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02/05/2007
Snickers vote: Choose the nougat that you find most satisfying
In the most "Lady in the Tramp" of fashions, a Snickers commercial aired last night that featured two "men's men" locking lips while both gnawing on the same candy bar. However, the company is putting the men's ultimate reaction to the lip lock in the hands of viewers, allowing the public to vote on which ending they want to see for the commercial (with the winner to air during the Daytona 500).
The options? Well, in one the men react by beating the hell out of each other to prove their "manliness; in another they rip out their chest hair to show their masculinity; in a third option they drink motor oil to wash the taste of "guy" out of their mouths; and in a fourth option, a third mechanic approaches the just-smooched duo and asks "Is there room for three on this love boat?"
Now, we don't want to lead your hand and sway the voting process. However, there would seem to be only one option that would demonstrate to viewers of the Daytona 500 that man/man smooching is not something to which one should react in disgust. That being the case, we encourage you to click the link below and vote for the most gay-friendly/least objectionable of the options (The Love Boat). Not that it is all that amazing or that the other three are outright homophobic. In fact, we think the other three are mocking homophobia far more than gay kissing. The problem is that there is plenty of room for misinterpretation in seeing two men react so extremely to make amends for their "vile" behavior. We're just a bit uncomfy with the other three being presented for public consumption. After all, haven't we all had enough of a society where two dudes' lip-locking is met with Snickers (or worse)?
But no matter your personal choice, you can go vote here:
Vote for the most satisfying ending [Snickers.com]
**NOTE: Hmm, on second though, maybe the ad is pretty upsetting altogether. The players' reactions to the kiss (viewable at the link) are less than comforting.
"This is not right"
"I hope they got paid a lot of money to do that"
"You have two men, and you're already thrown off by that, like -- ah, no, come one, not two men doing this!"
**UPDATE: HRC is condemning the ad campaign, as well as the aformentioned player reactions!
**UPDATE2: Americablog's John Aravosis is leading the voice of opposition on this.
**UPDATE, 2/6: Snickers ad withdrawn [USA Today]
Technorati Tags: snickers
Your thoughts
The Snicker's comercial is ignorant in any version. If it airs, a boycot of any product connected to the producers of Snicker's wouldn't be out of line. I can laugh at myself and others, but this is too stupid for that. Sadly, far too much of the country is just that stupid and will find this funny.
Posted by: Don Morse | Feb 5, 2007 12:24:49 PM
Not a single option given is acceptable...
It's absurd that marketing groups still stoop to things like this... Of course if they have that much money I guess they think they can just buy their way back out of the hole they dig themselves into with this commercial.
No such thing as bad publicity I guess.
The Players' reactions are sad, but not surprising...
Posted by: hyrcan | Feb 5, 2007 12:26:08 PM
I have to agree with that one player who says the third guy kind of comes out of nowhere. He is also pretty creepy. Without the "I think we just accidentally kissed" line the story is less clear, as well. I don't think that ending stands much of a chance, as it's weird and not really that funny.
The "quick, do something manly" endings are a bit pathetic, but they do clearly make fun of homophobia in my opinion. I like the chesthair one. Can't seem to find the vote button though.
Posted by: Willie Hewes | Feb 5, 2007 12:27:25 PM
Well I'm avoiding candy anyway (no it's not a fucking diet, well, okay kind of...) but I will pretty much never eat a snickers again because of this fucked up ad. I'm going to watch that Donnie Davies video a few times just to forget about this...
Posted by: werdna | Feb 5, 2007 1:37:48 PM
I would have voted for the Love Boat version, but the third guy delivered his line as comedicly as anyone on Last Comic Standing.
Besides, from the looks on their faces they both wanted that kiss anyway.
Posted by: Howard | Feb 5, 2007 2:08:17 PM
Looks like someone at Snickers may have woke up! As the commercial website is inaccessible right now.
Let's hope they do the right thing.
Posted by: hyrcan | Feb 5, 2007 6:20:57 PM
hyrcan is right, the page with the different versions of the ad is gone (at least for now). But you can still leave comments here: http://www.snickers.com/contact.asp
Posted by: werdna | Feb 6, 2007 3:36:20 AM
I missed the other versions but I saw the chest-hair one during the superbowl. I thought that was the commercial. I didn't know it was supposed to air at a different date. HMMMMmmm.
Either way, I found that one a bit rediculous. I didn't get to see the other versions, however. I laughed at first only because of the over the top reaction, esp. with the hair ripping out.
Posted by: Daimeon | Feb 6, 2007 5:57:58 PM
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