzzfeed