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Remote Patroller: 'Snicker'ing Over A Commercial
by Michael Lever, director of affiliate relations
In case you are still in hibernation or vacationing under a rock (or just don't give a darn), there's a big brouhaha over a Super Bowl commercial from the fine folks who bring us SNICKERS bars (Masterfoods) Quickly: the spot features two mechanics working on a car engine.
One shoves a completely unwrapped Snickers into his mouth (presumably so he won't get grease on it) and his buddy, upon seeing the protruding treat, decides to attack it from the other end. Then, not unlike the animated pooches eating spaghetti in "Lady and the Tramp," they meet in the middle and accidentally smooch. Quickly realizing that they just might have enjoyed something more than chocolate, peanuts and nougat (love that word), the two decide to 'erase' it by "doing something manly."
So they both rip a wad of hair off their chests, scream in pain and all is well.
Cue the logo and we're done.
It was supposed to be a hoot, but more people hollered than howled. The Gays are up in arms, along with lots of other folks, crying "Homophobia," "Offensive" and "Tasteless," as if Sinead O'Connor had ripped up a picture of, oh I don't know, Elton John or something. Lighten up, people.
For starters, it was and is a kooky ad, and being a card-carrying member of the LGBT-BYOB-FDIC (the darn title gets longer and longer) community, it didn't bother me a bit. Well maybe if the two guys were a little cuter. But I digress. To claim that it promoted homophobia or that it's wrong when two men kiss is giving it way too much thought and power. Its not as if two men accidentally got married or adopted a child and then freaked out about it, thinking that it was a horrible mistake. Oh, and here's the irony: What they did in attempting to eradicate their 'gay' moment was actually MANSCAPING! (Metrosexual at best and often homo-specific!)
Yeah they banned the spot, never to air again, except on one of those clip shows on Fox. Panic? Overreacting? Sheer Genius? (I vote for what's behind Door #3) The commercial may never run again, but I haven't thought about Snickers bars so much since Halloween 1975.
Now that's marketing!
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