"Silly Little Fairy"
I read a review today on Ad Age.com of a recent Dodge commercial that I was directed to by friend Sam Bradley. I’ve been thinking all day about if I would discuss it here, and if I were how I would do it. I’ve ultimately decided to write about it.
The television advertisement is for Dodge’s new compact car, the Caliber. In this commercial a fairy flies around a city changing the items there into more storybook-like items. She changes a skyscraper into a gingerbread house. She transforms a subway train into a yellow and green toy train. But when the fairy tries to transform the Caliber she is unsuccessful. In addition the Caliber repels the fairy and forces her into a brick wall.
At this point a very masculine, black denim clad man walks by the fairy with a Doberman. The man utters the only line in the entire advertisement, “Silly little fairy.” The fairy then transforms the man into a well-groomed, bright yellow shirt and white sweater wearing guy who was walking four very small lap dogs.
I do get it. The fairy is transforming all these hard, masculine images into more “fairy-like” items that are bright, almost neon, colors and more feminized. The Caliber is too hard and masculine to be changed by the fairy.
What the reviewer discussed, and what I thought the first time I saw the commercial, was how offensive the advertisement is.
First, fairy is such an insulting term for gay men. The use of it just to describe the woman who was portraying the fairy would have been just fine with me. It’s the accompanying imagery with the use of the word fairy that is offensive.
Second, the changing of the ultra-masculine guy walking the Doberman to the guy with the sweater draped over his shoulders while walking four itty bitty dogs implies that the “fairy” has also feminized this guy. But the image used for the transformed man is one often used when media puts forth a stereotype for gay men.
The use of the word “fairy” right before this transformation is what sealed it for me as being an offensive and even hateful advertisement. I would almost call its imagery and message homophobic (particularly the use, and the reviewer called it, of the double entendre use of the word “fairy”), though I am very reticent to throw that term around in any way unless I am 100% positive of the intent.
Dodge’s parent company, Daimler Chrysler, was actually surprised when concerns about the advertisement were brought to them. They state that the message being put forth wasn’t intentional, but I must be honest. I don’t buy it. Someone decided that they wanted to sell their new compact car and a tough, masculine vehicle that a man should want. And what’s more non-masculine than the stereotyped image of a gay man?
I wonder if this advertisement will be effective. Will more men actually go out and buy this compact car? Or will the effect on the gay community have more of an impact? I foresee an organized protest coming, from an organization such as GLAAD that may bring this issue to the forefront of their agenda and will ultimately hurt Daimler Chrysler’s sales among homosexuals and allies.
The television advertisement is for Dodge’s new compact car, the Caliber. In this commercial a fairy flies around a city changing the items there into more storybook-like items. She changes a skyscraper into a gingerbread house. She transforms a subway train into a yellow and green toy train. But when the fairy tries to transform the Caliber she is unsuccessful. In addition the Caliber repels the fairy and forces her into a brick wall.
At this point a very masculine, black denim clad man walks by the fairy with a Doberman. The man utters the only line in the entire advertisement, “Silly little fairy.” The fairy then transforms the man into a well-groomed, bright yellow shirt and white sweater wearing guy who was walking four very small lap dogs.
I do get it. The fairy is transforming all these hard, masculine images into more “fairy-like” items that are bright, almost neon, colors and more feminized. The Caliber is too hard and masculine to be changed by the fairy.
What the reviewer discussed, and what I thought the first time I saw the commercial, was how offensive the advertisement is.
First, fairy is such an insulting term for gay men. The use of it just to describe the woman who was portraying the fairy would have been just fine with me. It’s the accompanying imagery with the use of the word fairy that is offensive.
Second, the changing of the ultra-masculine guy walking the Doberman to the guy with the sweater draped over his shoulders while walking four itty bitty dogs implies that the “fairy” has also feminized this guy. But the image used for the transformed man is one often used when media puts forth a stereotype for gay men.
The use of the word “fairy” right before this transformation is what sealed it for me as being an offensive and even hateful advertisement. I would almost call its imagery and message homophobic (particularly the use, and the reviewer called it, of the double entendre use of the word “fairy”), though I am very reticent to throw that term around in any way unless I am 100% positive of the intent.
Dodge’s parent company, Daimler Chrysler, was actually surprised when concerns about the advertisement were brought to them. They state that the message being put forth wasn’t intentional, but I must be honest. I don’t buy it. Someone decided that they wanted to sell their new compact car and a tough, masculine vehicle that a man should want. And what’s more non-masculine than the stereotyped image of a gay man?
I wonder if this advertisement will be effective. Will more men actually go out and buy this compact car? Or will the effect on the gay community have more of an impact? I foresee an organized protest coming, from an organization such as GLAAD that may bring this issue to the forefront of their agenda and will ultimately hurt Daimler Chrysler’s sales among homosexuals and allies.
posted by IUAngelini at
9:03 PM
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