Snickers pulls plug on Super Bowl smooch ad

[Tucsonwoody]

February 6 2007: 3:24 PM EST

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- After a number of groups objected, Masterfoods USA, the maker of Snickers candy bars, has pulled the plug on a controversial Super Bowl commercial that showed two men accidentally kissing.

The 30-second commercial featured two mechanics who end up sharing both a Snickers bar and an inadvertent kiss, and then react by pulling out a clump of chest hair to "do something manly."

Groups such as the Human Right Campaign and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) condemned the ad, saying it promoted anti-gay prejudice and condoned violence against gay Americans.

Didn't see it that way myself ...but guess others did.

[Ihavehope]

And that is why I don't eat snickers.

[Dan J.]

I just saw this ad 15 minutes ago on my local ABC station. I didn't see anything offensive about the ad & thought it was kinda funny. 

Dan J.

[Longislander]

I thought it was kinda cute, until the chesthair pulling thing. They could have found something much more manly to do~~

[CaptCarl]

    I saw the commercial during the game. I was at one of the local gay bars for a Superbowl Party, and everyone there seemed to think it was pretty funny, as I did. I couldn't believe that it got yanked off the air. It's sad that people in this country have lost the ability to laugh at themselves, and are so quick to take offense at everything. I have been described as being a straight man trapped in a gay mans body by more than a few people, maybe that's why I don't see what the big deal is here....

                                                  Capt.Carl

[mrtallguy]

February 6 2007: 3:24 PM EST

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- After a number of groups objected, Masterfoods USA, the maker of Snickers candy bars, has pulled the plug on a controversial Super Bowl commercial that showed two men accidentally kissing.

What am I missing here....what does it mean when they "pull the plug" on an ad that has already aired?

Ultimately I thought the ad revealed the awkward naivete that permeates American society regarding sexual orientation....although in the end I feel that the fact that they aired the ad shows movement towards acceptance (just not the way WE would have done it) straight americans are collectively going through an adolescence of sorts when it comes to sexual identity....and this ad reveals more of that clumsy behavior... "they" will figure it out sooner or later....<sigh>

Until then.....be well...
Craig

[fearless]

I saw it on the news out here, and thought it was funny too

[Tucsonwoody]

Hey Tallguy - you're right - they can't take back the ad that aired in the superbowl - think they were referring to taking it off their website. 

Of course this whole mini controversy is getting them more free publicity (good and bad I guess) then they would have gotten by paying to air the ad some more.

And as much as I am a Snickers whore - there is no way I could eat one like they did in that commercial - too damn gooey!  But willing to try if there is someone nice on the other end

[Lwood]

CNN just did a story on this, complete with an interview with a spokesman from Human Rights Campaign.  Aparently there wre several different versions of this commercial on their website, one of which had one guy smash the other guy in the stomach with a big wrench and slam the car hood on his head several times with a disgusted look on his face after he realized that he had just kissed a guy.
Just a wee bit much on the Hate Crimes theme for some folks...
Snickers' parent company fell all over themselves apologising but as they say you cant 'un ring the bell'
and naturally its all over YouTube .
Now if I were an even bigger YouTube CamWhore than I already am, Id make my own rather naughty version of the snickers ad ( anyone who saw my little exhibition with the Rainbow Popsicle knows what I'm getting at )  but I shant. Perish the thought. well, maybe after a beer or two.

in the meantime I found this one to be satisfyingly tasteless    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPLbfDlbMtU

Lwood,
More of a Mars Bar Guy anyway.

[Dachshund]

I saw the televised commercial and for the most part found it benign and harmless. I checked out their website before they closed it and that was a different story. They ran the commercial with four different endings each one had a "Matthew Shepard" type of ending with perceived homosexuality getting the shit kicked out of it. They monitored Chicago Bear players for a reaction to the gayness and each and every player reacted with disgust. Of course they had to throw in a flamer in one ending asking to join in the candy bar fun. The alternative endings left nothing to the imagination...gay=disgusting and deserves a good ass whupping and not in that good ass whupping kind of way.

[livingpositively]

I just thought the commercial was plain old stupid.  What the hell did it have to do with Snickers, anyway?

I didn't find it (the one aired during the SB) offensive...just dumb.

the one good thing about it, was it did throw the "gay visual" into the mainstream.  Of course, then the organizations who want to "make gay more mainstream" bitch about it.  WTF?!?!

I can definitely see how the alternate endings would be considered offensive.  Didn't see them, and glad I didn't