finally, my fist in your face

[rone]

I saw one of these billboards on the train home on Monday, but i forgot to share with you all its immense stupidity. You're welcome.

Comments

[rimrunner.livejournal.com]

Geesh. NOT ONLY is it incredibly stupid, it's not even slightly funny.

WTF were they thinking? WERE they thinking?

[lusercop.livejournal.com]

They were thinking that they wanted you to remember their advertisements and buy the beer. (remember also that these sorts of campaigns are generally done by outside agencies). Thing is that you will remember it, and though you will probably remember it and *not* buy it, that doesn't apply to most people - brand recognition, and the concept that no publicity is bad publicity.

By inciting controversy, they're making sure that people will remember them...

[schwa242.livejournal.com]

NOT ONLY is it incredibly stupid, it's not even slightly funny.

Which makes it like most ads.

[jeff2001.livejournal.com]

Hmm, slightly amusing. I don't see why anyone would seriously get even the slightest bit offended by it, though.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Well, it leans on a stereotype and seems to put women on a level with beer. Not exactly flattering.

[jeff2001.livejournal.com]

Right, but it's advertising -- it's a joke. And I'm sure lots of Latinas are flattered by it. Especially ones who are not hot.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

It's a really stupid joke. It's the kind of stupid joke you tell after a few beers. And i can't imagine any Latinas who are flattered by it, regardless of their hotness (unless that, too, was a joke, in which case, you should get a job in advertising).

[jeff2001.livejournal.com]

It's not that stupid. It's just sort of silly. You must be finding some level of offensiveness I'm totally missing.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Like i said, the comparison of women to beer is pretty offensive. And i can't imagine what would drive you to say that some women would be flattered by it. Imagine an ad for a summer beer that said, "Finally, a smart blonde." Is that still "sort of silly"?

[jeff2001.livejournal.com]

My, you're really offended by this.

Actually, "Finally, a smart blonde" is an entirely DIFFERENT sentiment. That would be offensive in the manner in which you are offended. It would be saying, "All blondes are dumb", which is a negative statement.

"All Latinas are hot", however, is not a negative statement, and I imagine only ugly and hateful Latinas would find it to be negative, being jealous and all. If some beer company called me a "Hot Scandinavian number", I'd be kinda flattered, that is if I even paid that much attention to what a beer company said about me.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

I'm not really offended by it; i'm just amazed that you don't find anything wrong with it.

Make my example, "Finally, a cold blonde." Now what?

[jeff2001.livejournal.com]

Here's the thing: I see clearly how it could be offensive to others, but I reject that dynamic as being just the kind of politically correct distinction that I loathe. I personally don't believe that collecting offense and overjudging one's environment makes the world a better place, so I try to be unoffendable. I don't always succeed, but mostly.

I personally don't believe people should be offended, even by the worst and most loathsome racism imaginable. I think people should be unoffendable, and not let things in their world coopt their emotions out from under them. I don't think we ought to give others a bristling arsenal of alphabetic weapons to use against us. I'm a word guy, though, so that probably figures into it. So, that's my opinion about that.

Anyway, I think if you had a Baskin Robbins ad for a new kind of vanilla, and the tagline was "Finally...a cold blonde", you would sell one hell of a lot of ice cream.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Like i said, you should go into advertising, then. I'm not hip with comparing women to ice cream or beer, especially not as a way to try to sell my products.

"I think people should be unoffendable" is foolishness. You're saying that we shouldn't let other people affect our emotions negatively; it's one thing to temper our reactions, but to suppress them is baloney.

[jeff2001.livejournal.com]

Oh, no, not suppression, it's just about choosing how I will interact with the world.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

If you choose to not provide any feedback to things that affect you negatively, i would suggest that it sounds like a less than healthy way to go through life.

[jeff2001.livejournal.com]

I absolutely agree.

[merde.livejournal.com]

I imagine only ugly and hateful Latinas would find it to be negative, being jealous and all.

jesus christ, you're an asshole.

note: being neither a woman nor latino, perhaps the reason you can't comprehend why anyone would be offended is that you have no frame of reference for it.

myself, i don't find it offensive. i do think it's pretty stupid. but your comments here so far -- those have been offensive.

[jeff2001.livejournal.com]

I was trying to share my POV truthfully and honestly, and extemporaneously, with someone I like and respect. I don't see why I should be vilified for it.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

The "ugly and hateful" bit was definitely asking for it.

[jeff2001.livejournal.com]

Yes, of course you're right. Sometimes I let my fingers outrun my prudence.

[merde.livejournal.com]

*snort*

it must be difficult for someone so rigidly idealistic to live in reality.

[kodi]

AUGH. IMPLICATION IMPLICATION IMPLICATION.

Oh, yeah, and the billboard is stupid, too.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Well, the way they used 'inference' was vague enough that it might actually be correct.

[kodi]

I'll give you "not incorrect," but that's all the further I'm budging.

Wait, nevermind, I give up - m-w.com has conceded defeat. We don't need imply anymore. Eventually, well, this.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

OMG U PRESCRIPTIVISTS R TEH SUXX0R LOL

When ad writers consume too much of the product

[infrogmation.livejournal.com]

No doubt the same ad company will have a campaign for St. Pauli Girl: "Finally, a German Girl with a good head!"

Or something.

I'm Irish.

[skipernicus.livejournal.com]

O'Douls Non-alcoholic beer. Finally, an Irish sober.

Oh oh! Do your origin!

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

I dunno... "Finally, a prompt Ecuadorian"?

[kerri9494.livejournal.com]

Uhhhh...finally a cold French-Irish programmer?

No, wait. I told that wrong. Uhhh...

I don't even understand

[vardissakheli.livejournal.com]

the intended appeal. I mean, are there a lot of iberophiles out there actually looking for a frigid girlfriend?

[merde.livejournal.com]

next it'll be a shot of a big, luscious sausage nestled suggestively in the folds of a soft, inviting bun, beneath the words writ large: "Finally, a hot Polish."