Several blogs I read had postings today to a commercial that they found "vulgar". The writers asked that we as readers click the link and fill in a complaint to the company that the commercial represented. I thought perhaps I would have found a link to the commercial to decide for myself whether to continue thru and file a complaint. But no, it was just a given by the writers that many of their readers would just fill in the complaint whether we had seen the commercial or not. (reminiscent of the recent boycotts of movies and books that the right wing disliked so much but never saw?).
I went in pursuit of the commercial with an online search and found several postings of it in video content sites. I watched it five times and it was making me nauseous. NOT for the reasons that the complainers were writing about-I only found what they referenced in the ad as "guy" stupid-the obvious market and shrugged my shoulders in "So What" at the references to "kinky sex". I was however, sickened that the product company was a fast food burger joint and animals are being treated with such thoughtlessness. I object to the thinking that cows, chickens and other fellow earth creatures are slaughtered everyday with no thought to their suffering and pain filled lives. And I am not alone in this thinking.
How many of you saw the news today or read your local papers? Did you see the newest beef recall and the films made of the cows being put thru horrendous conditions? Did it affect you or did you just go about your business as usual? How about the fact that this same beef is being served in your school cafeterias and the government purchased this beef with your tax dollars for those schools? And now the suspicions of mad cow disease are being raised. The rest of the beef went to fast food joints and bulk food stores like Costco and Sam's.
I gagged when a local father interviewed on the evening news whined "now what are my kids gonna eat at school-I might have to make a lunch for them". Hey fat ass, send your kids to school with fresh veggies and homemade soups and salads and can that cafeteria crap. You want them to look like you in 20 years? You looked like a complete dumb shit whining on TV that your kids would starve but it's obvious that no one in your family is in any want of food-healthy food maybe-but they ain't starving.
So many of us are blind to what is really being said in commercials or print ads. The companies hire actors (and lizards) with British accents because it's been proven that we-dumb idiot Americans-are more likely to buy cheap infomercial gadgets, gold futures and insurance if it's a Uk'er selling it (forget the fact we fought our asses off to shed the father land with blood, sweat and lives). Maybe we really don't want to be totally free to make informed choices and instead become zombified by lulling accented voices (hmm, why doesn't an Indian or Chinese voice work this way? but instead annoy the hell out of us-maybe because your jobs are going their way????)
How many of you have purchased products from one sided ads like vacuums that say they almost do the job themselves and suck that smoke out of the air too? Idiot-if you set any vacuum up in a sealed container, it will do the same thing. Why pay triple? How about exercises equipment that tells you that your body will be model thin in 60 days if you use this 20 minutes a day 3 times a week? Or pills that will make you Adonis-like while you sleep (I hope you like to live on the toilet and have bought a stockpile of toilet tissue -the ones with the ribs to clean you better-as you are gonna need it). That car you are lusting after as the hot women will be all over you? NOT gonna happen. You will be poorer for the tons of money you put into the 10 MPG you will get (oh but the sticker said 18? ha ha ha-all based on total fleet not just your model).
Americans are idiots-and the manufactures and the commercial/ad makers know it. Why would they keep on making this crap-see how many got the wrong message in the commercial for the burger joint- you will now buy this "questionable" food, consume it and get all giggly or hot under the collar about the "supposed" sex party you think was implied. But you bought the burgers anyways instead of turning away-or signing a petition-because as you bitch, you still use.
16 comments:
The ad affects society in ways that will cause ripples. I agree that the ad needs loud and vocal objection. I don't eat beef to begin with. You can be a vegetarian and still find this commercial to be crude to the point of unbelievable that they would air this during family TV shows.
First of all...great post!
I agree with you on all your points!
I personally was in tears watching the news this afternoon, I am glad that I do not eat meat. Further more that torture that they showed was enough to finally push my husband over to my side (thankfully)!
I have not seen the commercial you are speaking of...any chance you can post a link???
I think this is the commercial.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd_jap8Qjzk
I have no idea what this place even is-I am in the midwest-is this a national chain? DOesnt matter-animal flesh belongs on the animal, not in my colon.
Yes, it is a huge chain in the west and kids go around singing the commercials and wearing the t-shirts they get from the company all the time. Hugely popular, giving them all the more influence. This is not the first vulgar commercial they have done. I guess they are trying to outdo the Carls' nasty ones. They just keep upping the ante to see who can get more disgusting fastest. We had a gift certificate to Carls and after they ran their ads I got the give to go back with my certificate and demand a refund. They refused until she mentioned she was the wife of the editor of the paper and certainly he would love to do an article. LOL!
I sincerely hope your post is not meant to silence peoples' opinions about speaking out about the media! Although it certainly does seem that way. I encourage people to let a company know what the consumer really thinks.
Did we not read the same thing? I am pissed that others (maybe you)want us to make a blind tirade about a commercial without even seeing it. Over a dozen blogs said "write to this place" but not a one had the commericial up to view. I had to go looking for it. It's called INFORMED choice. I chose not to bitch about the hot tub scene. It made absolutely no impact on me-other than it came across as plainly stupid. I am too busy bitching to McDoanlds and Wendy's for using animals that have been horribly raised and slaughtered. Even tho we both saw the same 30 seconds, I saw something much more sinister. Open your mouths and scream at the top of your voices! But make sure what you are ranting about makes sense. There are too many sheep out there who play follow the leader just because the big man tells them too. Be your own person and express your own anger or joy, not what someone else what's you to be. Silence kills.
Anonymous---Silence you? While you are worried about a dumb 30 second commercial, (so you wrote and what will happen now?) there are a slew of causes that could use your voice. Get together with all your comrades and head to your representative's office or mass mail them and pitch a bitch about health care, and the mentally ill being turned on the streets and gun control (ever had a kid die in your community from an uzie?) or the drug problem, or pollution or a stupid war---the list goes on and on. This commercial will fade away in a bit, but all those other more important issues will not--unless we all rise up and make it happen. Strenghth in numbers! But it starts with one voice. I never advocate silence. I use my voice for the better of all, not just my "little space".
I have been inundated in recent years to boycott Harry Potter books(haven't read them yet-but all kids I know get them as gifts from me)but I did see a few of the movies, movies in general-The Golden Compass (haven't seen or read it yet-but if some kids asked to see it, I would take them) The Simpsons movie-again haven't seen it (but love the tv show). The Superbowl (okay, that's a gimmie-I hate football-but not for wardrobe malfunction which was the original idea). But I won't participate in a boycott blindly. I have to see the product, read the ingredients, read it , or whatever before I can decide. I don't wear leather or fur-because I made a choice based on what I feel and sought out for information. I don't shop at Wal-Mart because I read, investigated claims etc. Don't be sheeple. Be intelligent people. I think that is what all of us need to do in this case. Make wise choices based on fact not heresay. Go watch the commercial and decide for yourself.
We don't need to get back to book burning!
Hmmm, worried about animals or worried about the effects on children? I take the latter to put my energy into.
God gave us animals and told us we could eat them. I agree it is no longer a very healthy thing to do due to disease and there is no good reason to purposely torture them. But I take no issue with slaughtering animals for those who do want to eat them.
Watching the clip about the poor cow was sickening. It made me want to hurl.
Jack is a pervert. Those that got a kick out of watching that commercial are perverts.
There is some major bitching going on in this thread. It's making me hot & horny!
I believe in evolution, not some made up diety in a book of fables. I have enough energy to devote my life and money to children and animals who have no voice in this world. Both are treated as commodities. I strive to change that.
I would be interested to know what constitues family shows these days? And what show was this commercial aired during? Personally, I have a great solution. Turn the stupid tube off! Even the weather channel isnt a safe channel anymore. Give your kid a book or a nice walk outside using animated conversation. The tv should die.
Ok, for those of us living someplace other than the US will you PLEASE show us where these things are? Perhaps a link to the sickening COW video?
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4305411
What do you expect? Those bloggers about the vulgar ad are teachers. Those who can do, those who cannot teach.
I am a preschool teacher and thought the ad was dumb and turned it off-but boycott?. I am protesting a war and the money being spent on hate as opposed to spending it on the children who will lead this country into the future. We need to have our future leaders as fully educated as other countries are doing for their kids. Falling down schools and 30 year old textbooks will not do that. Don't lump every teacher into one slot. There are some gems out there who care. I was very lucky as a youngster to have 2 in particular who made me work and enjoy learning at the same time. Thanks Isabelle and Mike!
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