An advert for Heinz Deli Style Mayonaise has been pulled in the UK after around 200 people complained that it was offensive or that they shouldn’t have to explain to their kids why ‘that man kissed the other man.’.
The advert, set in a UK kitchen diner, shows a family getting ready to leave for the day and picking up their freshly made sandwiches (complete with Heinz Mayo). The traditioanl mum and kitchen set up is replaced by a stereotypical New York style deli and deli chef (big bloke in full chefs outfit complete with broad NY accent). on the way out the ‘mum’ says ‘Ain’t you forgetting somthing?’ to the father, who promptly leens over and gives a brief goodbye kiss.
So not a full blown kiss, not even a gay couple, but a bloke standing in for a woman for metaphor/comedy sake.
Responding to aproximately 200 complaints and reported pressure from some US right wing groups, Heinz pulled the advert. It is shocking! there are now calls for a boycott of Heinz products in the UK from people who feel that Heinz’s response is condoning homophobic behaviour in the UK (which is ilegal, regardelss of your opinion on homosexuality).
Omg, that’s insane - I live here and hadn’t heard anything about it (but I don’t watch TV so never see any adverts - I just download stuff ;-)). Grrrr.
Nobody, or at least not many, would have complained if it was 2 women. That’s hardly a kiss. Just like if you see a naked woman in a movie, no biggie. Show, or even just tease at, a naked man and you get a huge uproar. Of course, I mean in a mainstream movie.
What upsets me more is that some parents didn’t want to explain to their kids. I’m sure that if 100 parents used that to complain, that only a very small fraction of their kids actually asked a question. Why not explain it if your kids ask a question? In this world, they’ll encounter worse things, and it’s better for them to be prepared than to have to depend on their friends to explain it!!
Especially as in this case the explanation would have been ‘Because they are making a joke that the deli-chef is acting like the mum’ and nothing to do with people being gay anyway!
It’s a funny ad, too bad some people are so closed minded that they can’t take a joke. I don’t really understand how it’s offensive at all- it’s not even meant to be a gay couple or anything, not that that would be offensive either. I’m sick of the “think of the children” excuse too. Kids aren’t stupid and they will have to be exposed to different lifestyles sometime. It’s not as thought there is an overt sexual nature of the kiss either. Why is it that when it’s gay people kissing it needs to be explained, but when it is heterosexual people it doesn’t? What other explanation of a gay kiss is needed other than “those two people love each other”? What are people afraid of? That their children will be gay if they see a gay kiss?
I hadn’t heard of this before, but it seems clear to me those who complained are utterly unsophisticated people who don’t “get” the joke, and when they see that ad their fearful little minds go straight to the gutter.
First of all, the ad is HILARIOUS and the fact that people want it banned it absolutely ridiculous. I get so irritated with people who think it’s in their child’s best interest to completely shelter them from the world. How does that help kids face the real world??? My kids are 6 and 3 and I’ve already explained to them that sometimes 2 women love each other and sometimes two men love each other and want to get married. My daughter thought it was weird at first (which I can understand because, of course, I am a woman and my husband is a man, so she’s used to a man and woman being married), but, I explained to her that it’s not only women and men who fall in love with each other, but men fall in love with each other and women fall in love with each other and that’s perfectly fine. My daughter is very smart for her age so she really understood what I was saying. My son, still being so young, I don’t think really got it, but, I’ll talk to him again when he’s a bit older.
Actually, just the other day my daughter was telling me a story and her “main characters” were 2 boys who got married…lol…I dunno, I just don’t understand why people can’t just let people be people…Let them do what makes them happy and as long as it doesn’t interfere with or harm anyone else, who are we to complain, ya know? I mean if 2 guys kiss, that has NOTHING to do with me and it doesn’t harm me or interfere with my life in any way so who am I to complain or say, oh, that’s so wrong! It’s NOT my place!
Anyway, yeah…lol…I could go on and on about my views of equality for all, but, I’d have a novel here…haha
if these idiots want to co^mplain about anything they should watch some of th edaverts that come through on sky childrens cha,nels. there are the add’s for starving kids in africa. and yes i know they should know about it, but not a 5 years old (ds is 5 and breaks his heart everytime it comes on to the point he cant watch the channels anymore).
awesome ad! that is VERY disappointing they pulled it. What irritates me is the fact that violence is way more accepted in society than showing the love of two people no matter who they are! To me that is WAY more disturbing! I’ll get off my soapbox now… :whistle:
Maybe we are misunderstanding and THAT’s what they are afraid to explain to their kids? heh
I would suspect we aren’t getting full participation in responses here but I love seeing what is here now. It near to brings a tear to my eye to see people being so open. (I only wish I were kidding… it really does make me cry…lol)
I’ve never seen the add but them pulling it is outrageous! Seriously. It would be pulled in here in the US too but that idea just makes me even more upset. What is wrong with love, no matter where it comes from? Why is it I can rent a movie where one person cuts people up and puts them in traps that are more gruesome than any nightmare I ever had but they can’t run an add where one guy kisses another guy on the cheek? Demonica, I’m absolutely inspired by the way you handle this topic with your children. You have given me the material for how I will handle it when I have children. They love each other and thats all there is to it.
