Friday, October 14, 2011

Dr. Pepper prescribes sexism?

So here's the thing.....I'm a pretty stubborn guy....I can be ignorant, old fashioned and downright sexist at times (but enough about my good points)....What I've come out of suspended animation for (I realize how long its been since Ive posted anything my lovely people and you have my sincerest apologies...Frankly, I'm a lazy, lazy man and that inherent laziness coupled with child rearing and an upcoming wedding that is consuming my free time is just no good for the business of collecting my thoughts here) is some commentary on this commercial:


        I actually only saw this commercial a few days ago but my immediate reaction was "Wow Dr. Pepper....that may have been the worst attempt at humor ever". Its pretty weird because I firmly believe that in the realm of comedy anything goes. You cant get hurt feelings because that's just the nature of the beast. I normally have no problem laughing at most things that normal good hearted people find offensive (I mean, I personally want to start a campaign to protect bullies because of all this, no more bullying, Gestapo-like, nonsense that is currently going on in America's schools). So why, ohh why, do I find myself offended for women when I see this? Am I going soft? Has old age and raising two daughters turned me into some bleeding heart pansy? Possibly, but I think my real dislike of this whole product campaign is that it comes down to its reasoning in general. In today's highly PC culture I refuse to believe that a major corporation put this ad out with no idea it would drum up controversy. This whole ad is made to bring attention to a brand that is trying to step up and compete with the bigger boys (Coke & Pepsi). It's like Sprint taking a huge monetary gamble and getting the IPhone but instead of risking your bet on one of the world's most beloved tech devices they are instead betting the house on controversy and good old fashioned disrespect. Some people might consider it a smart move because it does make people talk about the product and as its always said "any publicity is good publicity" but the way they chose to go about this is just pure ignorance to me. The commercial probably wouldn't have made me care either way were it not for the tag line "not for women". Why? Why throw those words in there.... It just doesn't make sense to me...does the controversy of those 3 words drum up enough business to justify turning off an entire section of buyers?  Just putting the idea that any product your selling is "not for someone" is basically saying "please don't buy our product, we don't want your kind's money". Honestly if Dr Pepper would have just left out this tag line it would have been an idea (a still somewhat crappy produced and yet another carbon copy of the old spice guy format version of an idea...but an idea nonetheless) about turning a diet drink into something "manly" and no one would have been able to complain (well they would have, but I wouldn't have considered their complaints valid therefore clearly they would not have mattered.....see I told you I can be ignorant when I try).... I don't know, I just think this was a dumb move on Dr. Pepper's part and if the creators are actually as sexist as they claim then I have one question for them: "If your sexism assumes this drink isn't for women then I'd also assume in your ideology you assume most women still do the grocery shopping (which in many cases is a fact) and in that case who exactly do you think will be buying this product?".... I know I won't and I'm not even a woman (despite my dad who does the grocery shopping ways)...Just some food for thought...

......see ya when I see ya folks