Really, Virgin Atlantic? You couldn't have made a commercial without the horrific gender stereotypes? Apparently they want us to live in a world where the men are the pilots and the businessmen, and the (skinny, white) women are flight attendants dressed in short red skirts and stripper heels. Thanks, Virgin, for your big middle finger to the feminist movement.

Wow. Check out the "I Love My Boo" campaign, hitting subways now, produced by Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) (hat tip to Feministing for the info). According to GMHC:

I Love My Boo is an important campaign because it features real young men of color loving each other passionately. It contextualizes gay relationships showing what is possible through love and respect. The models are not your average chiseled bodied gay men who tend to be featured in campaigns. Rather than sexualizing gay relationships, this campaign models caring, and highlights the importance of us taking care of each other. Featured throughout New York City, I Love My Boo directly challenges homophobia and encourages all who come across it to think critically rethink our notion of love.

How often are male-identified same-gender couples portrayed in this manner? Even I was shocked to see these images because I'm not entirely used to them. There needs to be so much more of an emphasis on same-gender couples of color, and I really respect this campaign for not only covering that area, but also having the guts to show couples being affectionate. I see an immeasurable amount of ads that show straight couples nuzzling, so no one should have a problem with this, unless they can openly admit that they agree with relegating queer-identified people to a second-class status.

This month, the "I Love My Boo" ads will be hitting 1000 subway cars and 150 subway platforms in NYC. I can't wait to see one. I know that it won't be long before I see several of them vandalized... but I still can't help but get all fuzzy and warm inside when I think about the progress we're making when we can display an ad all throughout NYC that features two men of color kissing. Wow.

What's missing from nearly every commercial for Sandals, Jamaica? Oh right, anyone who isn't white, heterosexual, coupled, or thin.

I saw this on Feministing, and thought it was pretty interesting. This domestic violence awareness campaign from London puts a specific emphasis on the responsibility of those who might hear or witness this type of violence to call 911 (or 999 in England) for someone who might not be able to.

They also use an interactive video to convey this message -- depending on if you "choose" (by clicking) to call the police or not, you will get a different ending to the video.

Trigger warning.

I just saw a commercial on TV for Kotex's line of menstruation products, called "U." I have to admit: normally, I tune out during commercial breaks, but this completely got my attention because it expressed basically every single qualm I have with your average tampon/pad ads:



I did some YouTube'ing, and not only do their commercials address how obnoxious tampon ads are, but they also address how uncomfortable people, particularly men, get when women talk about their periods:



And this one, again addressing the ridiculousness of most tampon/pad ads, made me laugh:



I also noticed that one of their ads posted on YouTube was tagged with "feminism." All of this was a bold move on Kotex's part, and although I don't use disposable pads/tampons (not since I bought my LunaPads), I'm intrigued.

Visit their YouTube channel or their website to learn more. Their website even has a pledge you can sign that starts out with:

Yeah, I have a period. And a vagina, not a va-jay-jay. It's what makes me a woman. But society and the media aren't being straight with me. It's like there's a code of secrecy and it makes me feel uncomfortable when talking about these topics.

Is this too good to be true?

Wow, just when I thought Mel Gibson's existence couldn't get anymore appalling, the internet gets ahold of his latest disgustingly misogynist and racist rant. It was recorded by his girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva. "Horrific," "offensive," and "repulsive" are all understatements.

Here's a part of it, from AlterNet, where Gibson yells at Grigorieva for looking like a "Vegas whore." SERIOUS TRIGGER WARNING.

You go out in public and it's a fucking embarrassment to me. You look like a fucking bitch in heat. And if you get raped by a pack of niggers it will be your fault. Alright? Because you provoked it. You are provocatively dressed all the time with your fake boobs that you feel you have to show off. I don't like it. I don't want that woman. I don't want you. I don't trust you. I don't love you.

Even though this is absolutely detestable language, I'm posting this here because this is an unfortunately common sentiment today: dress like a "whore," and you're asking for it. Not too long ago, I was out at a bar with some friends, dressed in my usual jeans, boots, and a tank top with a cardigan over it. Some charming gentleman tried to hit on me, I took him I was married to get him off my back, to which he responded, "If you were my wife and you went out looking like that, I would smack you around." Nice.

The Sexist actually recently posted a really nice PSA from Scotland that dealt with this issue.



Seriously, this shouldn't be such a hard concept to grasp. Women NEVER "ask for it," and even if a woman does go out in public wearing a short dress or whatever and ends up getting raped, the fault ultimately lies with the rapist. To say otherwise is preposterous.

PETA has never ceased to disappoint us when it comes to sexist, racist, and overly-sexualized ad campaigns. I'm 100% for animal rights, but I'm also 100% for advertisements that don't offend large amounts of people. Here's their newest display of a lack of morality:


Wow PETA, between the "eating meat" comment, the limp hotdog, and the cleavage-y lady, you really know how to shit all over feminism. Keep up the good work! :)

As one commenter on Jezebel said: "PETA is to animal rights activists as Glenn Beck is to Christians."

Saw this French McDonald's ad posted on Feministing, and I actually kind of love it.

The first advertisement for abortion services to run in the United Kingdom hit the air earlier this week, and will run about 25 times throughout the next month. Specifically, it advertises Marie Stopes International, which is one of the world's leading family planning organizations.

The ad doesn't mention abortion services - it just refers viewers to MSI. Wow, 2010 and we're just seeing the first family planning services ad now.

I've been on a major Freaks and Geeks kick lately, and naturally, I fell in love with Jason Segel's character, Nick (you know Jason Segel from Forgetting Sarah Marshall and I Love You, Man... but Freaks and Geeks was his much earlier work). Anywho, I went searching for an adorable photo of him to put on my desktop, and came across this one:


I said, "Ooooh, what is Men for Women Now?" and immediately went to MenForwomenNow.com to find that it is a website, designed to appeal to men, that collects donations for a breast cancer foundation. How lovely!

While I adore the idea of getting men involved in women's issues, I found the way in which the website appealed to men to be disheartening. First of all, their slogan is: It's a Matter of Life and Breast! Second of all, the main page has a big pink button that says "Save boobs now" to add their Facebook application. The page says: "When you click 'Save boobs now', in two easy steps, you can start saving boobs."

I don't like this. Is the only way to get men to join in on the fight against breast cancer to remind them that the disease threatens a woman's ability to have a great rack? I have just a little more faith in men than that... call me naive, but I think simply reminding men that breast cancer can, oh I don't know, cause deaths of their loved ones is enough to garner some concern.

This reminds me of the whole "Save the Ta-Tas!" slogan that can be seen on bumper stickers and bracelets. I know our society loves to objectify women and pretend that there isn't a brain attached to our bodies, but it really saddens me that campaigns to raise awareness for breast cancer (a women's issue!) sink to the level of society's mistreatment of us. Yes, it is called breast cancer, but it affects more than just the actual breasts... it affects a woman's entire life.

In case anyone hasn't heard, when you sit down to watch the Superbowl on February 7th, you might have to prepare yourself to watch an anti-choice commercial. Though CBS has never allowed "issue ads" to air in the past, somehow Focus on the Family was able to get through. The ad will feature University of Florida football star Tim Tebow.

I'm betting the ad won't blatantly say "pro-life," and that's partly why it was accepted. Anti-choice activists like to use deceitful tactics to trick people into visiting their websites and their fake clinics. I predict the ad will be a hokey message of "let's celebrate family and babies because WHO DOESN'T LOVE BABIES?!" type of deal. Fast-forward to clueless Superbowl viewers saying, "Well, uh, I think family's important... and I like babies... hot damn, I'm gonna visit FocusOnTheFamily.com right now!"

And FocusOnTheFamily.com is no site to be taken lightly. Enjoy some excerpts from the stuff they're preaching:

[From the section on sexuality]

Boys and Girls Are Different:

God made boys and girls different in order for both to become lifegivers. When you are older and married, you may someday have children. Girls have babies — boys don't. Girls have the ability as they get older to birth babies. A baby is a gift from God and grows in the womb in Mom's tummy.

Affirm Your Child's Gender:

"Isn't it great to be a girl!" "What a strong boy you are." These messages affirm your child's gender identity. Do not (even jokingly ) put down or make fun of your child's gender. "What a baby" or "What a sissy" does not help your young son. Affirm your daughter's unique beauty. Let her know how special she is, particularly in Daddy's eyes.

Babies Come from God — They Should Be the Result Only of Marital Love:

Babies are all made by God. This is why we protect their life right from the beginning. How do babies come into the world? The best way for a baby to come in to the world is through the love of a married man and woman. Sadly, this doesn't happen all the time. However, God's best plan is for a baby to be born with a mother and father that are married.

[From the section on "How We Dishonor God in Our Sex Lives"]

The Challenge of Homosexuality

Male and female are not cultural constructs but God-created parts of humanity made for each other to show forth the image of God in the world. Remember Genesis 1:27: "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

Male and female, together, are the fullest picture of the image of God in creation. That's why they need each other. Adam wasn't complete without Eve.

Homosexuality denies this and falsely states that differences in male and female don't really matter. Nothing could be further from the truth. Homosexuality violates the Trinitarian image of complementarity in a profound way.

[From the section on Transgenderism]

We call upon all parents to take a proactive role in their children's development by providing them with a strong, Christian example of what it means to be male and female. Many of the problems associated with transgenderism, like confusion and pain, stem from a lack of parental involvement and guidance.

These people not only preach an anti-choice agenda, but also promote anti-feminist values that include reinforcing gender roles and justifying hatred against queer people. They call premarital sex a "monstrosity" and fully support the harmful practice of putting those with same-sex attractions in counseling to "fix" them. This is a dangerous site, and I worry about the consequences of exposing nearly 100 million people to it.

But of course, reproductive rights activists and feminists are not letting this slide. There are a number of online petitions you can sign and forms you can fill out to contact CBS, including one on the Feminist Majority Foundation site. I'm not sure if CBS will end up pulling the ad (I mean, $2.8 million is a lot of moo-lah), but it couldn't hurt to tell them that we're pissed off that they're allowing this. In your message, try to include some of Focus on the Family's other harmful ideals, such as their stance against LGBTQ people, and Tweet/Facebook/blog about it. We'll see what happens come February 7th.

There's really nothing like the unnecessary sexualizing of women politicians to even further hinder our ability to be taken seriously in the political world, as well as our plights to decrease our society's objectification of women. As always, PETA continues to set feminism back and sink to the lowest of the low when it comes to advertising methods. You never disappoint, PETA.

A great new "Target Women" is up, and I'm so happy that my Sarah covered this topic, since these Broadview Security commercials have been seriously freaking me out lately. Every single one is the same: an unsuspecting attractive woman has her house broken into by an angry man, said angry man runs away when the alarm goes off, and a hunky Broadview Security man calls the woman and comes to her rescue. Don't burglaries happen to all different people, not just attractive white women...?

If there's a ever a reason to girlcott Ralph Lauren, it's THIS:


The company's advertisers photoshopped this model to the brink of death, making her look emaciated and sick.

The website BoingBoing.net criticized the image, and instead of addressing the well-deserved criticism, Ralph Lauren threatened the website with a lawsuit for reproducing a copyrighted ad... even though, as the website's writers then pointed out, they were using it for completely legit reasons: news reporting and criticism.

And their criticism was highly justified. My thoughts are that Ralph Lauren reps are just upset that they were called out on their shit.

Send complaints here.

There's a new AIDS awareness campaign in Germany, and it's hardcore controversial. Rightfully so.

Put out by the German charity, Regenbogen ("Rainbow"), the campaign tries to compare AIDS to a mass murderer - which, admittedly, it is. But the way they go about this is questionable. The posters designed for the campaign show women having sex with Hitler, Saddam Hussein, and Stalin:




There is also a very disturbing commercial to go along with it (not safe for work).

First of all, the highly pornographic nature of this campaign doesn't sit right with me. Is it necessary to depict sweaty graphic sex with thin gorgeous women to convey a message about AIDS?

Second of all, I agree with Chen of Choice Words: "This comparison of AIDS to Hitler is easily read as a comparison of a person with HIV with Hitler. It stigmatizes and demonizes the person with HIV."

I understand that this ad is meant to compare the disease to a mass murderer, but I think it can be easily misinterpreted to label the people living with HIV/AIDS as the "murderers." As we know, each HIV/AIDS case is unique, so we cannot assume that all people living with the disease are clueless and careless and go around spreading it.

I honestly have to give some props to the creators of this campaign because of its creativity, and I know that their intentions are good, but we don't need any more animosity directed towards people with HIV/AIDS.

Not ashamed at all to admit that I cried at this State Farm commercial. Major props to State Farm for having a commercial filled with diversity - and notice how they show a woman soldier returning to her family! Made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

What does everyone think about the USA network's new campaign, called "Characters Unite"? It urges people to "take the pledge" to combat prejudice and discrimination. I saw an ad for it while watching USA, and it features all different people, including people of color, people with disabilities, and even a same-sex couple speaking out against hatred. I think it's a pretty bold move on USA's part, especially the bit that promotes same-sex marriage. It's also a very well-done commercial.

Visit charactersunite.com to watch the "take the pledge" video and also, if you want, take the pledge yourself.

HOLY CRAP, TRYING TO TALK ABOUT SEX WILL TURN YOUR DAD INTO A MIME!

Thank goodness we don't have to talk about "the parts." I was worried for a minute that I might have to explain to my children what's going on with their bodies, or explain how sex works before I tell them to "wait."

4parents.gov is an appalling website that can basically be summed up in five words: "GET MARRIED OR NO SEX." They have an entire section about loving and accepting your child should s/he turn out to be gay, and then they blatantly exclude same-sex couples by preaching marriage as the best thing since sliced bread. Look at this:

What do you want your son or daughter to know about the benefits of marriage? Talking about the value of marriage now can help your son or daughter make good choices that will impact their future. Make sure you let them know what you want for their future. Marriage can be a positive part of your child's life. Research supports this!

Talk about some of the benefits listed below. Through discussion, you can help them think about their own future.
What are the benefits married people enjoy?

* Live longer.

* Have better physical and emotional health.

* Are happier.

* Earn more.

* Enjoy better sex lives.

* Save more so they have fewer money worries.

Uh. What about the people who are pushed into marriage by their parents, society, and stupid websites like 4parents.gov, and end up unhappy because they simply married for the sake of marrying? Why does it have to be "wait until marriage" to have sex? It is so much more realistic and inclusive to simply promote waiting until someone is ready and has found the right partner.

Then again, I don't want to die young, poor, depressed, and sex-less. Hot damn! I'm gonna go get hitched right now.

Like to play "girly" games on your iPhone? Well man up, wussy boy! You best be deleting those pussy games ASAP and play some real games (meaning ones with blood and violence) or else you run the risk of being called Susie and other girl names, which is pretty much the worst thing a guy can possibly be called. Wouldn't want anyone thinking you're a woman, would you?!?