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
I suspected that the reason for the edit was protests from homosexual groups. Based on this article, I guess I was right.
What do you think?
If the fairy in question was obviously male, I would see something to this.
But the fairy is very female. Thoughts of a gay meaning never crossed my mind.
That said, it's a completely stupid commercial.
"Without that line, the ad is pretty incoherent and pointless."
Yes, it would be. My these fairies have thin skins, don't they?
Not a great commercial, I agree. But I thought the punchline was pretty humorous.
And I saw no "anti-gay" slur in it whatsoever. It wasn't until the line was taken out that I even guessed that someone could have been offended.
Maybe they should just use the Slim Jim fairy. He looks like he could kick some butt.
I noticed and thought the same thing. But about 10 minutes ago I saw it again and the "Silly little fairy" line was there again.
Real men don't even known what Pomeranians are. To us, all yappy little ankle-biting cat-wannabee dogs are the same.
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F
I guess silly little Bobbie Garfield is upset.
But when he says, "Eat me!" they might take him up on it.
I think the fairy's revenge on the macho man subverts the tough guy image that they're trying to project onto the car. It suggests that macho men are really "fairies," or interchangeable with them. The fairy remains the powerful figure even if the car seems immune to that power.
Who do you suppose produces these ads, anyway?
I thought the ad was kind of funny. I didn't even Make the "gay' connection!
Do they ever.
Somehow, I'm guessing that Garfield doesn't get his panties into a twist whenever an ad takes a subliminal dig at Christians, or at "hicks from flyover country."
But Heaven forfend that anyone dare offend the homosexual lobby.
Have it herding sheep and making love to Dodge pickup in its tent up in Montana while fire crackers go off in the background and its wife screams, " you ain't going up their for fishing!!" and then it is a serious commercial.
Have it herding sheep and making love to Dodge pickup in its tent up in Montana while fire crackers go off in the background and its wife screams, " you ain't going up their for fishing!!" and then it is a serious commercial.
Have it herding sheep and making love to Dodge pickup in its tent up in Montana while fire crackers go off in the background and its wife screams, " you ain't going up their for fishing!!" and then it is a serious commercial.
A Pomeranian is a breed of dog that my wife's house cat would use for target practice.
I think only a fairy would object to this.
hmmm.. silly little fairies complaining about a faery.
It is far more offesive to have homosexuals throwing hissy fits every time thet believe they sexual fetish is correctly exposed as disgusting.
I saw it this afternoon and it still had the fairy line in it.
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