Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Hate Crimes

Someone at DON'T DO THAT has claimed that this video promotes hate crimes:

I didn't realize that speed walkers were a protected minority.

What's that? You think that the people at "DON'T DO THAT" think the man in the video is gay? A pretty big assumption on their part. How did they come to that conclusion -by STEREOTYPING? Maybe so, because if they assume that most gays would be offended by this, much less consider it a "hate crime" they must be giving credibility to another stereotype - the idea that gays are "sissies."

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Perhaps it was the number of gay organizations that protested this ad that led people including myself to believe that his advertisement is homophobic. Perhaps it is because this is not the first time that snickers has produced an anti-gay ad but you keep telling people that they are to sensitive if it makes you feel better.

Meadester said...

I call these things as I see them. I can see why gay organizations would manufacture outrage to turn this into a fund-raising opportunity. Maybe a few really did have their feelings hurt and if they want to use their power as consumers to get this or the other so-called "anti-gay" ads by Snickers pulled, fine. But to say this causes "hate crimes" is to suggest that people can't tell the difference between an imaginary gun that shoots candy bars (which appear to do no physical damage) and a real gun.

I tell people when I think they're being too sensitive because I think it's in their own best interest to know when they are overreacting. They might benefit, if they're not too steeped in political correctness to listen. I don't need to tell them this to make myself feel better because I feel no guilt or shame about being a straight, white man.