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I just sent Glenn an e-mail regarding a problem with the mailer form and list of e-mail addresses on his action page. The mail form at http://hisside.com/verizon_campaign.htm seems to be broken. When I went to go use it just now I got this:
URL: http://s90841348.onlinehome.us/hisside_form/formma ilv.pl
Page content:
"Bad Referrer - Access Denied
The form attempting to use this script resides at http://s90841348.onlinehome.us/hisside_form/formma ilv.pl, which is not allowed to access this program.
If you are attempting to configure FormMail to run with this form, you need to add the following to @referers, explained in detail in the README file.
Add 's90841348.onlinehome.us' to your @referers array.
FormMail © 2001-2003 London Perl Mongers"
Also, the list of e-mail addresses under the heading "Email Verizon Representatives" has a problem. There is a double-quote in the first part of the first address which breaks the To: line for SMTP. It needs to be removed in order for the list of addresses to be sent OK. This is the list it gives:
john.p.hoey"@verizon.com;daniel.d.zapata@veri zon.com;clifford.p.lee@verizon.com;
richard.j.young@verizon.com;john.r.vincenzo@verizo n.com;harry.j.mitchell@verizon.com;
sandra.u.arnette@verizon.com;sharon.b.shaffer@veri zon.com;
lee.j.gierczynski@verizon.com;ellsworth.edwards@ve rizon.com;william.kula@verizon.com;
kevin.laverty@verizon.com;bob.elek@verizon.com;jon .davies@verizon.com;
ann.nishida@verizon.com;john.j.bonomo@verizon.com; maureen.e.flanagan@verizon.com;
lawrence.d.plumb@verizon.com;robert.a.varettoni@ve rizon.com;sharon.cohen-hagar@verizon.com;
gwen.sparks@verizon.com;ivette.a.mendez@verizon.co m;james.albert.smith@verizon.com;
catherine.hogan.lewis@verizon.com;creap@verizon.co m;bobbi.henson@verizon.com;
mark.a.marchand@verizon.com;mary.stein@verizon.com ;dana.b.russell@verizon.com;
glenn@hisside.com
Instead use this list to send your protest e-mail, the same as above without the double quote:
john.p.hoey@verizon.com,daniel.d.zapata@verizon.co m,clifford.p.lee@verizon.com,
richard.j.young@verizon.com,john.r.vincenzo@verizo n.com,harry.j.mitchell@verizon.com,
sandra.u.arnette@verizon.com,sharon.b.shaffer@veri zon.com,
lee.j.gierczynski@verizon.com,ellsworth.edwards@ve rizon.com,william.kula@verizon.com,
kevin.laverty@verizon.com,bob.elek@verizon.com,jon .davies@verizon.com,
ann.nishida@verizon.com,john.j.bonomo@verizon.com, maureen.e.flanagan@verizon.com,
lawrence.d.plumb@verizon.com,robert.a.varettoni@ve rizon.com,sharon.cohen-hagar@verizon.com,
gwen.sparks@verizon.com,ivette.a.mendez@verizon.co m,james.albert.smith@verizon.com,
catherine.hogan.lewis@verizon.com,creap@verizon.co m,bobbi.henson@verizon.com,
mark.a.marchand@verizon.com,mary.stein@verizon.com ,dana.b.russell@verizon.com,
glenn@hisside.com
I also replaced the semicolons with commas, which is a more standard address separator and is more likely to be useful as such with more e-mail programs. [Also when copying and pasting the second e-mail address list above for use, be sure any stray spaces that got in there are removed.] But note if your mail client needs to have semi-colon delimited lists for multiple recipients, do a Replace All using Notepad or some such plain word editor to replace the commas with semi-colons before attempting to use the list in a note.
Well hopefully the action page will be fixed soon enough so as to avoid this sort fo thing. :)
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I called and talked to some entry level paeon. I told her I was cancelling out long distance if the commercial didn't get removed. She sounded like she really cared *roll eyes*
I have another carrier I need to call, then I will cancel. If she doesn't care now, she will when people start cancelling because of the misandry.
That commercial was just over the top.
BQ
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I would suggest writing a letter as well. Verizon is already feeling the pinch as thousands have called and written letters. I like the letter approach because it leaves an easier 'trail' so-to-speak.
Complaint letters written en masse' scare the shit out of big companies.
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Dear Verizon:
This letter concerns Verizon's anti-father 'Leave her alone!' commercial (aka 'The Elliots: Homework'). In the commercial a father is trying to help his young daughter with her homework when he is belittled and scolded by his wife, who orders him to 'leave her alone!' I believe that such anti-father messages are harmful to our sons and daughters, and I respectfully request that you withdraw this commercial.
It deeply disturbs me that you think it "light hearted" and "humourous" to show fathers as idiot buffoons, while I suspect you wouldn't dare show a mother as that stupid ... let alone having some man order her around like that. Why?? Well it occurs to me that women might, rightly so, find such a commercial denigrating and demeaning. Why don't you replace the father with the wife in your commercials? I mean, it's all "light hearted humor" isn't it? C'mon, don't be shy, let's see Verizon show the public that it meant no harm, that the commercial isn't sexist nor demeaning, and that women can "take a joke" just as well as men. I suspect I will be waiting a LONG time before you would do such a thing.
I belong to many men and fathers groups and if you hadn't noticed we're getting very organized. Maybe you've heard of Fathers 4 Justice in Canada and the United Kingdom? Or heard of Time Magazine make reference to a nationally known men's talk show host Glenn Sacks? We've done campaigns, and every one has succeeded. In every case we have stopped the offensive material. And unless this advertisment is pulled immediately, we would be MORE than happy to make your company the object of our next public campaign.
This kind of biggoted and sexist "it's all just clean fun" male-bashing humor is not being laughed at. Not too many years ago racist and sexist "it's all just clean fun" jokes, commercials, and TV shows were taken off the air.
The person or person who thought up this sexist example of bigotry needs to be let go. Could we have their names please? We'd like to include them in our campaign. They shouldn't mind right? I mean it was "all just good clean fun" and I'm sure they'll be more than happy to have their names put out to the public nationwide. What better resume building exposure and limelight could there be?
They need to be fired. Jokes like this about women, Jews, Blacks, or [every-other-group] would not be tolerated. Why should men put up with this?
Clean up your act. Until you do we'll be more than happy to give your corporate image the exposure as sexist and anti-father, and we will spread this message to as many people who will listen.
Sincerely,
L Steven Beene II
Nome, Alaska
Guerilla Gender Warfare is just Hate Speech in polite text
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Awesome letter! right on track.
Greetings all! I just happened upon this website today and was equally appalled at this commercial when I saw it. Unfortunately, it's not the first one I've seen that depicts men as complete useless oafs. I can think of a few others off hand that advertise products ranging from internet packages to household cleaning items. Let me just say this - the day that my wife is smarter than me about using the computer or the internet is the day I hand over my balls. Not gonna happen.
Anyway, my point to writing here is to share this other little gem with you. When I saw this Verizon commercial, I too thought (like all of you) that oh great, is this what society now thinks of men? That we actually have nothing to offer our children because we're just too stupid. Well I can tell you that my wife has this opinion of her father. Her parents divorced while she was in high school years ago. In her defense, I have met the man, and he is a little "off" you could say. Kind of useless, and very into his own lifestyle. Probably a nice guy, but not any kind of role model and certainly shouldn't have been a father.
Anyway, I've been married now for 3.5 years, known my wife for over 5 years, and I can tell you that without the media's help, I've been struggling to get my wife to see me as a man who can add a great deal of value to a relationship. This has been an uphill battle, but when I see this damned commercial, it doesn't exactly help my arguement that not all men are equally as useless as her father was. This pisses me off. I'm a college graduate, hard working professional, Navy Veteran, independant man, etc. etc. What more do I have to prove?
One of the more important lessons I've learned in life is that in managing people, the leadership must always present a unified voice to those that follow them. This especially applies to parenting. It doens't matter if you're in charge of an eight year old child or 100 Sailors, if the parents or leadership argues in front of them, they only succeed in causing confusion and discontent. this is the heart of the problem with the Verizon commercial. If the parent roles were reversed in this case, it would have sent the same WRONG message to children as well as parents. Somehow this is acceptable to a lot of people, but it is definitely not how to be an effective leader/parent.
Enough preaching. Comments? Questions?
Hope this hits home with you.
B.Mag.
Manassas, VA
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Jen and I not only replied seperately, but we're switching our long distance service from Verizon. Their foolish marketing campaign is going to cost them far more than it'll net them I wager.
Sadly I sent my letter before I saw the topic here or I'd have copied and pasted it. I didn't swear but I wasn't nearly as nice as Glen's letter was.
They're froggin MORONS.
Dave K - A Radical Moderate
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by Anonymous User on 06:22 PM November 8th, 2004 EST (#5)
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My wife and I have just sent our letters...Lets get so more activism going!!
Rerun
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I sent my letter off yesterday.
I sent it from Glenn's site.
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I sent them an oh so lovely email :-) Those of you who have read my posts know what that means. I'm glad my cell phone service isn't with them. FUCK 'EM!!! I told them that bigots shouldn't be in business and I hope that Mister Sacks ruins their business.
*Ms.Thea the Pre-Law Major, Pro-Gender Egalitarian, and Pro-Reproductive Rights Activist*
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by Anonymous User on 08:34 PM November 8th, 2004 EST (#7)
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Dear Verizon:
This letter concerns Verizon's anti-father 'Leave her alone!' commercial (aka 'The Elliots: Homework'). In the commercial a father is trying to help his young daughter with her homework when he is belittled and scolded by his wife, who orders him to 'leave her alone!' Such abuse as exhibited by the woman in the commercial is a form of domestic violence, and the fact that it is committed in front of a child makes it extra despicable.
There is so much sexist, "man-hating" advertising on T.V. these days that perhaps Verizon assumed it could join the long list of misandrist advertisers who bash men and profit thereby, but such is not the case.
I and many other people are fed up with "man-hating" commercials like Verizon's "The Elliots Homework."
I respectfully request that you pull offensive commercial immediately as well as any other misandrist commercials you may be airing, or plan to air. I further respectfully request that you treat males with the same respect that you would any other human beings that affirmative action considers protected. Just because one group does not as readily fall within those groups that affirmative action protects is not an invitation to wage a hate campaign against them through advertisements.
Again, I believe that such anti-father messages as "The Elliots Homework" are harmful to our sons and daughters, and I respectfully request that you withdraw this commercial.
Sincerely,
Ray XXXXXX
XXXXXX XXXX XX
Nextel Cell Phone# XXX-XXX-XXXX
P.S. I was anticipating changing to Verizon in the near future, but now I will not.
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You know, I enjoy the company of the gentlemen (and of course my darling adopted daughter Thea) of this forum and I really appreciate your patience with me when I vent and sound off.
When someone has insulted me over a multimegawatt flux of electromotive force...I no longer feel obliged to be civil or polite. This was my "personifesto":
Just what exactly is this ad supposed to do? Sell your products or sell the feminazi culture of misandry? Having seen this ad I will not be buying your products. I have frequently been told by feminazis that women need men like fish need bicycles...that being the case you had better hope that there are enough man-eating barracuda out ther to support your company and your pet political project. Since your company is publicly traded, I will also make sure that your shareholders are made aware that you have been targetted for a consumer botcott by men's activism groups.
I am getting up there in years. I can remember being one of the first households in our neighbourhood to have a black and white television. I remember that venerable clown, that genius of comedy Red Skelton, how he would end each of his shows with a very humbly expressed thank you to all of his viewers for inviting him into their homes.
Where did feminazis get the idea that we as viewers have become obliged to to receive hate politica and propaganda. Since you have seen fit to insult me over a flux of many thousands of watts of electromagnetic force, I feel no obligation whatsoever to respond to you with politeness or civility. I address the following poem to whoever the queenbee feminazi was who came up with this ad concept, and to whoever the queen bee feminazi was who saw fit to purchase this ad and disseminate it on behalf of Verizon:
"I will speak frankly
I will be blunt
Jesus might love you
But I think you're a cunt
A boor and a biggot
A "bee" with an "itch"
And Lower West Oz's
Laureat witch
If you can't share this planet with a Martian with a penis
Then hop on your broomstick and fly the Hell back to Venus
But don't push your luck
I'm a member of F*CK***
( this is an acronym for "Fed Up Cunt Kickers")
When I saw this ad, I had to wonder...was the woman depicted in it THAT drunk on prom night that she hooked up with that pathetic looser...or was the kid really his...there is a one in five chance that it isn't in America today.
Heil Dworkin
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Awesome post MAUS. Adopted daughter? This is the second time I've been adopted, cool. And after watching one god-awful episode of "Desperate Housewives" I can assure you, that kid in the commercial like most suburb kids aren't the children of the men they call (and ridicule) father. FUCK 95% of my gender!
*Ms.Thea the Pre-Law Major, Pro-Gender Egalitarian, and Pro-Reproductive Rights Activist*
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That poem of yours, especially the ending, made me LMAO!
Steve
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Please feel free to copy it and serve it with a generous helping of goose/gander sauce to anybody you think deserving.
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To see this demeaning ad, please click on "Homework." There are a few other ads that are demeaning to fathers and men - see "Parental Control, Phantom, and Jogger" - the last one is condescending toward a Hispanic father, which proves once again that misandry cuts across racial and ethnic lines.
http://www.verizonmarketing.com/families/tv_ads.as p?movie=5
Steve
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by Anonymous User on 08:05 AM November 9th, 2004 EST (#9)
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Steve:
You know I was telling myself yesterday that I thought they had other anti Father commercials, but I wasn't sure what phone company it was. Last night I didn't notice the other commercial on TV.
In the commercial this curly haired Father (white guy) is giving to cell phones to his two daughters and they are ignoring him (Dads not cool), then Mom says, "and you can call your friends," then the kids are overjoyed. Lastly, Dad says, "group hug," and again the two daughters ignore and walk off with Mom, leaving Dad looking foolish and ignored, at least, and maybe there was a message that Father's should not hug their daughters, their family. These commercials are sick.
Whatever company that was the Marketing Director and upper staff should all be fired.
Ray
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I was able to send an EMail via Glenn's site just now - guess they fixed whatever was wrong (maybe we overwhelmed the Verizon EMail server?)
LSBeene - I hope you don't mind, but I "borrowed" the second paragraph of your EMail ("It deeply disturbs me..."). It was well said, and I hope you're ok with my using your words (I did add some of my own as well).
I'm glad that someone, somewhere is taking these matters seriously. This is just the tip of the iceberg - my wife watches a lot of TLC and the Discovery channel, and their advertisements seem to be increasingly nasty, venomous and misandric. There is an advertisement for Beano which ends with two women chuckling to one another about it being "Husband-proof" (I guess that means we all sit around the house in our underwear, farting and scratching wherever it itches...) Not to mention the TLC program "In a Fix", in which a home repair team arrives to repair whatever the bumbling klutz of a husband has tried to fix. His wife is sent to a spa or on a vacation (poor thing) and he is forced to work with the crew while wearing a red t-shirt which says "It's My Fault". Nobody seems to give the guy credit for at least trying, and of course his wife is nowhere to be seen (poor woman, having to put up with such an idiot...)
Hell hath no fury like the woman whose husband brings home the wrong brand of cheese...
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Gilligan,
Man, you couldn't be more right! My wife wathces TLC all the time too. But I am so sick to death of watching the Discovery Channel(s) (including The LEARNING Channel, aka TLC) turn into reality TV for women. When did we lose control? And I hate to say it, but "American Chopper" is no help either. Yes, the guys put out some killer choppers, but do we have to watch them act like Neanderthals in the process? I don't understand the "sensationalism" of watching a Father-Son team yell and swear at each other, and demean one another on what is supposed to be a network for scientific learning. Did I miss something? I'd rather watch porn all night.
B. Mag.
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Based on the information you provided regarding TLC, I contacted them and requested that they no longer accept misandric advertising.
We all have to get much more active and vocal if we are going to overcome the culture of male hatred that grips Western Civilization.
Rerun
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by Anonymous User on 12:39 PM November 9th, 2004 EST (#11)
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Dear Verizon:
This letter concerns Verizon's anti-father 'Leave her alone!' commercial (aka 'The Elliots: Homework'). In the commercial a father is trying to help his young daughter with her homework when he is belittled and scolded by his wife, who orders him to 'leave her alone!' I believe that such anti-father messages are harmful to our sons and daughters, and I respectfully request that you withdraw this commercial.
Sincerely,
Clarence Stovall
Wylie, Texas
Verizon Customer 972-429-5771
I am a Verizon customer not by choice but because you are the only phone company in my city. Several years ago I inquired as to why surrounding neighborhoods and new apartments could get DSL, but I could not. I was given every excuse in the book, including it was the wiring in my house which was 3 years old at the time. I FINALLY got it out of your representative that VERIZON did not have the money to run DSL everywhere and that it was not likely that it would make it to my street. At this time, Verizon is spending a LOT of money running fiber optic cable everywhere in my city, even at my house. The potential services that this could bring are very tempting but, even before Glenn Sacks began this campaign against your misandrist commercial I found it highly objectionable and demeaning. Had I been given another choice in phone service 2 years ago, I would have jumped at the chance. When you begin offering your fiber optic broadband services in the near future, your action, or inaction regarding your advertising practices will determine whether I switch, or stay with my cable internet service, high priced as it may be. I still have my principles. Does Verizon?
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I just sent an e-mail to Glenn Sacks requesting his help in attacking misandric commericals on a macro level.
Although I applaud the Verizon campaign, these misandric advertisement are showing up everywhere. We must target the advertising companies and trade associations that are producing this misandric filth.
I would encourage everyone to contact Glenn and see if he can help us stop this attack on males which I have no doubt is caused by the feminist propaganda that permeates are society.
Rerun
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by Anonymous User on 08:34 PM November 9th, 2004 EST (#15)
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"Although I applaud the Verizon campaign, these misandric advertisement are showing up everywhere. We must target the advertising companies and trade associations that are producing this misandric filth."
Well now that this has come up I was planning on making a truck sign soon and cruising Hollywood
It would say,
ADVERTISING IS
SEXIST & HATEFUL
AGAINST MEN
Verizon is a big company. They may not be upset by only a thousand or so letters if they are hard core into the radical feminist propaganda. Just today I was going through an online directory for addresses in the Los Angeles area for Verizon stores and there are a bunch. I was thinking of making some 30" X 40" protest signs, getting together a few of my friends and picketing.
VERIZON
DISRESPECTS
FATHERS
VERIZON
ABUSES
FATHERS
BOYCOTT
VERIZON
I'll have a lot more time in January, because I'm retiring at the end of December. After years of abuse and taking this kind of crap just for being born male, I can't think of anything I'd enjoy more than giving misandrist bigots their long overdue performance evaluations from the men's movement, in person, on a protest sign.
Sincerely, Ray
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by Anonymous User on 08:14 PM November 9th, 2004 EST (#14)
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Please check out Verizon's own wording describing the Eliotts here
They talk about "respect" here
They talk about domestic violence here and here
Ray
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by Anonymous User on 09:08 PM November 9th, 2004 EST (#16)
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The way the woman tells "Tom" to "leave her alone" pretty much sums up feminazi rule. Tom makes some small talk with his daughter, and the matriarch acts as if he's committed some horrible act of domestic violence. I'd guess that in the next scene the woman will call the cops, who will come and throw Tom in jail because he didn't "leave her alone" fast enough when ordered to do so by the fem-chief.
At least she didn't kick him and yell, "When I say heal, I mean heal!"
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by Anonymous User on 02:49 PM November 10th, 2004 EST (#24)
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Unfortunately I HAVE actually seen this type of wussie poopie male who goes around with his tail constantly tucked between his legs in front of his wife while she barks out orders to him.
Where's the "EQUALITY"? I don't see it...,
Thundercloud.
"Hoka hey!"
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by Anonymous User on 07:56 AM November 10th, 2004 EST (#19)
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I just got an email from Glenn Sacks saying that over 1500 (and climbing) letters have been sent, and the protest has been covered in about 150 news articles.
This is getting very significant attention. Could it be, I mean, could it possibly be, that their are a few other men out there who might be just a tiny bit upset over the vile, abusive man- hating that is so rampant in so much advertising?
MAN-HATING COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING SUCKS! Can you hear me now????????????????? DUH!!!!!
Maybe next the morons in advertising could make dinigrating commercials about the morons in advertising who thought it would be funny to denigrate Fathers and men.
Ray
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Glenn also says that Kim Gandy, president of NOW, is unhappy with the campaign. Obviously we're doing something right.
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by Anonymous User on 02:55 PM November 10th, 2004 EST (#25)
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Why would Kim Grangy care? Did you see her comment, typical feminist ploy. The old one upper. She said something like, oh we get complaints everyday about women being denigrated, but we can't deal with all the complaints. I say, give some expamles Mz. Grady.
So basically, they get so many complaints, they have to ignore it and take the moral high ground once again.
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So basically, they get so many complaints, they have to ignore it and take the moral high ground once again.
Yup, NOW long ago mastered the art of spinning every issue to play on people’s prejudices and paternalistic concern for women. I’d bet (assuming that these complaints exist) that most have to do with the use of female sexuality in advertising. Groups like NOW claim that depictions of sexuality are degrading to women.
So if the tables were turned what would happen? Let me guess. If male sexuality were used more in advertising there would be a public outcry due to concern for how it negatively affects all men. Yeah, right. And if women were depicted as inept, cowering morons with IQ’s in single figures it would be OK with NOW. Uh huh. Is there any doubt that the tables would turn at NOW and male sexuality would become an example of men’s power over women and the female morons would become a metaphor of the patriarchy, male privilege, our society’s disrespect of women, etc., ad nauseam?
Ms Crazy knows full well that no advertiser would dare reverse the genders in this commercial because it would meet the emotional abuse criteria for domestic violence. The guy obviously is in fear; look at how he jumps when his spouse raises her voice. Look at how he’s being belittled in front of his daughter who has obviously lost all respect for him. The folks at NOW know that everyone in the media is so terrified of making incorrect depictions of women that there’s no worry of it happening - so they can afford to criticize this effort.
I’m generally not a simplistic kind of guy, but in this case I say if those bigots at NOW are criticizing it, we must be doing something right.
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...at the DayQuil/NyQuil commercial series, where the husband is sick, and the wife tries to give him the medicine so he can "get out in the snow" or "hang out with the guys"... at which point he imagines sledding or watching sports. She then holds up a shovel or a bunch of dogs on leashes with a pointed look on her face. Those burn me up.
-DeepThought
---
Erase the EARTH
to gmail me.
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This campaign is starting to get mainstream media coverage. Whoo Hoo!
Here's a link to a major Canadian news site that has picked up an AP article out of New York: "Fathers protest Verizon ad
It's generally a pretty positive article -- comments from Glenn Sachs and other fathers rights spokesmen get much more ink than the mandatory bit of screed from the N.O.W.
'Jenny Thalheimer, a spokeswoman for the National Organization for Women, said NOW still receives many complaints about ads denigrating women.
"These Madison Avenue companies are under the gun," she said. "To even out their disparagement of women, they have to take on the men now and then."'
Oh Puleeeze! Wake up girlie -- nobody's buying this horse pucky any longer.
Verizon's bit:
'Bonomo said Verizon had received numerous calls and e-mails in the past couple of days about the ad, but had not yet decided on what sort of response might be made.
"All we can say at this point is we're looking at it," he said. "We take our feedback and customer comments quite seriously. We're obviously dismayed that some customers find one of our commercials offensive."'
He's "dismayed." Right. Uh Huh.
I can hear him now... "Gee, all we did was denigrate, insult, and demean someone. Who woulda believed they'd take offense! I mean, it's only men, and *they* don't matter."
Ragtime
The Uppity Wallet
The opinions expressed above are my own,
but you're welcome to adopt them.
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This may be a few days late, but I've been busy with things like work. Now that I have some time, I decided to send these jerks an email of my own.
To the staff at Verizon,
I am writing in regard to your anti-male/anti-father commercials for Verizon. I will give a brief description of the ads which I’m referring to.
The ads for the Elliotts feature a bumbling clueless father (Tom) who gets yelled at by his wife to leave his daughter (Christina) alone in “Homework.” It seems he’s only suited for washing the dog. In “Parental Control” Tom gets the First and Sixth Amendments mixed up, and is condescendingly corrected by his older daughter. In “Phantom” an older male relative (presumably grandpa) is portrayed as ignorant of wireless technology, as he thinks his grandson’s laptop is connected to the “interweb” by wires.
In the “Los Sandoval” ads, the father (Paco) is the butt of the joke in a Spanish speaking household. The “Jogger” ad shows the whole family laughing at their overweight father in a goofy jogging suit. They photograph him and send the image to relatives in Mexico. Then the daughter gets an image on her cell phone of “Papa” cheating on his workout (he’s really reading the paper and drinking tea). He gets home to find that the whole family is in on his little sham, to his embarrassment.
I'm sure that these commercials were meant to be humorous. They weren’t for me. In fact, these commercials are very offensive to men in that it gives the impression that it’s acceptable to devalue and humiliate men and fathers. I doubt that you would have aired a similar ads depicting the wives and mothers in these commercials as fools.
I realize that it’s important to be able to laugh at oneself, but when one group is consistently made fun of (i.e. men and fathers) while all other aren’t, there’s something discriminatory going on. Men and fathers are just as important to the well-being of society as women and mothers, and nobody deserves to be marginalized
It should be brought to your attention that anti-male ads such as these are being criticized on several websites (which are viewed by thousands of people each day). Men have become tired of negative portrayals of males in the media, and even some women are starting to speak out against this (it isn't particularly flattering to them either).
It is strongly recommended that you find an alternative approach to selling Verizon (which is not insulting to men) before you cause yourself to lose a lot of business. Companies cannot afford to alienate half the population, particularly during a time of economic turmoil. While I have never been a Verizon customer before, I most certainly will not become one in the future after viewing these ads.
Steven G. Van Valkenburg
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I found this on their website:
Notice: As a matter of policy, the Verizon Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, national or ethnic origin, or physical disability. The Verizon Foundation is neutral on, and does not fund, programs that support pro-life or pro-choice issues.
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Here is the reply I got from some ratlike a--hole named Mary Stein, at Verizon.
Your message
To: john.p.hoey@core.verizon.com;
daniel.d.zapata@core.verizon.com; clifford.p.lee@core.verizon.com;
richard.j.young@core.verizon.com; john.r.vincenzo@core.verizon.com;
harry.j.mitchell@core.verizon.com; sandra.u.arnette@core.verizon.com;
sharon.b.shaffer@core.verizon.com; lee.j.gierczynski@core.verizon.com;
ellsworth.edwards@core.verizon.com; william.kula@core.verizon.com;
kevin.laverty@core.verizon.com; bob.elek@core.verizon.com;
jon.davies@core.verizon.com; ann.nishida@core.verizon.com;
john.j.bonomo@core.verizon.com; maureen.e.flanagan@core.verizon.com;
lawrence.d.plumb@core.verizon.com; robert.a.varettoni@core.verizon.com;
sharon.cohen-hagar@core.verizon.com; gwen.sparks@core.verizon.com;
ivette.a.mendez@core.verizon.com; james.albert.smith@core.verizon.com;
catherine.hogan.lewis@core.verizon.com; creap@core.verizon.com;
bobbi.henson@core.verizon.com; mark.a.marchand@core.verizon.com; Stein,
Mary; Russell, Dana B.
Subject: Customer Complaint: Anti-Father 'Leave Her Alone!' Commercial
Sent: Mon, 8 Nov 2004 01:33:11 -0600
was deleted without being read on Mon, 8 Nov 2004 10:24:44 -0600
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by Anonymous User on 06:45 AM November 11th, 2004 EST (#33)
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I guess they know what's happening, and they can't handle it, or they don't care. So much for respect and customer service. It will be interesting to hear from Glenn if Verizon has any other reaction.
Ray
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I got a very nice appology by e-mail this morning. Seems we were heard.
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Fark.com ran a link to this story, and while the comments there tend towards the juvenile, they appear to be running about 50/50, a surprising number of supportive responses for a site that usually just mocks news items
Here's a link Fatherhood Activists on Fark
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