Did everyone have a great holiday? Eat your body weight in sugar cookies? Find that random special someone at 11:59pm to kiss?
For the new year, why not start off with a little commercial controversy, shall we? Totes.
As nice as it is that Libra came out with this statement and has pulled the ads from
When I first saw the ad this morning, my first reaction was just, "Ugh, really?" I read some comments on the Facebook page that included things like, "Lighten up!" or "Come on people, it's 2012! Laugh a little!" Yeah, it's 2012, I'm not going to "lighten up" about the fact that people are still using the LGBT community as the butt of the jokes in advertising. It amazes me that companies make these ads and not one person through the whole process says, "Umm, don't you think this might offend a few people?" Yes, controversy will get people talking (aka Benetton), but when it is putting down an entire group of people and openly using them for a laugh, that's when the line should be drawn. I also have to agree with Cherise about the ad clumping drag queens and transgender people into one. I've personally known lot of people that assume most drag queens want to become women, or label transgender MTF as drag queens, not knowing they are two completely different things entirely. But with the subject matter of this commercial and the drag queen's reaction, I think this ad only promotes the stereotype of them being one category, which is unfair to both. And the tagline, oh the tagline. "Libra Gets Girls." Cherise said it's "saying you are not a woman unless you can get your period," and I think that sums up how I feel about this ad. If that tagline was just in a typical tampon commercial, fine, great tagline...but with the subject matter at hand, it really does twist the message a little, making me feel just a little uneasy.
There seem to be a lot of people that see this as funny, and if you do, fine. We have a different sense of humor. But I think if more people understand who it's offending and their reasons, perhaps they might see it in a different light...
UPDATE: The spot is finally now off Libra's homepage. Took a bit longer than it should have, but at least it's now off...
The following ad below is getting quite a bit of talk and controversy for the subject matter...take a look below:
Hmmmmmmmm...
So the ad is from New Zealand tampon company Libra depicting a woman and a drag queen character (I'm obsessed with her eye-glitter) giving each other some "I look better than you" looks while applying cosmetics and adjusting the bosoms. But at the end, the biological woman pulls out her tampons, "winning" the battle do to the indication that she is capable of menstruating, and the drag queen leaves in a huff. End with the tagline, "Libra Gets Girls."
See how this is a tad bit offensive? If not, let me walk you through it...
Ever since its December 21st premiere, people in NZ and around the world have been in an uproar about this ad. Many have gone to social media, stating they're boycotting the product because of this ad. To get an idea of the complaints, The New Zealand Herald spoke with Agender NZ president Cherise Witehira about her reactions and the reactions of many others in the transgender community. Calling the ad "blatantly transphobic" she goes on saying, "It's extremely offensive because it's pretty much saying the only way you can be a woman is to get your period. That's where a lot of the anger in the community is coming from - it's saying you are not a woman unless you can get your period. Obviously we can't menstruate. However, we identify as female." They also claim that the ad clumps transgender women and drag queens as one (which is fo sho not the case) and reinforces the thought that transgender people are "not normal."
After the enormous amount of complaints, Libra came out with a statement today on their Facebook page responding to the commercial:
"Libra regrets any offence taken to our recent tampon advertisement. It was never intended to upset or offend anyone.
Independent research was undertaken and the advertisement was viewed positively during that testing.
Libra takes all feedback very seriously, and in response to this, we will immediately review our future position with this campaign based on the feedback received. There are no further advertisements scheduled in New Zealand.
The advertisement has not aired in Australia. The advertisement was placed on Facebook however this has also been removed."
As nice as it is that Libra came out with this statement and has pulled the ads from
Facebook and TV, Queerty pointed out that the video is still up on the home page of the company website...aaaaand there goes that apology.
Even the star of the commercial Sandee Crack (God I love drag queen names) posted on her Facebook wall for a petition to keep the ad on the air. That petition (at time of post) has received 191 signatures, the one to take it off has received 1,712.
Even the star of the commercial Sandee Crack (God I love drag queen names) posted on her Facebook wall for a petition to keep the ad on the air. That petition (at time of post) has received 191 signatures, the one to take it off has received 1,712.
There seem to be a lot of people that see this as funny, and if you do, fine. We have a different sense of humor. But I think if more people understand who it's offending and their reasons, perhaps they might see it in a different light...
UPDATE: The spot is finally now off Libra's homepage. Took a bit longer than it should have, but at least it's now off...
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