That was a fun Super Bowl. The patriarchal Focus on the Family ad was nothing, though of course one is invited to partake of their wise website.
But some of the other ads! Every man is pussy-whupped and really hates his wife/girlfriend.
The worst of the lot is the Dodge ad: Man's Last Stand. Watch it first and then come back. A comment on the ad:
Four men look at the camera as we hear their thoughts, including "I will say 'yes' when you want me to say 'yes.' I will be quiet when you don't want me to say 'no.'" and "I will listen to your opinions of my friends. I will listen to your friends opinions of my friends." and "I will watch your vampire TV shows."
Sure, honey, you want a Dodge? Go right ahead.
Oh, wait, there's a small the problem though: "Dexter's" Michael C. Hall does the voiceovers for Dodge. And seeing as how his narrations plays such a prominent role in the Showtime series about a serial killer, it's kind of disconcerting. Looking at these men, you expect one of them is going to think, "I'll kill you for your crimes and save a drop of blood for a souvenir."
Yeah. I felt that the story was getting closer and closer to a violent explosion, myself, and it does look like it might have been intended. Note to all people of girly persuasion and those who love them: NEVER EVER BUY A F****NG DODGE AGAIN!!!.
The other ghastly ad was Flot tv's Spineless (as in a spineless guy whose girlfriend forces him to walk around with a bra hanging off his shoulder). NEVER BUY WHATEVER S**T FLOT SELLS, EITHER.
These two ads together are an ode to misogyny, my dears. Women are ball-breaking bitches or they have horrible, horrible cooties, and you must act decisively! By buying some crappy product! To show that you are not pussy-whupped, nosir.
A couple of others are borderline nasty. For example, this one and then the Dockers ad, though to get the misogyny in that one you need to have read my earlier post on the "Wear The Pants" campaign.
But the ads were not just misogynist. I spotted one misandrist ad, too, this one. It portrays men as idiots barely capable of opening a beer bottle and suggests that reading is something only chicks do, not real men. So there's a drop of misogyny in that one, too.
What does it mean to have these ads showing at a Super Bowl in a year when male unemployment rate is up? It's a little bit worrisome, methinks.
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Edited later to reduce the level of naughty language.