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Is There a Gay Couple in That Insurance Ad? (What's up with Flo's newest customers?)
Slate ^ | Monday, June 8, 2009 | Seth Stevenson

Posted on 06/08/2009 12:57:12 PM PDT by presidio9

The Spot: Two guys walk into a store that sells insurance services from Progressive. The first guy says he needs to save some money on his auto insurance—things have gotten so dire that he was forced to sell his watch to the other guy. After the clerk finds a lower coverage rate, she suggests that the first guy will now be able to buy his watch back. "Not for sale," says the second guy. "That's cold," says the clerk.

Are they or aren't they? There's been chatter on the Web, and in YouTube comments, about whether the two guys in this Progressive commercial are supposed to be a couple. The evidence is thin but as best I can tell consists of the following elements:

The tall guy's speech and mannerisms seem to be tripping a lot of folks' gaydar. Something in the way the men look at each other—close together, face-to-face—suggests they're not just hetero buddies. When the clerk asks if money's been tight, she looks back and forth between the two guys as though she's assuming they're a joint entity. The clincher: The shorter guy appears to be wearing a rainbow T-shirt beneath his blazer. Ads featuring gay characters are exceedingly rare, bordering on nonexistent, when it comes to mainstream network television. (It may be indicative that GLAAD's Commercial Closet, a repository of gay-themed ads, includes several spots that are merely "gay vague"—for instance, this Bud ad in which a guy rehearses his marriage proposal while kneeling before a male friend.) Perhaps this Progressive ad was designed to split the difference: subtly winking at the gay community while making no definitive statement on the characters' sexuality.

It's worth remembering that Progressive has a famously nontraditional corporate culture. The

(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: ads; culturewars; flo; gaydudes; homosexualagenda; insurance; progressive
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To: dfwgator

After seeing the ad, I would wonder where the sandwich had been before being served to a customer.


81 posted on 06/08/2009 1:47:13 PM PDT by dangerdoc (dangerdoc (not actually dangerous any more))
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To: presidio9

I vote GAY.


82 posted on 06/08/2009 1:51:09 PM PDT by mowowie
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To: mnehring
If you have gay on the mind, you see gay everywhere.

I think that you have an overly simplistic take on things. Very few of the posters here (or the ones on Slate who agree with us on this one) are seeing what we are seeing because we are obsessed with gay issues. What we might be obsessed with is the thought that popular programming has long been pushing several agendas on us that we don't agree with. Now it has spread to advertising content. We notice that there is an ambiguously gay message here because the creators intentionall put it there.

83 posted on 06/08/2009 1:51:26 PM PDT by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does.)
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To: presidio9
Noticed it the first time I saw it, definite gay couple. I guess they wanted to take their "progressive" company to the next level.

Was wondering if anyone saw anything in Progressive's follow up commercial:

Progressive Insurance Commercial - Flo Takes a "Long Walk"

To me, it seems as if this new commercial projects the exact opposite message. That Progressive Insurance is trying to say, as stated in the ad, also friendly to "customers of all shapes and sizes". (i.e. Conservatives.)

Hmmm...Rancher, boyscout, married couple, construction worker, even Elvis. Gotta remember that every aspect to these commercials is supposedly carefully chosen.

Seems to me that they were worried that putting a gay couple out there would turn off middle America. So they threw this commercial out there as a way of subconsciously saying that Progressive also values the business of Conservative America.

P.S. Flo has got to go. Was cute for a while but now she just grates on me.

84 posted on 06/08/2009 1:52:36 PM PDT by Nasher
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To: 50sDad
Take it easy. You said "slightly psycotic."
85 posted on 06/08/2009 1:53:19 PM PDT by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does.)
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To: dfwgator

Patrick Fitzgerald and Gerald Fitzpatrick?


86 posted on 06/08/2009 1:53:20 PM PDT by Two Kids' Dad (((( ))))
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To: 50sDad

“I find slightly psycotic and overly made up women extremely attractive. Rose on “Two-an-a-Half-Men”, Flo, that medtech on NCIS. Yeooowh!”

How many times have you been married and do you still have all of your body parts?


87 posted on 06/08/2009 1:55:05 PM PDT by dangerdoc (dangerdoc (not actually dangerous any more))
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To: presidio9
Company founded by Peter Lewis: Bad.

Flo commercials: funny.

Were the guys queer? Haven't seen commercial, but without seeing it, I'd say "probably." I haven't seen them peddle to that group yet.

88 posted on 06/08/2009 1:55:20 PM PDT by markomalley (Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus)
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To: presidio9

if you know anything about Progressive, you would have no doubts


89 posted on 06/08/2009 1:55:33 PM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: presidio9
Why?
90 posted on 06/08/2009 1:57:47 PM PDT by BallyBill (Serial Hit-N-Run poster)
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To: Nasher
Hmmm...Rancher, boyscout, married couple, construction worker, even Elvis. Gotta remember that every aspect to these commercials is supposedly carefully chosen.

How could you leave out the best one: Beauty Pagent contestant? Seen from the side and the back immediately after the "opposite marriage" couple. I'm wondering whether this ad was created after the Miss USA Pageant, because then the intention would be obvious.

91 posted on 06/08/2009 1:59:49 PM PDT by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does.)
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To: presidio9

With and without major lipstick.

92 posted on 06/08/2009 2:01:06 PM PDT by markomalley (Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus)
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To: N. Theknow

Ghost woman says, “Saved yourself some money. so, buy a new outfit. Go out and meet a man. Or woman. I don’t judge.”<<<<<<<<<<

Can’t stand those Ikea commercials, they are weird. In another one, the ghost woman chides the homeowner for having some sort of food secret that a little kid has figured out. Strange....


93 posted on 06/08/2009 2:04:14 PM PDT by Mjaye
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To: presidio9
How could you leave out the best one: Beauty Pagent contestant?

Thanks.

Wow, how could I be so incredibly blind. I wrote it off as someone attending the prom. Completely missed the beauty queen-gay marriage connection.

94 posted on 06/08/2009 2:06:24 PM PDT by Nasher
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To: presidio9

I picked up that they were gay right away. I think the commercial is supposed to be ambiguous on purpose, so as to send a message to the homos, but not make it patently clear to the rest of us. I guarantee that the homos are seeing them as a gay couple.


95 posted on 06/08/2009 2:07:23 PM PDT by murron (Proud Marine Mom)
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To: markomalley

NOT GUILTY!


96 posted on 06/08/2009 2:08:30 PM PDT by onedoug
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To: presidio9

97 posted on 06/08/2009 2:09:04 PM PDT by 09Patriot (I am a MILITANT Conservative, compassionate conservatism got us NOWHERE)
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To: Nasher
Also just noticed the ending statement: "...savings everyone can enjoy."

Everyone can enjoy? Really? Why would you need to make such as statement unless you were perceived as not being for everyone?

98 posted on 06/08/2009 2:12:35 PM PDT by Nasher
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To: presidio9
They wanted people who watched this one to wonder if these guys were gay. But as the article points out, couples don't make each other sell their watches.

huh, never thought of that, usually when any commerical comes on the channel it gets changed, or if I have dvr'd it I skip the commerical. I never tought anything gay in that, except it's an annoying commerical, my pops hates the woman lol.

99 posted on 06/08/2009 2:13:33 PM PDT by 09Patriot (I am a MILITANT Conservative, compassionate conservatism got us NOWHERE)
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To: presidio9
First time I encountered this commercial, I wasn't able to see the video, but heard the audio. Even without seeing the video, I immediately knew that the two male characters in the commercial were definitely gay. No doubt about it. And I live in S.F.

I've seen it again more than a few times by now - these guys are most definitely GAY.

100 posted on 06/08/2009 2:16:51 PM PDT by ggrrrrr23456
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