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Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Homo Campaign Ads

Posted by Dan Savage on Tue, Nov 11, 2008 at 12:45 PM

Gay people recruit—that's the charge, leveled against us most recently by "Yes on Prop 8" forces in California. But what would it look like if gay people really did recruit? The UK's Gay Times asked five ad agencies to create gay recruitment campaigns. My favorite:

My first runner up:

An interview with the editor of Gay Times and rest of the ads are here.

UPDATE: Is the first ad, above, sexist? I don't think so. It plays off of typical straight male bitching about women. (Straight women gripe in extremely unflattering-to-males ways about straight men too, just as gay men bitch about gay men, lesbians bitch about lesbians, etc.) But whatever gripes straight men have about women, it would be ridiculous to suggest that straight men could solve all their problems by simply "choosing" to be gay. Straight men can't "choose" homosexuality because sexual orientation—despite what the folks who throw around accusations of "recruitment" would have us believe—is not a choice.

And what would happen if sexual orientation were a choice? Isn't it obvious? Based on the griping that goes on, it's safe to say that straight men would choose to be gay, straight women would choose to be lesbians, gay men would choose to be straight, and gay women would chose to be straight. (I'm not sure what bisexuals would choose—zoophilia?) And everyone would be happy for, oh, about a month.

And then everyone would choose to go back.

Comments (24) RSS

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Jesus! This sentence means what? "But would it look like if gay people really did recruit? " P.S. Hot mouth.

Posted by Proof your fucking posts! on November 11, 2008 at 1:00 PM

That first one is sexist as hell.

Posted by w7ngman on November 11, 2008 at 1:01 PM

The misogyny is unfortunate. Homophobia and sexism go hand in hand. To mainstream culture, fear of gay men = fear of the feminine. The biggest insult between boys in middle school is "fag" and "pussy." And of course, a dyke is perceived as "unfeminine," and therefore unnaccepting of a subordinate position in society, right? I feel sorry for your son if this is the kind of bullshit you're teaching him Dan.

Posted by Sigh on November 11, 2008 at 1:14 PM

That first one should read "Be a Gay Man" rather than just "Be Gay". Being female, I had a to read the ad several times to understand it. That's a bad sign, it should be easier for everyone to underestand. I thnk the other ad is too suggestive to go mainstream.

Posted by la on November 11, 2008 at 1:18 PM

Uncle Sam Wants You!* *No, really. @3, I agree to an extent (about homophobia and sexism), but I don't think these are meant to be taken as actual positions, but mockeries of supposed agendas.

Posted by lusk on November 11, 2008 at 1:20 PM

The "runner-up" is fall-down funny. I'll never be able to do head-hangin'-over again without chuckling.

Posted by rob on November 11, 2008 at 1:20 PM

Why all the hatin' on the ladies? The best message some of them can come up with, even jokingly, is "go gay: you don't have to pretend like or respect women ever again! wheeee!" Really?

Posted by Seriously on November 11, 2008 at 1:29 PM

Eddie Izzard or the Little Britain boys need to rip this to shreds. The Pythons would have had a field day.

Posted by tomasyalba on November 11, 2008 at 1:31 PM

I didn't have any issue with the first one, but mostly because I didn't take any of it seriously. I see the potential point about sexism though.

Posted by Julie in Chicago on November 11, 2008 at 1:54 PM

It's not so much that the first ad is sexist (the GA Why? one on the link is much more sexist), but that clearly lesbians weren't included in the campaign.

Posted by genevieve on November 11, 2008 at 2:07 PM

The first one is sexist because it acts like gay females don't even exist.

Posted by EmmiG on November 11, 2008 at 2:43 PM

It it can really do all "she can do" I'd like to see the guy in the second one pass an 8 lb baby out of that mouth.

Posted by Westside forever on November 11, 2008 at 2:57 PM

Because having children should be a conscious choice and not the price of doing business or the result of too much booze.

Posted by Vince on November 11, 2008 at 3:10 PM

I’m not sure what bisexuals would choose—zoophilia? Danny, that's just not nice. Bisexuals would just keep doing what we've always done -fuck everything in sight. Sheesh! You'd think bisexuals passed prop 8 or something...

Posted by Mike in MO on November 11, 2008 at 3:38 PM

I think the first ad is trying to be clever, but fails. Also, the line "Because Responsibility is Easier to Avoid" is annoying. What about HIV? Just because you are a gay man doesn't mean you get to throw away your condoms and avoid responsibility.

Posted by argh on November 11, 2008 at 4:10 PM

The first one is sexist. Dan, you know that women's bodies and sexualities are mocked and derided in ways that men's bodies and sexualities aren't--I've heard you say so on one of your most recent podcasts (in relation to a woman being uncomfortable with a man going down on her). And as you said this has real consequences for women in relationships, particularly heterosexual relationships--our bodies get ugly when we get old we're told over and over again (and lo and behold 90% of all cosmetic plastic surgery is done on women at great cost to women). We're told over and over again that we must be absolutely hairless in virtually all places, or we are "gross." (And, voila, women get nervous about men sniffing our crotches). And this isn't "gay people bitching about straight people" it's clearly a male voice (the writer may or may not be gay) bitching about women in order to bond with other men, and doing so as if he's representing a universal voice, which also suggests that women aren't even worth taking account of--either as readers or as gay people. So, yes, sexist.

Posted by OH on November 11, 2008 at 4:24 PM

dan, you always have to talk shit about bi people... I think someone is jealous!!

Posted by hiandbi on November 11, 2008 at 6:30 PM

Whenever I hear people talking about gays recruiting, I always picture something not unlike the Mormon missionaries. A couple of nicely dressed, very attractive young men, going door to door and asking people if they've ever considered trying an alternate lifestyle.

Posted by Beth in NJ on November 11, 2008 at 7:12 PM

WTF??!?!?!?!

I'm not sure what bisexuals would choose—zoophilia?

Really? Beastiality? Really? You wanna go there... the very place that the people who hate you for being gay always go - if we let gays marry beastiality is next! - REALLY DAN, REALLY?

FUCK YOU.

Posted by BISEXUAL =/= Zoophile on November 11, 2008 at 8:49 PM

As everyone can see, Dan's ignorance on race--which most people did not care about--is now revealed to encompass bisexuals and women as well. I never accused Dan of being racist; my point was that when people attempt to use rights movements in which they were largely not engaged and do not really care about as an empty metaphor for their own struggle, that ignorance comes through.

But by all means, continue to reveal the hypocrisy of gays in their co-opting of the language of civil rights movement after it became less dangerous to participate in it. I will continue to assist in the non-marriage aspects of gay rights regardless. But there is a steady group of people whose awakening to this will prove to be far less forgiving.

Posted by That annoying 'interest troll' on November 11, 2008 at 11:24 PM

Dan, I'm so surprised that so many of the people here are not getting the satirical tone of these ads. They're not sexist: they're a satire on sexism as much as they are on the whole 'gay recruitment' thing, even if that part was unintentional. Like you said, everyone complains about their sex partners, and heterosexuals tend to generalize those traits to all women or all men (I've even heard gay people do this, only they consider themselves the exception). But everyone complains. These ads point out how ridiculous the 'grass is greener' approach to sexuality is. They point out how pervasive and absurd sexism is by pretending like men would somehow be better.

As for the bisexual joke... well, let me break it down for the offended: gay men swear off men and date women, becoming straight. Lesbians swear off women and date men, becoming straight. Straight men swear off women, becoming gay. Straight women swear off men, becoming gay. But who would bisexuals fuck if they swore off men and women?

Posted by bisexual feminist on November 12, 2008 at 6:15 AM

In the context of Dan's previous comments on bisexuals, that doesn't cut it.

Posted by That annoying 'interest troll' on November 12, 2008 at 7:05 AM

I dunno, with the first one the whole "satire OF sexism" doesn't quite come across. Even if that was the stated intent, it just comes off like any other annoying email forward or tshirt or something. Not everything with satirical intent is successful at it.
The second one is much more successful _because_ of how hilariously over the top and crass the visual is, and there's just a wonderful mental image of seeing it on a subway or in a magazine or something.

Posted by MySpoonIsTooBig on November 12, 2008 at 9:51 AM

@21. I mostly agree with you. The first ad contains one clear insult to women: "Because men improve with age." And women don't? Whatever, delusional asshole. Otherwise, it's all just snarky fun. I mean, really, who's going to say that beards and hairy chests on women are sexy? Hell, some would say it's not sexy on men either!

And, as a woman (a bisexual one, and I'll get to that), I will be the first to say that often we're fucking annoying. Often, the "femaleness" of us is fucking annoying. The same can be said about men. People are--as a rule--annoying, no matter the gender or orientation.

Dan Savage is no sexist. He's been fantastically honest to women who need a mirror held up to their hypocrisy. Dan Savage is the best friend of men and women, gay or straight.

Want to see how Dan reacts to real misogyny? Check out his March 13, 2007 podcast (Episode 21), and then stop being so thin-skinned!

These ads don't have a female voice. Why is that? Didn't women write some entries?

Re: the bi-baiting. Face it, that's not going to go away. Yes, Dan made a silly comment. My only problem with it is that it lacks his usual wit (it's true, Dan. Do better.)

My experience is that gays and lesbians who distrust us or insult us have usually been burned in the past. They don't blame the individuals, but rather the orientation. No, it's not right; no it's not rational. But it's not "evil" either.

That being said, if people--bi's included--would only say up front that monogamy is not an option, there'd be a lot less hurt in the world.

Posted by jade on November 13, 2008 at 4:20 AM