Sunday, February 04, 2007

The Super Bowl commercials embody everything that sucks about our culture

A bold statement, perhaps, but one I'm willing to stand behind.

Last year I said this. This year I'm even surlier, and it's only the 3rd quarter.

Take, for example, the hideous GM commercial with the poor little factory machine that "lives" in fear of losing its job because of GM's incredibly high standards.

The whole ghastly narrative dramatizes the desperation and suicide of a laid off auto worker. Remember back in 2005 when GM laid off 30,000 workers? Good times, huh? So good that they're JOKING ABOUT IT now. My god, it's utterly unconscionable.

Not only do they make a joke out of layoffs, they add insult to injury by implying that if you get laid off it's your own damn fault. Their standards are such that no worker error will be tolerated; drop a rivet and you face the sack. And car buyers are encouraged to celebrate this, to side with the corporation against the workers and laugh at the spectacle of the suffering of the unemployed. I am aghast, truly.

Other commercials featured objectified, caricatured, fake women, as per the status quo. (I specifically recall a GoDaddy.com spot in this category.)

I also recoiled at the candy bar commercial that made fun not only of gays but of homophobia. Because it's really nothing but a harmless giggle, right, for men to fear gays? It's not like people ever get bullied or murdered or anything. It's cute!

Ugh. Depressing.

Added: Link to the GM commercial.

6 Comments:

At 10:08 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

you really are pathetic! They are COMMERCIALS!!!! If you don't like it, don't watch. Bitch bitch bitch bitch bitch!!!!

 
At 10:18 PM, Blogger Rees said...

bdawg, I think it's important to engage that with which we disagree, as opposed to just ignoring it. (Or trolling.)

 
At 2:24 PM, Blogger StickyKeys said...

You know I was seriously considering using godaddy to register my name and as soon as that mess came up I thought... nevermind.

I swear, yes, men are idiots, but basically you're telling them this over and over.

How was the Loreal commercial?

 
At 4:55 PM, Blogger Rees said...

I didn't see any ads in the 2nd half; thankfully we got ahead on the DVR. What was the Loreal commercial?

 
At 10:02 PM, Blogger Zed said...

I am very proud to report, Shell, that I didn't watch the Superbowl or any of the commercials associated with it. I have reached nirvana.

 
At 1:48 AM, Blogger Cassandra said...

The candy bar commercial was just bad. Nothing funny about it.

 

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