If homosexual groups have time to complain about this, they really have nothing to complain about in American society.

The Dodge Caliber's "Anything but Cute" advertising campaign featuring a fairy in one television spot is anything but funny to some in the gay community.

Some viewers and gay rights supporters have complained the Chrysler Group commercial -- dubbed "Too Tough" and featuring a fluttering fairy zapping buildings and trains into cuter-looking gingerbread houses and toy trains -- is offensive and borders on homophobic.

The fairy is unsuccessful at transforming a black Caliber and is mocked by a male passer-by walking a dog. "Silly little fairy," he says.

As retribution, the fairy turns the pedestrian's button-down shirt and jeans attire into white shorts and a polo shirt draped with a preppy sweater. His black dog leash becomes four pink ones connected to Pomeranians. The suggestion, some say, is the man was turned into a homosexual.

"It directly finds humor with the term fairy, referring not just to the type that flies around with a magic wand, but also the universally recognizable gay stereotype of an effeminate gay man," the Commercial Closet said in an online review of the ad. The Internet-based group monitors marketing tactics that could be offensive to gays and lesbians.

I like the response from Chrysler spokesperson Suraya Bliss.

"We were pretty surprised that there are individuals that are making the conclusion that sexual orientation can be determined by the type of clothes you wear and the type of dog that you're walking," Bliss said.

"Are they suggesting that men that wear colored shirts are gay Â… or that all gay men dress alike? What we would ask someone to do is look at the ad for what it is," she said. "The ad is about the Dodge Caliber, which is a small car that stands apart from the competition because of its aggressive styling, styling that's anything but cute -- the tagline for the campaign."

IÂ’ve heard it said that when the only tool you have is a hammer, all problems look like a nail. I guess when the only thing that matters to you is sexual orientation, everything looks like a slur.

Linked To Debbie Schlussel

Posted by: Greg at 10:40 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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