A spot that is part of the Anything But Cute campaign by BBDO Detroit for the new Dodge Caliber compact is causing a bit of a ruckus among gay advocates [1]. The ads were created to target 25-35-year olds with "edgy", "off-color humor". Chrysler has received a number of complaints calling the spot stereotypical and "a cheap shot", although they have no plans to pull the ad.
SuperAdgrunts, check out the spot below.
[2]
"I think it's a cheap shot," said Kathy Ervin, a Manistee mother of a lesbian. "It seemed to me to be a broad caricature of the kind of stereotypical behavior people have in mind about gay people, flouncing and a little over the top."
[snip]
"We're kind of surprised that people are making a conclusion about someone's sexual orientation based on the clothes they're wearing," said Suraya Bliss, a Chrysler spokeswoman.
"This guy looks pretty gay to me," said Jeffrey Montgomery, executive director of the Detroit-based Triangle Foundation, a civil rights organization for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. "I'm willing to believe they didn't intend it to be a gay man, but I don't believe they're shocked someone would draw that conclusion."
Commercial Closet [3] reviewed the ad saying:
"It directly finds humour with the term fairy, referring not just to the type that flies around with a magic wand, but also the universally recognisable gay stereotype of an effeminate gay man."
Check out the other ad in the campaign, Moon Dog, here:
[4]
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