Topic: Why are guys always portrayed as morons in advertising?

[ElCheapo]

This is really ticking me off. We are not morons. I have to say when they (big corporate advertsing) protrays us this way, we simply do not buy from them.

Even the Suzuki commercials are in on the game.

I have a a pic for them

(insert Johnny Cash Finger pic)

[ofreen]

It's a man's world.  We can take a little ribbing.  Or even a lot.  Bring it on....

[Uncle Ernie]

Most men ARE morons.

[oldbiker]

Oh Uncle. Stop being masterful.

[Gordon]

Because a man with money typically has a woman who is in charge of spending it, and she thinks he's a moron!

[my78k]

Actually it's a trend in advertising that has been snowballing for years...can't remember the stats exactly but something like 85 percent of all disposable income is controlled by women...kinda true when you think about it.

I am not exactly "P Whipped" but my wife does the VAST majority of the shopping etc..."our" money gets pooled in to the joint account for the most part and I am basically left with right around that amount left over for me...and that 15% isn't really impacted by advertisers as I am not that easily swayed so why bother advertising to us. Us men are less visual that way (with the slight exception of Teal's avatars and gallery pics!) we generally buy for VERY different reasons. In fact I would think stuff like brand loyalty etc would play a much larger role!

Dennis

[cafehonda]

Mom always said, "We teach people how we want to be treated." In my life , I take this to heart. It's cost me jobs, money and women but after a lifetime of bucking the trend and not allowing people (mostly women and p@#&y whipped men) to treat me like dirt, I have what I consider to be some of the truest relationships one could ask for. It helps me rest easy (along with some B&B and a little weed).

[sparty]

Every man who doesn't own a SOHC 4 CB is a moron.

Did you ever notice that the hottest chicks in the world date morons.

Sparty

[6pkrunner]

As mentioned above somewhere in that 85% of all spending or purchasing decisions are influenced by women. A battle of the sexes to make the girls feel better. 

[Uncle Ernie]

"Oh Uncle. Stop being masterful."

Thanks John!!!  That has had me laughing out loud for a while now!


     Gee that was funny-

[Raul CB750K1]

Rule #1 of advertising: whatever you want to sell, put a sexy chick in the picture. This is the message that the people will get:

a) If the receiver is a man, he will get "buy my product and you will get laid with chicks like this"
b) If the receiver is a woman, she will get "buy my product and you will be like her"


Sex sells.


Raul

[tramp]

remember advertising is not real world
if it does tweak you write the advertises and tell him your to much of a moron to buy his product

[gregimotis]

This is really ticking me off. We are not morons. I have to say when they (big corporate advertsing) protrays us this way, we simply do not buy from them.

Even the Suzuki commercials are in on the game.

I have a a pic for them

(insert Johnny Cash Finger pic)

Does anyone remember "Daddy just HAD to get a motorcycle. "

[Bob Wessner]

Sure do, and the little girl's expression in the back seat as though she didn't have a clue as to who her father was. Hmm, maybe she didn't. 

[BobbyR]

It goes deeper than commercials. If you look at TV shows from Father Knows Best, Honeymooners all the way up to the present day, the Man is always portrayed as a "Hump" (This is a New York City expression for a Moron). 

[Rsnip988]

Archie bunker wasnt a "hump" he was a bigoted homophobe, maybe thats why i love that show


RKS

[Raul CB750K1]

Companies are starting to re-think their advertising strategies. There are studies that prove that, in some cases, when a commercial has been relatively sucessful, people will remember it for a long time, even years, but most of them will not remember which product was it advertising, or sometimes they will even think it was the competitor. Therefore, some of those "funny" commercials have a negative impact in the long term.


I don't mind being portrayed as a moron because, I have to admit, men in general are very single-minded: sex, food, drink, speed. Those are the things that drive us. Advertisers know that, if you want a man to get up of the couch and go buy their products, it has to give him one of those four things, directly or indirectly.


Raul

[ElCheapo]

I have to admit, men in general are very single-minded: sex, food, drink, speed. Those are the things that drive us. Advertisers know that, if you want a man to get up of the couch and go buy their products, it has to give him one of those four things, directly or indirectly.


Raul

Some goofed up priorities  Bikes, bikes, bikes, food (gota eat sometime), sex, sex, sex. Funny thing is most guys in some studies think of sex every so many seconds a day, I think of bikes  Maybe I am just a freak 

[sparty]

I have to admit, men in general are very single-minded: sex, food, drink, speed. Those are the things that drive us. Advertisers know that, if you want a man to get up of the couch and go buy their products, it has to give him one of those four things, directly or indirectly.


Raul

Some goofed up priorities  Bikes, bikes, bikes, food (gota eat sometime), sex, sex, sex. Funny thing is most guys in some studies think of sex every so many seconds a day, I think of bikes  Maybe I am just a freak 

The guys that think of sex every few seconds are the ones who aren't getting any.

A few buddies of mine are that way.  Sad lot they are.

Sparty

[Rsnip988]

indeed

[Rushoid]

Did you ever notice that the hottest chicks in the world date morons.

Sparty

"Pretty women out walking with gorillas down my street" -- Joe Jackson

It really doesn't even have to be a moronic guy. It could be fast-talking teenage girls, or farting horses. It's how funny it is that makes it popular. Comedy sells too. The goofy guy is just a staple of comedy that everyone can relate too. Maybe because we rag on our friends when they do stupid stuff. Or maybe because we've been caught doing stupid stuff. Women just don't have the same egos men do so it's harder to make fun of them.

Think of it this way:
Handsome man at the beach, fashionable trunks, expensive shades, looking cool, ladies checking him out. Then SPLAT!!! He get's bombed by a seagull. = "HAHAHA!!!Did you see that? What a dork! F@#$king hilarious!"

Beautiful woman, bikini, stretched out on a towel, great tan,.....................SPLAT! = "mmm...bikini..."

[mic-57]

The guys that think of sex every few seconds are the ones who aren't getting any.

A few buddies of mine are that way.  Sad lot they are.

Sparty

Hey! I resemble that remark! 

[Rushoid]

sex, sex, sex, bikes, sex, sex...



Sorry, the wife's 9 months pregnant. 

[angeldeville]

[toycollector10]

It's really cute down here in the south pacific. Firstly it's always a white male who is the goof-off dickwad. The smart couter point in the advert is usually a very hip, beautiful Maori woman...So the race card is being played down here as well.

Dumb honkey, smart Maori. It's racism at it's most sublime. I talk to people at work about it and no one has ever noticed it. They need to wake up!!

[mennedy]

I have objected to the depiction of men as bumbling idiots for years. I personally feel that it derives from the (don't laugh now!) suffragette movement which has been followed by the women's rights movement. The reason for these movements were quite honorable and I support them wholeheartedly. It is the residual backlash that I object to.

I get bent right out of shape when I see my sister in law demean her husband (he is a great guy and real card who plays it up - keeps us in stitches) by putting him down in front of the rest of the family as a bumbling oaf not to be taken seriously. I now see his 20 yr old daughters do it.

Television ads drive me nuts! Never see a dumb woman there!

I tell blond jokes. The laser looks I get from women as I start are unreal - then I drop the punch line using "he" to define the gender. They laugh along alright then.

Men are becoming furniture in society. I see this am that Dick Cheney's gay daughter is pregnant. AI for sure!

A recent study indicated that man to man contact is rapidly declining in western society. The TV, Internet and longer work hours has negatively impacted the male to male contact that is necessary to maintain a strong "maleness". Likewise, another study here in Canada, indicated that there is an acute shortage of male teachers at the elementary and junior high level. In effect, our boys are educated by women. 

The image of a bunch of dumb asses in the woods beating drums and dancing naked around a fire is a hyperbole imposed on us but is in fact very much to the point. We need contact (not just on this forum, but actual time spent) with other men in a social setting. Until we start (like I told my son) to assert ourselves, take pride in our maleness and teach our sons likewise, we will continue to be demeaned. 

Anybody want to strip down and rally!!!!!!

[upperlake04]

I have objected to the depiction of men as bumbling idiots for years.

The Canadian Tire couple is a perfect example of that, the message is he's damn fortunate to have a clever wife to help him get things done around the house.

[Gordon]

Just like with pretty much everything else, it all boils down to sex.  They have what we want, they know it, we know it, they know we know it, and they take advantage of that fact.  We still live in a male dominated society, so I find it somewhat difficult to complain about it.

Besides, what's the problem?  My wife once asked me to do the grocery shopping on my way home from work.  I came home with mostly chips, hamburger helper, frozen pizzas, and random produce items we have no use for, and I haven't been asked to buy the grocerys ever since!  Let them think they're smarter, and they'll take care of you for the rest of your life!

[upperlake04]

Besides, what's the problem?  My wife once asked me to do the grocery shopping on my way home from work.  I came home with mostly chips, hamburger helper, frozen pizzas, and random produce items we have no use for, and I haven't been asked to buy the grocerys ever since!  Let them think they're smarter, and they'll take care of you for the rest of your life! Grin Grin

Thats wise advice for a newly married guy - when it comes to household chores, its dangerous to know too much   

[firecracker]

It's like how "white-guilt" has led to all commercials showing the (insert ANY ethnic group except Caucasian) always smarter than the white guy/couple in commercials.  Can't ever have a white guy correct a black guy in a commercial.  Would piss off the Reverend Jackson.   Oh, before you go there, I'm not Michael Richards.  I'm just pointing out something that seems CRAZY.  The advertisers have to be SO careful not to offend, they ALWAYS use the white guy as the fool.  Nobody cares if they complain...

Same concept with the sexes.   Don't piss off women, 'cause you'll hear about it.  Make guys look like fools, who cares?



Can you tell I haven't been on my bike for over a week?  Frustration is building...

 

[74cb750]

Can I say something here? Can I? Wait, Im a straight, happily married white guy, a minorirty in my neighborhood.
I digress, excuse me.

The guys have been protrayed as morons in advertising, as have happily married couples.
Why? Probably because we don't scream about it enough. As  an example I offer the retraction of the "bad Biker" ads
American Express ran a few years ago. The AE ad men dropped it quickly after enough of us SOHC bikers, and other bikers, complained.

Who do I complain to when I only see homosexual couples, single moms, single dads, or other historically non-traditional humanoid groupings depicted as "normal"? The answer would be to merely turn off the boob tube, non? Hollywood seems to have lost touch with the average household, and like someone else said, is afraid to offend anyone.
Rant over,
peace,
michel

[Kevin D]

Anybody remember this ad campaign?