Heinz pulls mayonnaise ad over gay kiss furore

The Times ^ | 06/24/08 | Jenny Booth

[blam]

"Kissing is the least offensive thing gay guys do with mayonnaise."

Their lips too.

[Positive]

"..because the mayo isn't a healthy food..."

I wonder what's "unhealthy" about egg yolks, lemon juice and vegetable oil...

[vimto]

....rules from Ofcom that restrict ads for products high in fat, salt and sugar.

So that’s it. Food fascists........

[CaspersGh0sts]

Well, this would be the same company that carries Theresa Heinz-Kerry’s name, isn’t it? I think it was time for a new Mayo 4-years ago. :)

I don’t even use the stuff, so it’s been Hunt’s Catsup for me.

[toddlintown]

So that was just mayo on the guys’ lips?

[Celtic Conservative]

That’s right, mayo is now a health food, fat and all, because it’s “all natural!!!”

So is lava but that's not good for you either ;^)

CC

[Oshkalaboomboom]

Bill O’Reilly ran the complete ad on his show, that’s the only US television viewing that I know of. HGTV is definitely a gay friendly network (remember all the stereotypes about male interior designers) but I’ve never seen any blatant gay ads there. Then again we only watch House Hunters but that is their most popular show so if there was going to be gay friendly ads you would think that’s where they would show up.

[rightinthemiddle]

Too bad Hunts is so runny.

[TribalPrincess2U]

Especially HINDS

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Once marriage is legal everywhere, there will be no problems with this.

[Dick Vomer]

[vimto]

...and what will the liberals push then? How far will they roll civilization back?

[Huck]

I’m so shocked./s

[<1/1,000,000th%]

The left has already said that they’ll push for animals to have the same rights as people.

And be able to marry people.

Then they’ll probably push for special rights for crackheads and heroin users.

“They’re born that way.”

Smokers will still be out of fashion.

[Dutchgirl]

It’s the hydrogenated oil that makes it unhealthy. Mayo made with cold pressed canola oil has good fats...and if you try a really good mayo (or make your own) all others taste a little rancid. (Disclaimer- I am a foodie with an interest in nutrition- not a hemp wearing, tofu eating, gaia worshipper.)

I like this one:http://www.spectrumorganics.com/?id=57

[Eva]

I thought that the ad was funny, though maybe inappropriate for children.

I wasn’t sure which group the ad was making fun of, gay couples, or straight people. Maybe both.

I have to wonder if it sold much mayonnaise, though.

[Antoninus]

LOL. I was one of the protesters. Here's the message I sent:

Hey Heinz, I've got a slogan for your new product:

"Heinz Mayonaise--as tasteless as two men kissing."

[Old Professer]

Interesting rules over there:

[FSA Board responds to Ofcom consultation
Tuesday 13 June 2006

The FSA Board today agreed its response to the Ofcom consultation on options for tightening the controls on the TV advertising of food to children.

Ofcom, the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries, is consulting on options for new restrictions.

The Board expressed disappointment at the options put forward in the Ofcom consultation and agreed that none of the options provided a sufficient response to the problem of the imbalance in television advertising.

‘With a quarter of all 11 to 15 year olds now facing obesity, we have to be sure that any restrictions on advertising are aimed at children of all ages to have a real effect’

The Board agreed that any restrictions must protect children up to 15 years of age, particularly as children between 9 and 15 years often make their own food choices and purchases. The consultation’s current options only focus on protecting children up to the age of nine.

The Board supported a pre-9pm watershed on advertisements for products high in fat, salt or sugar. This would offer a practical means of extending protection to older children and would be consistent with other broadcasting controls.

The Board did not support any options that would restrict advertising of all foods, including foods such as fruit and vegetables, which would conflict with the promotion of healthy eating.

Currently, only one of the consultation’s options uses the Agency’s Nutrient Profiling model to ensure that restrictions only apply to foods that are high in fat, salt or sugar. Underpinning the restrictions with the Nutrient Profiling model would provide an incentive for industry to reformulate their products to reduce fat, salt and sugar.

Furthermore, if industry or any other party proposes a workable and effective ‘fourth option’, the Board requested that any viable approach be subject to consultation with other interested parties.

Deirdre Hutton, Chair of the Food Standards Agency, said: ‘Children are targeted every day with messages that promote foods that are high in fat, salt or sugar, and the Hastings Review clearly showed that this does have an influence on children’s food choices.

‘With a quarter of all 11 to 15 year olds now facing obesity, we have to be sure that any restrictions on advertising are aimed at children of all ages to have a real effect in helping to reverse this trend. This includes making sure that we do not inadvertently restrict the positive promotion of healthy foods.’]

[Excellence]

This ad was Laugh In funny. Unfortunately, this is not 1968 but 2008, and everybody is hyper about gays. There wasn’t anything “gay” about this ad. By using their product, an otherwise-female mom is turned into a genuine deli cook as one would find in New York. I saw it for what it was and thought it genuinely funny.