Sometimes I worry about you, bert.
They think these are cute too. Why not just go whole hog?
Just remember to put a cut flower or two in the dashboard-mounted vase.
Posted on 05/01/2006 5:47:54 PM PDT by cicero's_son
Is This Dodge 'Fairy' Commercial Actually Hate Speech in Disguise? Bod Garfield's Ad Review: Watch the Video By Bob Garfield
Published: April 17, 2006
Faggot. Queer. Fairy. These are synonyms, epithets one and all disparaging gays -- or, more often, heterosexual men deemed insufficiently masculine. Let's call that Fact No. 1.
The 'Fairy' spot was created for Dodge by BBDO, Detroit. ALSO: Comment on this review in the 'Your Opinion' section below.
Macho brand Fact No. 2: Dodge is marketing its new Caliber subcompact as a tough little car, as opposed to sissy little Civics, Corollas and the like. This comports with Dodge's long-cultivated macho image, as exemplified by the grunting, Aerosmith heavy-metal music tag punctuating every spot.
Fact No. 3 is that one of the introductory commercials from BBDO, Detroit, features the juxtaposition of a burly tough guy and his Doberman with a sweater-draped girlie man who is walking four little lap dogs. Fact No. 4 is that the only line of dialogue in the commercial is the burly dude exclaiming, "Silly little fairy!"
And Fact No. 5 -- the genuinely astonishing fact -- is that Daimler Chrysler asserts that none of the above is meant to invoke a sexual insult.
"Was it intentional? Absolutely not," says spokeswoman Suraya Bliss, whose voice quavered as she spoke, perhaps because she was choking on the corporate line. "It's not the kind of company we are."
Preposterous corporate line But, of course, the corporate line is preposterous. Much more likely is that someone at BBDO realized they could call people fairies if their commercial depicted an actual fairy. Get it! How subversive! A flitty little fairy! We can imagine the hilarity in the cubicle as they contrived a way to set up the "Not for sissies" selling proposition based on an innocent magical fantasy. The result-mean-spirited but undeniably crafty -- is as follows:
A winged little pixie, fluttering along an urban skyline, waves her magic wand and -- in a puff of magical dust -- turns a skyscraper into a gingerbread house. Next she turns a commuter train into a colorful toy choo-choo. Then she spies a new Dodge Caliber, which she waves at with her wand.
But nothing happens. Three times she tries her magic, to no avail. For all her efforts, the shiny black Caliber remains a tough, rugged subcompact. Meanwhile, her momentum sends her flying-splat! -- into a building.
'Silly little fairy' A passing brute (he's also all in macho black as he walks his Doberman) is very amused by this scene. "Silly little fairy," he laughs.
So she wands him -- turning his Neanderthal getup into a wimpy tennis outfit, and his Doberman into four Pomeranians. "Oohhh!" he simpers.
Then the voice-over: "Introducing the all-new Dodge Caliber. It's anything but cute."
Oh, is it now?
Look, there's nothing wrong with positioning an economy car as a car with truck values. In fact, "the manly subcompact" is a very good idea. You can even suggest that everything else in the category looks effeminate. Though political correctness is out of control in this society, you're still allowed to choose your own sexual demeanor.
But what no advertiser has any business doing is calling people fairies, because it is cheap, because it is gratuitous, because it is hateful.
Gay and lesbian consumers Also self-destructive, undermining Daimler Chrysler corporate entreaties to gay and lesbian consumers -- not to mention the much larger sick-of-sexual-bullying population. But never mind the business consequences.
There is simply no room in advertising for hate speech. Period.
For the record, Daimler Chrysler and BBDO protest that this spot is obviously not homophobic because the guy with the lap dogs is a preppy type-as opposed to some flamboyant queen. Of course, the same people swear they were totally unaware of the "fairy" double-entendre.
They say we're seeing things. We say they're living in a fantasy world, and it's anything but cute.
Review: Zero stars Ad: Dodge Agency: BBDO Location: Detroit
The commercial features a fairy, read that sprite, pixie, brownie, what have you.
The Gay lobby is grasping at straws, and merely trying to intimidate Corporate America.
Would these crybabies be whining if the guy had said, "ridiculous little sprite"?
Sometimes I worry about you, bert.
They think these are cute too. Why not just go whole hog?
Just remember to put a cut flower or two in the dashboard-mounted vase.
Queer ass folk.
Yea, I know now I should have bought the Lexus RX330.
I know. I own 3 Toyotas and an F-350.
Guess which is always in the shop?
The cute one?
I just saw the ad again tonight. The quote was still in there, as was the very queer sounding "AWWWW". I giggle every time I see that commercial.
I've adamantly sworn never to buy another Plymouth.
Guess things can change.
This ad warms my heart.
IT's a breath of air in a stifled, artificial, PC world.
I heard on the radio that one of the things the gays were upset about was the leashes were turned pink which this article doesn't point out.
Well, you're REALLY gonna find this "hateful:"
Preppie? Yeah, maybe a flamboyant gay preppie.
I like this commercial and think it is both creative and funny.
Nope, the big manly one with the brushbuster and the gooseneck hitch.
The cute one starts every day.
ZOT
just one more
>I heard on the radio that one of the things the gays were upset about was the leashes were turned pink which this article doesn't point out.<
But the fairy (sprite, elf, pixie, whatever) was turning everything into pastels. The train ended up multicolored. These guys are just itching to whine about something, anything, to get the spotlight on them and their agenda.
It was on during the evening news broadcast just 15 minutes ago and it still had the same line at the end. I guess they think us Okies can deal with it.
So I'll wave my magic wand and in a year she'll turn into a beautiful, 70 pound black lab/blue heeler! :-)
"That's it-out you two pixies go--out the door or through the window"
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