Unfortunate Implications/Advertising: Difference between revisions

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** There's an ad for a security system that opens with a couple coming home to find out they've been robbed. Then the commercial enters an [[Alternate Universe]] where they bought the security system, and their neighbors (who didn't) were robbed instead, to which the wife makes a condescending remark along the lines of "I ''told'' them to get (''security system'')." So if you don't buy this one brand for whatever reason, not only will you be robbed immediately, but you'll deserve it and be the object of everyone's scorn for being stupid enough to get robbed in the first place.
** There's an ad for a security system that opens with a couple coming home to find out they've been robbed. Then the commercial enters an [[Alternate Universe]] where they bought the security system, and their neighbors (who didn't) were robbed instead, to which the wife makes a condescending remark along the lines of "I ''told'' them to get (''security system'')." So if you don't buy this one brand for whatever reason, not only will you be robbed immediately, but you'll deserve it and be the object of everyone's scorn for being stupid enough to get robbed in the first place.
** In fact, the newest ADT commercial seems to imply not only that message (although I think that one was one of ADT's commercials), but also that burglary is no big deal anymore once you have their security system and you never have to worry. Try telling that to ''any'' victim of burglary, security system or not, and see what they say.
** In fact, the newest ADT commercial seems to imply not only that message (although I think that one was one of ADT's commercials), but also that burglary is no big deal anymore once you have their security system and you never have to worry. Try telling that to ''any'' victim of burglary, security system or not, and see what they say.
* A 2010 commercial for Sharp Quattron technology television, featuring Asian-American actor [[Star Trek the Original Series (TV)|George Takei]], introducing a fourth color to the standard TV Red-Green-Blue. Guess what color it is. That's right, {{spoiler|Yellow}}. Unfortunate, indeed.
* A 2010 commercial for Sharp Quattron technology television, featuring Asian-American actor [[Star Trek: The Original Series|George Takei]], introducing a fourth color to the standard TV Red-Green-Blue. Guess what color it is. That's right, {{spoiler|Yellow}}. Unfortunate, indeed.
** On the bright side, his [[Futurama (Animation)|seductively sensual voice]] did give the announcement appropriate gravitas, so, kudos for finding a way to make the right choice and the wrong one at the same time.
** On the bright side, his [[Futurama|seductively sensual voice]] did give the announcement appropriate gravitas, so, kudos for finding a way to make the right choice and the wrong one at the same time.




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* An advert aired in Britain by the police about reporting crimes that aired in 2008. The advert shows a man witnessing a woman getting abused by her husband. He ignores it, trying to forget what he saw and thinking it doesn't matter anyway because he's in a hurry to get to work. It cuts to a few days later where the same man learns that his daughter is being abused by her boyfriend, something which scared her for life. The advert ends with the man calling the police with the tagline: "Would you stand back while someone you love is scared? Why do it to others? Witness a crime; call 999." Seems like a great message right? It's clear, and it's a good course. The problem is that some of the airings didn't include the tagline but rather a shorter line reading: "Someone you love? Call 999." ...So the advert simply show a man not reporting a serious crime, however said man does report the crime when it's his own daughter it happened to...In other words the implication is: Don't bother reporting crimes that have nothing too do with you.
* An advert aired in Britain by the police about reporting crimes that aired in 2008. The advert shows a man witnessing a woman getting abused by her husband. He ignores it, trying to forget what he saw and thinking it doesn't matter anyway because he's in a hurry to get to work. It cuts to a few days later where the same man learns that his daughter is being abused by her boyfriend, something which scared her for life. The advert ends with the man calling the police with the tagline: "Would you stand back while someone you love is scared? Why do it to others? Witness a crime; call 999." Seems like a great message right? It's clear, and it's a good course. The problem is that some of the airings didn't include the tagline but rather a shorter line reading: "Someone you love? Call 999." ...So the advert simply show a man not reporting a serious crime, however said man does report the crime when it's his own daughter it happened to...In other words the implication is: Don't bother reporting crimes that have nothing too do with you.
** Not to mention implying that women are all potential victims who need rescuing by men, and that [[All Abusers Are Male]].
** Not to mention implying that women are all potential victims who need rescuing by men, and that [[All Abusers Are Male]].
* There is a series of radio PSAs in the U.S. using audio clips from Disney films related (or tangentally related) to the theme -- a ''Bambi'' ad for the Forest Service about stopping wildfires, a ''Lion King'' ad about being a good father, etc. One for the USDA and LetsMove.org starts by talking about ''[[Beauty and The Beast (Disney)|Beauty and The Beast]]'': "Belle and the Beast discovered true beauty is found on the INSIDE. And they lived happily ever after." It follows that with how the fact how children being overweight or obese is "threatening all our happy ever afters." The ''intent'' is...well, actually it's hard to link the Aesop from the movie to their reasoning. The lessons a listener takes away are: 1. True beauty is found on the inside, [[Broken Aesop|but only if you're thin, kids! Fatties are ugly to the bone.]] 2. Fat kids aren't just undeserving of happy endings, they're threatening ALL of our "happy ever afters". Remember, kid, every time you eat a french fry, you show that your soul is ugly AND God kills an innocent kitten, too.
* There is a series of radio PSAs in the U.S. using audio clips from Disney films related (or tangentally related) to the theme -- a ''Bambi'' ad for the Forest Service about stopping wildfires, a ''Lion King'' ad about being a good father, etc. One for the USDA and LetsMove.org starts by talking about ''[[Beauty and the Beast]]'': "Belle and the Beast discovered true beauty is found on the INSIDE. And they lived happily ever after." It follows that with how the fact how children being overweight or obese is "threatening all our happy ever afters." The ''intent'' is...well, actually it's hard to link the Aesop from the movie to their reasoning. The lessons a listener takes away are: 1. True beauty is found on the inside, [[Broken Aesop|but only if you're thin, kids! Fatties are ugly to the bone.]] 2. Fat kids aren't just undeserving of happy endings, they're threatening ALL of our "happy ever afters". Remember, kid, every time you eat a french fry, you show that your soul is ugly AND God kills an innocent kitten, too.
** [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16958865 Similar complaints were brought against] a 2012 campaign in Atlanta, GA that used such slogans as "It's hard to be a little girl if you're not." Childhood obesity ''is'' a genuine problem in the U.S., but so far it seems to be an impossible one to sensitively address.
** [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16958865 Similar complaints were brought against] a 2012 campaign in Atlanta, GA that used such slogans as "It's hard to be a little girl if you're not." Childhood obesity ''is'' a genuine problem in the U.S., but so far it seems to be an impossible one to sensitively address.
* A pressure group ad began by berating the viewer for not doing anything about the problem of African children dying from drinking water contaminated with feces. It then showed a young boy going into a deserted public toilet and lapping from the bowl, with a voiceover smugly declaring "if you don't mind little black kids drinking from the toilet, you won't mind little white kids drinking from the toilet." But the risk of dysentery [[Paedo Hunt|wasn't the first thing many viewers thought of]] when they saw a young child going into a men's toilet alone ...
* A pressure group ad began by berating the viewer for not doing anything about the problem of African children dying from drinking water contaminated with feces. It then showed a young boy going into a deserted public toilet and lapping from the bowl, with a voiceover smugly declaring "if you don't mind little black kids drinking from the toilet, you won't mind little white kids drinking from the toilet." But the risk of dysentery [[Paedo Hunt|wasn't the first thing many viewers thought of]] when they saw a young child going into a men's toilet alone ...
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* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RyPamyWotM This] Super Bowl ad for the Dodge Charger, which implies all women are soul-sucking harpies and small courtesies on behalf of a working relationship actually mean you're giving up your masculinity. ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou5Ens-qNRc Deservedly-snarky] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99BlXSyzSUo&feature=related parodies/rebuttals soon followed.])
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RyPamyWotM This] Super Bowl ad for the Dodge Charger, which implies all women are soul-sucking harpies and small courtesies on behalf of a working relationship actually mean you're giving up your masculinity. ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou5Ens-qNRc Deservedly-snarky] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99BlXSyzSUo&feature=related parodies/rebuttals soon followed.])
** [[It Got Worse]], as commentators [http://jezebel.com/5466569/the-critics-on-the-super-bowl-ads-boring-misogynistic picked up on] misogyny as one of the ''predominant themes'' of the 2010 Super Bowl ad crop.
** [[It Got Worse]], as commentators [http://jezebel.com/5466569/the-critics-on-the-super-bowl-ads-boring-misogynistic picked up on] misogyny as one of the ''predominant themes'' of the 2010 Super Bowl ad crop.
** [[Serial Escalation|It Gets Even Worse]] when you read the comments to the reply videos, which are pretty much 'oppressed men' calling them [[Straw Feminist|feminist bitches]] who [[Stay in The Kitchen|should go back to the kitchen where they belong.]]
** [[Serial Escalation|It Gets Even Worse]] when you read the comments to the reply videos, which are pretty much 'oppressed men' calling them [[Straw Feminist|feminist bitches]] who [[Stay in the Kitchen|should go back to the kitchen where they belong.]]
** Never mind the intended implication from 99% of all car ads — your car ''must'' be an extension of your penis. It must be big (fast), powerful, and reflects your manhood. [[Take That|As opposed to practical, effective, and long-lasting?]]
** Never mind the intended implication from 99% of all car ads — your car ''must'' be an extension of your penis. It must be big (fast), powerful, and reflects your manhood. [[Take That|As opposed to practical, effective, and long-lasting?]]
* Some critics (i.e., anyone who has ever watched ads and acknowledges what they are) have noticed that men in ads are much more likely to be portrayed as idiots than women. This is to avoid the stereotype of women as stupid things that need a man's help, but it made a stereotype where the woman has to come to the rescue of her idiotic significant other. Take [http://www.yellowbook.com/life-insurance-clumsy-husband/ the Yellowbook spot] where a woman finds out her klutzy husband has just gotten a field job at a demolition company, and the first thing she does is ''look for life insurance''. [[Double Standard|If the sexes were reversed, it never would've made it to air.]]
* Some critics (i.e., anyone who has ever watched ads and acknowledges what they are) have noticed that men in ads are much more likely to be portrayed as idiots than women. This is to avoid the stereotype of women as stupid things that need a man's help, but it made a stereotype where the woman has to come to the rescue of her idiotic significant other. Take [http://www.yellowbook.com/life-insurance-clumsy-husband/ the Yellowbook spot] where a woman finds out her klutzy husband has just gotten a field job at a demolition company, and the first thing she does is ''look for life insurance''. [[Double Standard|If the sexes were reversed, it never would've made it to air.]]
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** One series has clients able to summon a State Farm agent with a jingle. In one such ad, a husband returns home to find his wife playing a game, having finished working on their insurance faster than expected. He summons an agent expecting to prove his wife is lying, only to find she's telling the truth. But her expectation of an apology gets roundly mocked, with the guy getting the last word. Don't expect respect, ladies!
** One series has clients able to summon a State Farm agent with a jingle. In one such ad, a husband returns home to find his wife playing a game, having finished working on their insurance faster than expected. He summons an agent expecting to prove his wife is lying, only to find she's telling the truth. But her expectation of an apology gets roundly mocked, with the guy getting the last word. Don't expect respect, ladies!
* The commercial for "The Boyfriend Pillow", a pillow shaped like a disembodied arm for women to use "when your boyfriend is out of town". The commercial proclaims "women without their boyfriends toss and turn!" Yes, because the only way a woman can ''possibly'' sleep is with her man. Plus, waking up next to a disembodied limb isn't all that comforting to anyone who's not a [[Serial Killer]].
* The commercial for "The Boyfriend Pillow", a pillow shaped like a disembodied arm for women to use "when your boyfriend is out of town". The commercial proclaims "women without their boyfriends toss and turn!" Yes, because the only way a woman can ''possibly'' sleep is with her man. Plus, waking up next to a disembodied limb isn't all that comforting to anyone who's not a [[Serial Killer]].
** There would be another unfortunate implication if this aired in the UK, as "toss" in British English [[A Date With Rosie Palms|has a slang connotation]] that gives the phrase "women without their boyfriends toss" another meaning entirely.
** There would be another unfortunate implication if this aired in the UK, as "toss" in British English [[A Date with Rosie Palms|has a slang connotation]] that gives the phrase "women without their boyfriends toss" another meaning entirely.
** There's also a [[Gender Flip]] version called the girlfriend pillow. [http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41%2Bl8YeNBsL._SL500_AA300_.jpg One is the same creepy disembodied arm], [http://www.blogiseverything.com/files/pics/lap_pillow01.jpg and the other is a woman's lap that men can put their heads on]. Both carry their own set of unfortunate implications.
** There's also a [[Gender Flip]] version called the girlfriend pillow. [http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41%2Bl8YeNBsL._SL500_AA300_.jpg One is the same creepy disembodied arm], [http://www.blogiseverything.com/files/pics/lap_pillow01.jpg and the other is a woman's lap that men can put their heads on]. Both carry their own set of unfortunate implications.
* The new Swiffer commercials, where mud, crumbs, and other messes around the house are represented by single women looking for "the right one". At the end, the Swiffer shows up, and they attach themselves to it. The tagline? "Swiffer attracts ''dirt''." Nobody caught the implication that single women are awful and need to be disposed of, apparently... They eventually did another one with a male character, but it still carries the unfortunate implication about being single.
* The new Swiffer commercials, where mud, crumbs, and other messes around the house are represented by single women looking for "the right one". At the end, the Swiffer shows up, and they attach themselves to it. The tagline? "Swiffer attracts ''dirt''." Nobody caught the implication that single women are awful and need to be disposed of, apparently... They eventually did another one with a male character, but it still carries the unfortunate implication about being single.
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* Dulux, which makes house paint, had a series of commercials that showed people going to worryingly extreme lengths to find the right shade they wanted for their paint: from stealing underwear off a washing line to following someone on a bus and cutting a square from their coat. The implication of stalking was so disturbing that the "bus" ad was pulled after viewer complaints.
* Dulux, which makes house paint, had a series of commercials that showed people going to worryingly extreme lengths to find the right shade they wanted for their paint: from stealing underwear off a washing line to following someone on a bus and cutting a square from their coat. The implication of stalking was so disturbing that the "bus" ad was pulled after viewer complaints.
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f12gqM5tvvo&feature=related Virgin Mobile's "Tree" smartphone ad] involves showing an otherwise attractive woman stalking her first date via the internet capabilities of her phone. Using Facebook and Twitter apps as well. Bonus horror; [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt-OLBdaeJM&feature=related in the sequel commercial] she is INSIDE HIS CLOSET. The commercials explicitly call her "crazy" and have horror-movie style music playing throughout, but the very fact that it's [[Played for Laughs]] has unfortunate connotations, especially if you think about how that would be perceived if the stalker character was male...
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f12gqM5tvvo&feature=related Virgin Mobile's "Tree" smartphone ad] involves showing an otherwise attractive woman stalking her first date via the internet capabilities of her phone. Using Facebook and Twitter apps as well. Bonus horror; [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt-OLBdaeJM&feature=related in the sequel commercial] she is INSIDE HIS CLOSET. The commercials explicitly call her "crazy" and have horror-movie style music playing throughout, but the very fact that it's [[Played for Laughs]] has unfortunate connotations, especially if you think about how that would be perceived if the stalker character was male...
** Another example of UI from these ads; "Buy the SmartPhone and you can [[Stalker With a Crush|stalk]] your partner!"
** Another example of UI from these ads; "Buy the SmartPhone and you can [[Stalker with a Crush|stalk]] your partner!"
* A Gerber life college plan commercial has a white and black family talking about the various plans Gerber offers. Toward the end, the black mother says something along the lines of, "And if she DOESN'T wanna go to college, there's NO penalties, so she can use the money for anything." The white mother then replies with, "Well, we should get started right away," to her husband. His response? "Yes we should because YOU'RE going to college" to his baby. It can be taken as a crack that the black family might have other plans with that money.
* A Gerber life college plan commercial has a white and black family talking about the various plans Gerber offers. Toward the end, the black mother says something along the lines of, "And if she DOESN'T wanna go to college, there's NO penalties, so she can use the money for anything." The white mother then replies with, "Well, we should get started right away," to her husband. His response? "Yes we should because YOU'RE going to college" to his baby. It can be taken as a crack that the black family might have other plans with that money.
* There's an ad out there for a gay dating site. However, it starts out like a friendly reminder for the 9-1-1 emergency system. A woman (who, for full context, is [[Hollywood Pudgy|fairly heavy by Hollywood standards]]) and two men come out to give her CPR. Then they look in each others eyes...and start making out. HAHAHAHA! See, it's funny, because it implies gay men [[All Gays Are Promiscuous|would rather make out]] [[Depraved Homosexual|than save]] [[He-Man Woman Hater|a woman's life]].
* There's an ad out there for a gay dating site. However, it starts out like a friendly reminder for the 9-1-1 emergency system. A woman (who, for full context, is [[Hollywood Pudgy|fairly heavy by Hollywood standards]]) and two men come out to give her CPR. Then they look in each others eyes...and start making out. HAHAHAHA! See, it's funny, because it implies gay men [[All Gays Are Promiscuous|would rather make out]] [[Depraved Homosexual|than save]] [[He-Man Woman Hater|a woman's life]].
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** And that's before the overall Unfortunate Implication of everyone involved being young, attractive, straight and white.
** And that's before the overall Unfortunate Implication of everyone involved being young, attractive, straight and white.
* A recent advertisement for [[Direct TV]] has a man so upset over his cable bill, he ends up injuring himself. That's not so bad. It's what happens ''after'' the injury. While it's intended to culminate in some sort of parody of [[Insane Troll Logic]], the poor man ends up beaten to a pulp in a ditch...for wearing an ''eyepatch''. The general gist of the commercial seems to be "Get [[Direct TV]], because if you don't you will end up wearing an eyepatch, and people with eyepatches get beaten up because they look tough and mean." Putting aside the cancer survivors, war veterans and accident victims who have lost or injured eyes and require some form of cover/prosthesis, what about the people who have ''lost eyes in beatings?''
* A recent advertisement for [[Direct TV]] has a man so upset over his cable bill, he ends up injuring himself. That's not so bad. It's what happens ''after'' the injury. While it's intended to culminate in some sort of parody of [[Insane Troll Logic]], the poor man ends up beaten to a pulp in a ditch...for wearing an ''eyepatch''. The general gist of the commercial seems to be "Get [[Direct TV]], because if you don't you will end up wearing an eyepatch, and people with eyepatches get beaten up because they look tough and mean." Putting aside the cancer survivors, war veterans and accident victims who have lost or injured eyes and require some form of cover/prosthesis, what about the people who have ''lost eyes in beatings?''
* [[Investigation Discovery]] has a bit of a problem. When they advertise television shows about men or groups doing crimes, the criminals get portrayed as evil criminals. When it's a show about women criminals or crimes of passion, the ads typically show women of model-caliber beauty casually sitting next to their male victims or committing their crimes. It's a ridiculous double standard. When men commit a crime, it's horrible and cruel. [[Evil Is Sexy|When a woman does it, that makes her sexy]]. One advertisement even had a woman walking through her house pretending to search for clues, right up to fantasizing that her sleeping husband was a freshly-murdered corpse. It's even more unfortunate since the shows themselves (especially ''Deadly Women'') are ''[[Trailers Always Lie|nothing like this]]'', often horrifically [[Averted Trope|averting]] [[Double Standard Rape (Female On Male)|Rape]]/[[Abuse Is Okay When Its Female On Male|Abuse being okay when it's female on male.]]
* [[Investigation Discovery]] has a bit of a problem. When they advertise television shows about men or groups doing crimes, the criminals get portrayed as evil criminals. When it's a show about women criminals or crimes of passion, the ads typically show women of model-caliber beauty casually sitting next to their male victims or committing their crimes. It's a ridiculous double standard. When men commit a crime, it's horrible and cruel. [[Evil Is Sexy|When a woman does it, that makes her sexy]]. One advertisement even had a woman walking through her house pretending to search for clues, right up to fantasizing that her sleeping husband was a freshly-murdered corpse. It's even more unfortunate since the shows themselves (especially ''Deadly Women'') are ''[[Trailers Always Lie|nothing like this]]'', often horrifically [[Averted Trope|averting]] [[Double Standard Rape (Female on Male)|Rape]]/[[Abuse Is Okay When Its Female On Male|Abuse being okay when it's female on male.]]
* [[Been Verified]].com essentially encourages the viewers of its commercials to never trust any other human being they meet, under any circumstances, and instead use quasi-legal databases like their website to look into the private information of anyone they intend to interact with. Because fear!
* [[Been Verified]].com essentially encourages the viewers of its commercials to never trust any other human being they meet, under any circumstances, and instead use quasi-legal databases like their website to look into the private information of anyone they intend to interact with. Because fear!


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