At PJ Media, Dr. Helen receives correspondence about a Volkswagon ad showing a father and son playing catch. The son throws like a girl, and then we see the dad throwing like a girl as well. The reader wonders how anyone could expect the commercial to sell Volkswagons. We probably shouldn’t be surprised that Volkswagon would portray neutered males. This doesn’t turn off any of their core customer base – moms and kumbaya dads – and if it appeals to moms then dads will disclose their credit report and pay stub in a heartbeat.
The ad flicked me back into the frame of mind of the iron rule of TV commercials – a concept first brought to attention by John Derbyshire and then expanded upon by Heartiste. It reminded me of a commercial I’ve passively consumed about 80 times, but had honestly just not thought anything about. So many commercials portray doltish dads that even someone like myself who is aware of these things just scans over them after a while. I even bought into the frame that the dad was somehow being immature, unfair, and obnoxious.
Probably everyone has seen the one I’m talking about. It’s a Sprint commercial (full disclosure: I’m a Sprint customer) where a dad, a mom, and their two kids are trying to figure out who gets to use data on their un-Sprint phone plan.
How about the person who pays the goddamn phone bill gets to divvy up the data? But the ad-makers set the frame so this thought doesn’t even cross the dad’s mind. If the commercial shows the dad being a dick and acting like any self-respecting dad should, there would be no quick punchy mini plot. So instead we get the whiny kids and the dissatisfied wife who takes digs at the breadwinner dad who is worn out by his concern for the family budget (in an earlier commercial the dad indicates the he’s the one who pays the bills). And then at the end we see the dad contemplating his own sanity as he wipes his hairless scalp.
The look on the dad’s face sums up exactly why these commercials can exist in the first place. He won’t stand up because if he stands up things might get ugly. So he just takes it and takes it and takes it because gritting and grinning and bearing it is a slow burn whereas the explosive reaction is the fast burn, and he’ll earn no sympathy if he commits arson.
Even as I write about this I’m not pissed or anything. I’m not what a feminist would be if the shoe were on the other foot. One reason I’m not pissed is because nobody else is pissed. And nobody else is pissed because if all of us really got pissed we’d all end up in jail.
There is the beer commercial trend that in all groups of 4 men there are 3 white friends and their 1 black friend dressed just liek the white guys. As usual, hispanics and asians don’t exist. This is followed to a T except one beer company, which knew people can only suspend their disbelief so much and had a group of 4 white guys in it, but they were rock wall climbing. Groups of black, male friends are always 4 black friends.
I would say this commercial presents all the characters badly, with the wife being the worst. Advertisers like to portray Americans as super dorky.
That commercial of the father and son having a catch is so bad. I can’t imagine who that would appeal to.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that my quality of life dramatically improved when I got rid of my television. Sorry Chuck and other rightie bloggers — but you can’t get rid of yours because you have to report on this stuff.
Imagine… having a country of your own. Where the Ministry of Propaganda does not humiliate you and if they tried, they’d be swiftly be punished.
Exception to the rule. The new Samsung ad where the unattractive, lazy woman claims credit for coworkers work and gets more work (instead of lunch) assigned because of it.
I’m with PA- got rid of the TV 8 years ago. But I don’t have a way to gauge the culture, at least in that way. I’ll see TV, waiting for my Mom in her doctor’s office, and every time I do, I can’t get over how belligerant the newscasters are, the commercials are; they snarl at you. It was NOT like that twenty years ago, let alone 40 years ago.
We don’t watch standard network t.v. – but these sorts of ads (dumb, feminized White male) are everywhere. We’re always aware of and angered by this crap. Interesting you had a commenter write you about the VW ad – my husband was just complaining about that specific one the other day – to which I responded, “Their customers are already women and DWLs, and none of them would be offended by an emasculated man.”
I would pay to see a commercial where the roles were reversed and dad finally cuts his self-centered wife and useless son off of his phone plan and watches them melt down when told they can pay for it themselves. Ironically, it is probably the wife and teenagers that use the most minutes even if it is for the least productive reasons. “Sorry son, you just have to get off your ass and get a job.” “Honey, there are plenty of things you can do other than talk with your friends 24/7, like paying attention to your family for a change.” Ha Ha.
I dunno, since the VW ad tagline is “pass down something he WILL be grateful for,” it’s actually calling out the dad’s hapless girly arm and his inability to teach his son how to throw. Yes, it’s yet another bad portrayal of a father, but at least it admits this is something the son will not be happy about and that there is something wrong here.
Most of these ads don’t affect me much anymore since I don’t watch much tv. I usually only see the bad ones like this when a blog points them out. The one that did piss me off is the now classic ad from a few years ago that covers both the feminist anti-male part of our culture and the housing bust.
My take is that any corporation who advertises in such a fashion doesn’t want my business and, therefore, I comply by not buying. We assume we live in a free enterprise economy, when the reality is we don’t. In a police state such as America, government agencies have plenty of power to force companies to comply with there (social engineering) agenda. For example, given the size of the income tax code, there are few who can’t be found in breach in some fashion should the IRS take a close look. Also there are a myriad of other laws, such as Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity, etc, etc., to coerce compliance.
I used to wonder at the seeming stupidity of corporate advertisements utilizing Black actors disproportionate to their population percentage, knowing that their purchasing power is small compared to the White demographic. Also, why would they think that Blacks make a useful proxy for White buying habits when, with the exception of cell phones and sneakers, this probably isn’t true.
I came to the conclusion that the corps don’t have a choice – even if it is detrimental to their business prospects or, at least, not as productive.
While agree w/ the gist of the complaints of the feminization (or anti-male) of men in today’s ad culture, I happen to think the Dad has some funny rejoinders (body hair? fathered the most children?). Further, it is reality. Sprint’s competitive advantage (I, like GLPiggy, am a customer) has unlimited text/data. Other plans don’t. Go w/ Sprint (which is cheaper!) and you won’t have to have these discussions. Prefer some of the other examples to this one.
Whiskey is right in this issue, television is playing to it’s audience – women. Guys have spoken with their feet. Unless it is sport guys have switched to games, blogs, youtube, forums and etc.
How often do you you switch on the TV with your tablet in hand then after a few minutes switch off the TV as it is too distracting and not worth viewing.
Surely these ads are now just a symptom of TVs declining male demographics.
The “Iron law” is in fact formalized in many Hollywood agencies. I think there’s something in Screen Actors’ Guild contracts barring stereotyping, which in practice means only white men can be negatively stereotyped.
There is the beer commercial trend that in all groups of 4 men there are 3 white friends and their 1 black friend dressed just liek the white guys. As usual, hispanics and asians don’t exist. This is followed to a T except one beer company, which knew people can only suspend their disbelief so much and had a group of 4 white guys in it, but they were rock wall climbing. Groups of black, male friends are always 4 black friends.
I would say this commercial presents all the characters badly, with the wife being the worst. Advertisers like to portray Americans as super dorky.
That commercial of the father and son having a catch is so bad. I can’t imagine who that would appeal to.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that my quality of life dramatically improved when I got rid of my television. Sorry Chuck and other rightie bloggers — but you can’t get rid of yours because you have to report on this stuff.
Imagine… having a country of your own. Where the Ministry of Propaganda does not humiliate you and if they tried, they’d be swiftly be punished.
Exception to the rule. The new Samsung ad where the unattractive, lazy woman claims credit for coworkers work and gets more work (instead of lunch) assigned because of it.
http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7wBm/samsung-galaxy-note-ii-office-earnings-report
This is the ad Paulyester refers to. But it’s OK because the boss is black and the woman is fat.
And the white guy is chinless.
The woman in the Samsung ad is simply playing her character from the TV show “Workaholics” which apparently is not a ratings juggernaut.
I’m with PA- got rid of the TV 8 years ago. But I don’t have a way to gauge the culture, at least in that way. I’ll see TV, waiting for my Mom in her doctor’s office, and every time I do, I can’t get over how belligerant the newscasters are, the commercials are; they snarl at you. It was NOT like that twenty years ago, let alone 40 years ago.
We don’t watch standard network t.v. – but these sorts of ads (dumb, feminized White male) are everywhere. We’re always aware of and angered by this crap. Interesting you had a commenter write you about the VW ad – my husband was just complaining about that specific one the other day – to which I responded, “Their customers are already women and DWLs, and none of them would be offended by an emasculated man.”
I would pay to see a commercial where the roles were reversed and dad finally cuts his self-centered wife and useless son off of his phone plan and watches them melt down when told they can pay for it themselves. Ironically, it is probably the wife and teenagers that use the most minutes even if it is for the least productive reasons. “Sorry son, you just have to get off your ass and get a job.” “Honey, there are plenty of things you can do other than talk with your friends 24/7, like paying attention to your family for a change.” Ha Ha.
I dunno, since the VW ad tagline is “pass down something he WILL be grateful for,” it’s actually calling out the dad’s hapless girly arm and his inability to teach his son how to throw. Yes, it’s yet another bad portrayal of a father, but at least it admits this is something the son will not be happy about and that there is something wrong here.
I think the VW ad is pretty good. It’s self-aware about VW’s consumer base.
Most of these ads don’t affect me much anymore since I don’t watch much tv. I usually only see the bad ones like this when a blog points them out. The one that did piss me off is the now classic ad from a few years ago that covers both the feminist anti-male part of our culture and the housing bust.
Suzanne researched this:
My take is that any corporation who advertises in such a fashion doesn’t want my business and, therefore, I comply by not buying. We assume we live in a free enterprise economy, when the reality is we don’t. In a police state such as America, government agencies have plenty of power to force companies to comply with there (social engineering) agenda. For example, given the size of the income tax code, there are few who can’t be found in breach in some fashion should the IRS take a close look. Also there are a myriad of other laws, such as Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity, etc, etc., to coerce compliance.
I used to wonder at the seeming stupidity of corporate advertisements utilizing Black actors disproportionate to their population percentage, knowing that their purchasing power is small compared to the White demographic. Also, why would they think that Blacks make a useful proxy for White buying habits when, with the exception of cell phones and sneakers, this probably isn’t true.
I came to the conclusion that the corps don’t have a choice – even if it is detrimental to their business prospects or, at least, not as productive.
While agree w/ the gist of the complaints of the feminization (or anti-male) of men in today’s ad culture, I happen to think the Dad has some funny rejoinders (body hair? fathered the most children?). Further, it is reality. Sprint’s competitive advantage (I, like GLPiggy, am a customer) has unlimited text/data. Other plans don’t. Go w/ Sprint (which is cheaper!) and you won’t have to have these discussions. Prefer some of the other examples to this one.
Whiskey is right in this issue, television is playing to it’s audience – women. Guys have spoken with their feet. Unless it is sport guys have switched to games, blogs, youtube, forums and etc.
How often do you you switch on the TV with your tablet in hand then after a few minutes switch off the TV as it is too distracting and not worth viewing.
Surely these ads are now just a symptom of TVs declining male demographics.
The “Iron law” is in fact formalized in many Hollywood agencies. I think there’s something in Screen Actors’ Guild contracts barring stereotyping, which in practice means only white men can be negatively stereotyped.