Snickers, Part Two

[UPDATE 2:10 PM]: Ad Age suggests that Snickers might have thought their ad would upset some people -- apparently their ad agency contacted GLAAD nearly a month to ask them to review an ad. No word whether it was actually this ad, but it seems likely.

Since I'm updating, I want to talk about something else. The articles I've read about this (at least the ones which published more than two paragraphs) include this quote from GLAAD:

"This type of jeering from professional sports figures at the sight of two men kissing fuels the kind of anti-gay bullying that haunts countless gay and lesbian school children on playgrounds all across the country."

They're not talking about the ad itself, but to the video of Bears and Colts players reacting to the ad:





(For the record, the five players shown reacting negatively to the ad are Chicago Bears Muhsin Muhammad, Desmond Clark and Rex Grossman, and Indianapolis Colts Marvin Harrison and Cato June.)

Sure enough, the a joint press release from GLAAD and the Matthew Shepard Foundation specifically says they're strongly condemning "elements of an ad campaign launched by Snickers...that includes a Web site featuring video of NFL athletes reacting with prejudice and disgust to depictions of two men kissing," and includes the following:

"I am outraged that Mars, the NFL and these players would promote such an anti-gay message. This campaign encourages the same type of hate that led to the death of my son Matthew. It essentially gives 'permission' to our society to verbally or physically harass individuals who are gay, lesbian or bisexual," said Judy Shepard, Executive Director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation. "In particular, I am dismayed that these players, who are role models to our young people, would participate in perpetuating such discrimination and prejudice."

[...]

"Mars, Inc., needs to apologize for the deplorable actions of its Snickers brand, immediately pull the 'Wrench' ad and the offensive NFL players clips from its Web site, and hold those within the company and at its ad agency publicly accountable for promoting anti-gay prejudice and violence," GLAAD's Giuliano said. "We want to sit down with both Mars and the NFL to address our concerns and give them an opportunity to raise public awareness about the destructive impact of these kinds of anti-gay images and comments."

Note that they are reacting specifically to the player reactions, and the "wrench" alternate commercial which was available (but no longer is) on the website, which includes the mechanics beating each other up after they decide they need to "do something manly" after the accidental kiss:



If you're watching/listening to the media reactions to this situation, pay attention -- something tells me this particular point isn't going to be talked about. All the articles I've read so far say that the various groups are condemning the ad that ran during the Super Bowl, but they aren't. They're reacting to the significantly more homophobic reactions from the Bears and Colts players, and the un-aired "Wrench" ad, which is sickening in its equation of physical violence in the face of suggested homosexuality as "manly." But I guarantee you that's not what Rush Limbaugh is talking about today.

(Also worth reading: Deadspin, of course.)