Slog
News & ArtsThursday, June 3, 2010
Homo That Gay McDonald's Ad
Posted by Dan Savage on Thu, Jun 3, 2010 at 8:34 AM
Bill O'Reilly discusses McDonald's "Come As You Are" campaign—which includes an ad featuring a gay teenager and his dad—and asks if the company is going to run an ad welcoming members of Al-Qaeda to come as they are.
Because, you know, gay teenagers with schoolboy crushes on classmates and the kind of Islamic fundamentalism that inspires Islamic regimes to execute gay teenagers and Islamic immigrants to bash gays and lesbians in France—hey, pretty much the same thing.
I also have to take issue with that statement by the French McDonald's executive: "There's obviously no problem with homosexuality in France today." If that's the case... why isn't this insanely cute gay teenager out to his gruff-but-loving dad? If the ad had ended with the teenager saying, "Dad, there's something I have to tell you..." and then we saw Dad lean across the table as the camera pulled back to put a hand on his son's shoulder in a clearly supportive manner, well, maybe then you could argue that everything's wonderful for gays in France.
And Bill? That 10% estimate is way out of date.
1
They smoke like chimneys, they eat drugs of all sorts, they drink like fish, they eat crap food (McDonald's); what is it that Gay people won't do to destroy themselves? They even join the Republican party! STOP the madness!
2
Man, I really thought it seemed like O'Reilly had mellowed lately. Or maybe it's just that everyone else got crazier and he started to look borderline reasonable by comparison.
5
I think on balance the ad is more pro-gay than anything else. Yes the kid is still closeted, which sucks, but he's a cutie portrayed in a sympathetic manner. His orientation is signaled because of the romantic feelings, not physical sexuality, towards another boy. The message is "come as you are" which is obviously supportive.
Compare this to, say, every single football ad where "teh gay" is portrayed as some icky awful thing that "Real Men" (TM) should be terrified of being mistaken for. I call this progress.
Compare this to, say, every single football ad where "teh gay" is portrayed as some icky awful thing that "Real Men" (TM) should be terrified of being mistaken for. I call this progress.
6
From an advertising perspective McDonald's is trying to woo younger French kids tired of the older generation's outdated ideas. The older generation whose politically powerful values regarding food sourcing and neighborhood businesses have kept McD from achieving its accustomed growth there.
So while it is sweet to see McD recognize homophobia fading as the older generation loses its cultural grip, it's exploiting that (delightful) reality toward its own evil ends.
So while it is sweet to see McD recognize homophobia fading as the older generation loses its cultural grip, it's exploiting that (delightful) reality toward its own evil ends.
7
Dan Savage --
You sometimes drive me absolutely batshit crazy with your lunatic rantings and self-promotion and general craziness. But you're fighting the good fight and damn you for being right most the time. In this case, you're completely spot on. Keep up the good work.
You sometimes drive me absolutely batshit crazy with your lunatic rantings and self-promotion and general craziness. But you're fighting the good fight and damn you for being right most the time. In this case, you're completely spot on. Keep up the good work.
8
You want a stereotype? WTF is with all the blonde peanut-brained bimbos on Fox News?
It's an innocent 'feel good' image-ad, what are they gonna promote, their healthy, delicious food?
It's an innocent 'feel good' image-ad, what are they gonna promote, their healthy, delicious food?
9
O'Reilly is that old, bigoted generation that has their head up their ass about anyone different. You said they were dying off, just not quickly enough.
12
You expected more from Fox News?
A TV commercial targeting a gay/gay-friendly audience will "never air in the U.S." Not surprisingly, Bill-O's never watched Bravo or Logo.
This reminds me of another European commercial that aired a few years ago showing a middle-aged business woman driving around with her handsome, younger, male lover. She pulls up to a stop light next to her husband's car, so the young man must hide beneath the window. She and her husband smile and wave to each other, and after she pulls away, her husband's handsome, younger, male lover emerges from hiding as well. Good stuff, and I saw it in the U.S.
A TV commercial targeting a gay/gay-friendly audience will "never air in the U.S." Not surprisingly, Bill-O's never watched Bravo or Logo.
This reminds me of another European commercial that aired a few years ago showing a middle-aged business woman driving around with her handsome, younger, male lover. She pulls up to a stop light next to her husband's car, so the young man must hide beneath the window. She and her husband smile and wave to each other, and after she pulls away, her husband's handsome, younger, male lover emerges from hiding as well. Good stuff, and I saw it in the U.S.
13
"...asks if the company is going to run an ad welcoming members of Al-Qaeda to come as they are."
If McD's seriously thought that Al-Qaeda members constituted 4-10% of their potential customers, I bet they would. One good thing about capitalism is that you never have to wonder what motivates people.
McD's isn't engaging in social engineering. They're just trying to sell hamburgers.
If McD's seriously thought that Al-Qaeda members constituted 4-10% of their potential customers, I bet they would. One good thing about capitalism is that you never have to wonder what motivates people.
McD's isn't engaging in social engineering. They're just trying to sell hamburgers.
15
bill o'reilly has surprised me since he said atheists don't celebrate christmas because they hate babies. now nothing he does surprises me.
17
man that guy is such a douche. The fact that he's still on the air after the loofah incident is merely one glaring example of how backwards and out of touch FOX news is.
19
@2 That's pretty much the whole tamale. I even watch him from time to time, just to get some relief.
20
The translation at the of the ad is off. It's actually something along the lines of "You have all the luck." Meaning that the dad is subtly telling his son that he knows he's gay and is okay with it.
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