Because the sexism and lesbian fetishization in the TV version of the ads was significant, it sure was never surprising to me. But my jaw hit the floor when I discovered that the longer "too hot for TV" versions of the adds included not just bad, PG-rated stripper dancing, but also disgust from the involved characters about the lesbian implications. Homophobia and "use our product for the hot lesbian fantasies" all in one package (with the sexism of course)? Talk about offensive and also thematically muddy. I am boggled.
And wow do I miss the days of the truly great Superbowl ads. It may seem cheesy or weird or dated to you now, but I saw that ad on its one actual airing and it was like we didn't know what had just happened. And my dad worked in advertising! It was just... HUGE. A lot of it is the ad's ridiculously great sound design and the context of the moment -- it was the cold war, it was 1984, there was this sort of spectre of strong unfeminine Eastern European female athletes out to steal our Olympic glory (so to use that woman, and the sledge hammer! and and and! WOW), and the ad took all that stuff and twisted it around in this way that was both terrifying and exhilerating. Like when she breaks the screen and there's that blast of white light and dust over the people (some of whom are wearing gas masks) listening to the speech and it's so "here, have some nuclear apocalypse fears." It's SO smart. It's such great writing. Still is. Although, like I say, I'm not sure it makes any sense if you weren't there. And hey, love those visual references to Metropolis.
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