Monday, July 13, 2009
"Hey Kim! Can I Rape Your Lips?"
"Clearasil* May cause sudden bursts of megalomania, manifesting in sexual assault."
I spotted this on TV a couple of weeks back. Very surprised considering how much they've tightened up on advertising recently, you know, the kind of "Don't show a woman in a kitchen or we'll be sued" attitude. Dominating women sexually is still fine though.
[See also: Lynx: "Flunitrazepam in a can!"]
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That sorta shite goes both ways in advertising these days, all those weird ads for makeup with women whipping naked men that've bags over their heads and crap.
ReplyDelete...or is that pop music videos?
Whipping naked men with bags on their heads? Be jaysus, that's a right fancy way of advertising makeup?? Are you sure that wasn't a recruitment ad for the American army during the time of the Iraqi invasion? ;-)
ReplyDeleteyo GG - I saw this ad and nothing stirred in me - no offence, frustration, nada..
ReplyDeleteI'd hardly compare a teenage boy kissing a girl with raping her mouth? (god i hate the use of the word rape) and am suprised you do.
Sorry you feel that way. In all the writing I've done in this blog, I've used the word rape only three times, all within the last 18 months.
ReplyDeleteI used not be comfortable discussing rape, and being unable to even mention the word was the least of my problems believe me. Thankfully I seem to have passed to worst of that now, and I can actually listen to stories on the news once again without feeling ill.
I apologise but I still find the content of the ad, at the very least, inappropriate. You might call the title of this post gross hyperbole and maybe it is a little [although by broad definition of 'rape' as plundering and domination, would still cover his actions] but it's there to highlight the overall attitude towards advertising like this. The guy saw what he wanted, pretended he wanted something else, then forced himself onto her without warning, and to top it off everyone thought this was great way to behave and the girl was all giggly and awestruck! The two were initially set up as if they barely knew each other by name!
I'm very surprised that you, of all people, don't see a problem with this subtle insidious portrayal of dominator culture and societies acceptance of it.
Hey maybe I'm making a big deal out of nothing, but believe me, it is there.
Thanks for respectful reply GG.
ReplyDeleteI can see how his actions can be viewed as domineering - definitely - through reading your understanding of the ad, I do see the ad differently now.
But I don't think that the creators of this ad were consciously thinking beyond a corny and badly acted play on the stereotype of a teenage boy being macho and confident (because he used whatever product the ad is for) to kiss the girl he's attracted to.
Maybe I'm being numbly naieve though.
All in all - it's a totally shit ad on so many levels and you've just highlighted a whole new different level!!
Sickening ad. The little twerp deserves to be force-kissed by Gary Glitter, see how he likes uncontrollable desire.
ReplyDeleteTree Lady: You can bever be too cynical when it comes to ad makers ;)
ReplyDeleteBMD: Or maybe just have the girl turn out to be a lady boy.