So argues AMERICAblog. Indeed, it is hard to argue that the response of the “characters” in the ad was exactly pro-homosexuality (not that one generally expects comments on sexual preference in candy bar commercials). Americablog has some details on the commercial and the alternate endings that had been on the Mars website. While I think that perhaps too much is being read into what amounts to lame attempts at humor, I can certainly see how persons of a homosexual orientation might take offense–especially at some of the endings that were not aired.
On the other hand, one could also interpret the ads as making fun of homophobia.
Ultimately this will be a pop culture rorschach test.
Personally the commercial was revolting to me because it basically looked like two ugly guys eating a turd. (I apologize for the crudity, but sometimes you have to call ‘em as you see ‘em).
At a minimum, none of it makes we want to rush out and get a Snickers bar.
Update: Ann Althouse has a YouTube link of the ad, should you wish to review it, and found the ad to be funny and buys the notion that it was making fun of homophobia, not promoting it:
I think it’s funny. It makes fun of guys who are afraid of being gay, which isn’t endorsing homophobia. It’s mocking it.Sphere: Related Content
My gay blogroll is fairly expansive, and it seems to suggest that the ad itself wasn’t the problem so much as the alternative endings that Masterfoods posted on the Snickers website — one of which apparently included physical violence between the two characters.
Comment by KipEsquire — Tuesday, February 6, 2024 @ 10:07 am
Yea for snickers. I will be buying all I can.
Comment by Judy — Tuesday, February 6, 2024 @ 11:17 am
[…] Taken all together, actually, I think there’s something here that’s both more, and less, than screaming homophobia — kind of a Y-version of the anorexic runway model — and theentire situation is exactly what Dr. Steven Taylor called it: a pop culture rorschach test. […]
Pingback by Polimom Says » About that Snickers test ad… — Tuesday, February 6, 2024 @ 11:30 am
Hrmmmm - sometimes a dumb ad is just a dumb ad? I wonder if this can be filed away under the same category as those seeing WAR!!! in this year’s Super Bowl ads.
Comment by B. Minich — Tuesday, February 6, 2024 @ 11:55 am
On balance, yes.
However, the homophobia theme is clear here (unlike the alleged WAR! refs).
However, as I said, I just found the who thing to be revolting. Plus I am not a big fan of slapstick humor.
Comment by Dr. Steven Taylor — Tuesday, February 6, 2024 @ 11:57 am
I think calling the ad homophobic is taking it a little to seriously. In any case I thought the ad was really funny (hat tip to Doc. Taylor though, it didn’t make me want a snickers).
Comment by Talmadge East — Tuesday, February 6, 2024 @ 1:12 pm
Advertising should be about the offer of a product or service. Not just during the Superbowl, but most ads avoid saying anything useful.
Comment by Stanford Matthews — Tuesday, February 6, 2024 @ 2:36 pm
Did you hear that the ad has been pulled?
http://news.bostonherald.com/national/view.bg?articleid=181509
Comment by Jan — Thursday, February 8, 2024 @ 10:30 pm
Yep. I think it had been pulled from the website by the time I had written the original post.
Comment by Dr. Steven Taylor — Friday, February 9, 2024 @ 6:14 am
If you want to know more about the Mars family, the people behind Snickers, diabetes, amd childhood obesity in the USA, as well as slave labor in thrid world countires, you should read this pair of books. I know these people personally, and they’re monsters. These are the books they DON’T want you to see…The Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey and Mars, by Joël Glenn AND Crisis in Candyland: Melting The Chocolate Shell of the Mars Family Empire by Jan Pottker http://www.epinions.com/content_68791930500
Comment by Bloke — Tuesday, February 13, 2024 @ 2:21 pm