posted on September 19, 2000 12:42:35 PM new
There has been a fun commercial running during the Olympics. A sport shoe company spoofed all those Friday the 13th & Halloween type movies--the chainsaw-wielding killer goes after the girl who leaves him huffing & puffing in the dust as she sprints away. The commercial ends: "why sport? You'll live longer." Now, I have laughed every time I see this thing--because one thing I can't stand about those types of movies is that the poor, weak, cowering woman is helpless to get away from the whacko killer & always ends up in tiny pieces.
But last night on the news I was enlightened. Seems that this is not a humorous commercial. No. This is an evil product of crazed minds determined to show women as victims derserving of no better than being attacked with chainsaws. More, it is an affront to womankind everywhere. Women's groups have risen up to keep us safe from such foul excretions. The sport company, bowing its head in shame, is removing the commercial from the air. Stations are being asked to apologize for running the commercial.
And here I just thought the commercial was amusing. What was I thinking? I see that I must now turn a critical eye on all commercials, searching for anything that I *should* be offended by. And do something about it.
posted on September 19, 2000 01:06:40 PM new
Seems simple enough to me, Bunnicula. You found the ad appealing because you've always known that you were deserving of no better than to be attacked with chainsaws. The more chainsaws the better.
posted on September 19, 2000 01:11:38 PM new
I'm with you bunnicula, that commercial just cracked me up. I
particularly liked the part where the would-be killer chain sawed his
way through the door that wasn't even locked. LOL! That commercial
was funnier and more imaginative than most of the prime time sit
coms that are on. Yeah, I sure am thankful for the "decency police"
out there "protecting" us.
I suppose next they'll pull the Mr.T commercial. (my second favorite,
after the Friday the 13th one) After all, Mr.T is being a big nasty
bully. Surely millions are offended. I mean somebody was gonna
have to give Mr. T a foot rub............ c'mon, how depraved can a
society get?
posted on September 19, 2000 01:23:30 PM new
It's worse than that. Mr.T was to be brought down by a horde of feminist brunhildas and hacked to pieces with chainsaws but they canned that one as demeaning to black people.
posted on September 19, 2000 05:10:57 PM new
In one of the rare moments when I allowed my family to watch a television program, AND went to the trouble of lugging the unused TV set up from the basement, I was appalled to be assaulted by that disgusting Nike commercial during the OLYMPICS!!
Sorry, but I think that commercial is totally devoid of any humor or any quality that would make it worth my 60 seconds to view it. I'm not a fan of those chop-'em-up movies and don't care to see even glimpses of them. It has nothing to do with women, politics, or anything other than bad taste and a low level of creativity.
posted on September 19, 2000 05:31:27 PM newbusybiddy: we'll agree to disagree on this one Everyone has their buttons...if *I* was going to choose one commercial to be offended or "bothered" by, it would be those new Coke commercials they're running. I especially don't like the one where the son comes home at last from the military & his family rushes out to see him--only to be rebuffed because they have the audacity not to have a coke waiting for him. Heartwarming...
posted on September 19, 2000 05:45:06 PM newbunnicula
YES! I saw that one, also, and agree that it is equally bad.
Think about what that commercial says about our society. We wonder why we seem to be so uncivil towards each other and here we have a commercial that exemplifies what's wrong. Just let our kids think that their own needs and wants are more important than someone else's OR that the feelings of others can be trampled on and it's not only OK, it's FUNNY!!
It has been discouraging to me to watch television these last few days. I really wanted to see some of the Olympic events but having to put up with all the peripheral garbage is getting to be too much.
posted on September 20, 2000 06:06:02 AM new
I've not seen the commercial in question, but I did see one for Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats a couple of weeks ago that was really disturbing.
Picture a strange looking man in a plastic looking bright suit, with hair made of chocolate rice krispie treat mixture. Then picture another man with similar looks, they then hug and shimmy (dance) together.
Now, what does that have to do with a childs snack food? Kellogg's pulled the commercial after numerous complaints, mine being one of them.
They also have one for regular Treats with a fellow who makes a "date" out of the marshmellow mixture. His dog takes off with the head of his new "friend", and he is left with a headless body of a woman made out of rice krispie treat mixture.
posted on September 20, 2000 11:08:03 AM new
The funny thing about those Coke commercials where grandma starts knocking down the tables at the get together and the graduating girls get into a cat fight is that Coke can really do that to you.
I remember being at work poking fun at coffee drinkers and how mean they are before their first cup. My friend quickly pointed out "You can get pretty aggravated without a Coke in your hand". She was right. Coke did that to me. Without one I was mean. So the commercials are right.
I still like "First name Bob, last name Weadababyetsaboy"
posted on September 20, 2000 12:58:46 PM new
Tokay -
Aren't those hilarious? For anyone who does not know the son uses collect calls and when they ask for a name he gives the message so his parents hear the message and no one pays. The second call is something like heis9lb10ozhealthy!
Bunnicula
Have to agree with you here. The commercials were funny. Probably would have gone over better during Super Bowl instead of Olympics but I do not think they shold have been pulled.
IMHO -
Everything is wrong today or not politically correct - just ask. There will be someone, somewhere that will complain. Jokes basically do not exist anymore - no more funnies b/cuz someone will be insulted.
Although I feel we need to be sensitive to certain issues I think we have gone far overboard on censorship.
posted on September 20, 2000 01:22:00 PM new
My objection to the chainsaw commercial is that it was truly frightening to my 9 year old, who normally isn't up that late (9:45-ish), but, she is a big sports/gymnast, we've been letting her stay up a bit later than normal. She had nightmares about being chased by a crazed killer with a chainsaw. The "funny" ending was lost on her...she only retained the fright of nearly being sawed in two, no matter how much we explained the commercial and how it "wasn't real".
Actually, as an adult, I saw the commercial (besides being funny, since I enjoy watching that genre of movies), as being in support of women...instead of the silly "oh, I turned my ankle running, now I'm going to die" vision of women, this woman kicks the butt of the guy...gotta love it.
posted on September 20, 2000 05:49:19 PM new
Durn funny commercial
But there will always be some killjoy willing to be offended (or be offended by proxy) and will remove any moment of joy we might have.
It is a dismal and grey world they demand that we live in.
And Captain - the reality is that kids can be frightened by about anything. (Steven King wrote about a friends child that was terrifed of a creature his father had talked about - the "Twi-night doubleheader" in baseball.) The trick it to help them not be ruled by their fears.
Me? - One episode of the Jonny Quest cartoon (with a mummy) had me sleeping with no part of my body over the edge of the bed that night - but it passed, because the next night was a dream about being "Speed Racer".
The result, is that this dismal Al Gore Politically Correct World that people demand that we conform to, can never be realized - somebody will always find another thing that offends them and will demand that all of society bow to their personal agenda.
posted on September 21, 2000 10:33:43 AM new
nutspec:
well, of course *anything* can be frightening to *someone*. And I don't think anyone, including myself, is proposing that if someone, somewhere, is scared by an ad it should be pulled, since that rule would lead to zero advertising (and the end of broadcast TV as we know it...hmmm...might not be that bad an idea after all!)
And as the proud (well, maybe tired) parent of 7 kids, I'm quite familiar with helping kids "rule their fears". However, my post centered around the fact that the commercial could have been seen, by anyone reviewing it pre-showing with some degree of common sense, to be reasonably scary to a broad range of kids, and that would have helped explain some of the backlash that the ad received.
posted on September 21, 2000 12:19:30 PM new
The backlash had nothing to do with scaring kids--it centered on *women*. Though that does bring up another pet peeve of mine, namely the idea that anything & everything must be appropriate for children. There are members of the population over the age of 21 (& just why do some people insist on calling those as old as 16-19 "children"?)
posted on September 21, 2000 09:50:37 PM new
I recall another commercial (NIKE, I believe) that had 2 guys bungie jumping. Only one made it. The other bungie cord came back with only the guys shoes. It advertised the "pump" in making a snugger fit. This commercial too was pulled. I had taped it unknowingly when I had programmed my VCR to record something else. I didn't consider it that bad.
I heard about the chainsaw commercial but had not seen it.
Everyone has their buttons...if *I* was going to choose one commercial to be offended or "bothered" by, it would be those new Coke commercials they're running. I especially don't like the one where the son comes home at last from the military & his family rushes out to see him--only to be rebuffed because they have the audacity not to have a coke waiting for him. Heartwarming...
