Tuesday, September 24, 2002

I knew it wouldn't take long to find something like this (from the Portland Mercury News):

TO THE EDITOR: Driving down Burnside I saw my first Coors Light "Here's to Twins" advertising campaign. Since then about 20 of these fucking billboards have popped up, and I can't drive from one end of Portland to the other without being bombarded with that sexist, misogynist shit. In an era when we criticize the Taliban for forcing women to wear burqas, we're perfectly fucking happy to let corporations create advertising campaigns that make women sex objects. No one DEMANDS that women dress or act that way, we just call them frigid dykes with no sense of humor, womanhood, or social skills if they don't. Where are the U.S. forces now? Get in here and fucking LIBERATE ME.

Ms. Anonymous

Or how about this:

To: Coors Brewing Company

I am deeply offended and surprised by your Coors Light ads with scantily clothed women. What does that have to do with beer? Would a woman be attracted to a man only because he holds a Coors Light in his hand? Ridiculous. Your Coors Light billboard ad posted all over Portland, Oregon that says "Here's to twins" is horrendous. It depicts two silicone filled to overflowing blonde twins with tiny shirts, and breasts smashed together in a very un-sisterly way. I am apalled by the ad because "twins" is a play on the slang used for breasts, and what do breasts have to do with beer? I and many other women AND men are sick of seeing fake breasted, under-nourished, fake tanned, fake hair colored women being plastered all over media ads and sold to us as desirable. Again, what does any of this have to do with your beer? I would never buy your products or support you in any way, and I am publishing this letter on many websites to help get the word out. Wake up, good old boys. If integrity doesn't matter to you, then maybe a huge dent in your bottom line will get the message through. We don't want to see sexist and exploitative ads anymore. Where have you been? Have you not noticed this this is a new age and consumers are smarter and more aware and will not be influenced by your condescending ads? If anything, you will convince people to do exactly the opposite of what you had intended. Don't you realize the huge responsibility you have to young people not to propagate these age old and worn out images? Do you really want to alienate half of your market (females) and maybe even more (intelligent males)? I hope you will reply, and moreso, remove those offensive, tasteless, mindless ads. How about using a little creativity and not just putting the status quo on a billboard over and over again? Why not try to sell your product based on its merits and not some old sexist cliches?

Maybe it's age, maybe it's marriage, maybe it's easily accessible sex with a sexy guy (see "marriage"), but the Coors twins don't trip my PC trigger.

They're young, beautiful, healthy and cashing in. More power to'em.

EDIT: I do see that the letters are addressed to Coors, not the twins, but the money has to come from somewhere.

I will not be buying Coors Light, regardless of the campaign, because when I (rarely) drink beer, it is usually Grolsch. Those snap-cap bottles are perfect for vinegar-based pepper sauce. Pepper harvesting can be a pretty boozy process around here.


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