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The ad that takes us back at least 20 years

Susie O'Brien

by Susie O'Brien

09 Feb 06:00am

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Filed under: Advertisements, Gender, Sexism, Television

95 comments

Imagine this new TV advertisement: A gorgeous, shapely young woman is mowing the lawn in the golden summer sunshine. She’s admired by some eager young men who roll a can of Diet Coke down the hill towards her. She stops mowing, and starts drinking the fizzy soft drink.


She gets some of it on her t-shirt so she removes it, revealing a toned midrift and huge rack enclosed in a sexy red bra. She keeps mowing with her top off in soft-focus slow-motion, closely watched by the guys. The soundtrack, of course, is Etta James’ “I just want to make love to you”.

I’ll bet there would be a huge outcry if any soft drink maker dared to make an ad like that these days.

So why does no one care when this exact ad is made starring a muscle-clad man and his tanned, six-pack torso being admired by a gaggle of perving women?

In fact, rather than slam it, writers across the globe have been heralding the return of the “Diet Coke hunk”.

It just goes to show the shameful double standard in relation to sexist advertising.

I am definitely a feminist, and love to attack a sexist stereotype as much as the next gal. But I am surprised that so few men – or women – speak up when a man is portrayed as a sex object.

Given that Diet Coke is particularly marketed towards women, it’s no surprise that their TV commercials have featured spunky guys being ogled by women for nearly twenty years now.

Most famous was the series of TV commercials set in offices from 1994 onwards showing a muscular window cleaner taking his top off and drinking Diet Coke. He was admired by throngs of female office workers crowding into a nearby office for their “11.30 appointment”.

But I would have thought that perhaps we would have become a little more sophisticated than this by 2013.

Certainly, our antenna for ads deemed to be sexist towards females has been finely tuned over decades.

Let’s face it, in the early days there was much to attack. This was back when ovens were billed as “wife-savers”, when kitchen appliances were “a woman’s best friend” and when face creams were sold using slogans such as “Husbands stay lovers … when wives guard against drying, lifeless middle-aged skin”.

Over the years women have objected to thousands of ads for Windsor Smith, Virgin planes, Fiat cars, Strongbow Cider, Hungry Jacks burgers, and Toyota cars.

There are still some breathtakingly bad sexist ads demeaning women out there: check out some of the more awful Superbowl ads shown in the US last week. However, we have definitely come a long way, baby.

But the same does not seem to have happened in relation to men.

The new Diet Coke hunk – which has been universally praised by a world-wide girls’ club of giggling admirers – takes us right back to where we were nearly 20 years ago.

In one write-up on the Huffington Post website, a feminist writer raves against the latest diet coke “Get Glam” ads “infantalising” and “sexualizing” women, while completely failing to mention the sexism of the ad featuring the topless lawnmower man. In fact, the very same web page has a live link to the ad with the caption: “Brace yourself ladies (and gentleman) that Diet Coke ad is back”.

According to some breathless analysts, the women in the ad are even described as “clever” for managing to roll the can of drink down the hill to reach the rippling hunk.

Oh, give me a break.

It goes to show that when a man takes off his top, it’s sexy. But when a woman does the same, it’s sexist.

Comments on this post close at 6pm AEST

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95 comments

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    • Craig says:

      05:23am | 09/02/13

      Men don’t speak up about this stuff for several reasons.
      1) we don’t care. Sexism doesn’t mean the something to men as to women as men do not usually fear a beating or rape. We just don’t have the same concern that women will do stuff to us that women may fear (with good reason) a random man might do.
      2) when we do care and speak up, women chastise us ‘you think you have it so bad, we face this every day’ or ‘now you know how I always feel so why can’t you be more sympathetic’ - which trivializes the bloke’s caring and makes it about sexism towards women.

      Frankly given women don’t usually pack rape men and men rarely feel unsafe around women, it is easier for blokes to shut up and put up with sexism from women silently than take the scorn and embarrassment of confronting it.

      Reverse sexism - you bet. But does it really matter?

      Reply

    • Chris says:

      11:55am | 09/02/13

      Absolutely agree. The second point was well made.

    • Sam says:

      12:03pm | 09/02/13

      Although I agree with you in the main, being surrounded by a group of females eager for seeing flesh can be very intimidating. Many a guy has steered well clear of hens party groups.

      If the misses likes a bit of eye candy then I personally have no issue with it. I may even be the beneficary of the coke ad, with a fresh cut lawn of course.

    • Brad says:

      12:18pm | 09/02/13

      When will men learn that women don’t want us to fix the problem. Women just need us to agree that it is so wrong and to support them.

    • acotrel says:

      05:43am | 09/02/13

      ‘I am definitely a feminist, and love to attack a sexist stereotype as much as the next gal. But I am surprised that so few men – or women – speak up when a man is portrayed as a sex object.’

      We men simply ‘lie back and think of England’.
      However that doesn’t top Coke from being sweet crap, even diet Coke has loads of sweetener in it.  I have to be really desperate to ever drink it. I wonder who designs these products, they are obviously directed at little kids who have no taste ?  Still it is probably better than Red Bull’s piss.

      Reply

    • Pete says:

      01:31pm | 09/02/13

      Given coke is an obese person’s drink, those ads make me laugh at the unlikely combination of coke swillers and skinny people, male or female. As for sexism, nothing beats the NSW RTA ad showing the girl mocking the guy’s tiny penis. I had a fantasy of making an ad in reverse, where the guys saw a woman driving like an idiot, and made a shape with their hands at her that suggested, she’d um, had kids or something. The next part of the fantasy is me rolling around in hysterics as people got disgusted/upset or whatever me-victim emotion they could conjure up!

    • Steve says:

      06:22am | 09/02/13

      “But I am surprised that so few men – or women – speak up when a man is portrayed as a sex object.”

      Seriously? That shows a fundamental lack of understanding of men.

      We like being sex objects. it’s flattering to know that women find us hot and want to shag us. Its a compliment. Having a bunch of women wanting us to strip off so they can have their way with us? Sounds awesome. Bring it on!

      That’s how we think! It’s NOT how women think. Which is why it’s funny when some women tell men what they do/should think and get surprised when they miss the mark by about a mile.

      Reply

    • Don says:

      09:04am | 09/02/13

      It is sad that you have to point this out to her Steve, you would hope that women would understand men a bit better but such is life.

    • acotrel says:

      10:36am | 09/02/13

      @Steve
      You’re just a tr ouble maker, however lack of understanding many women have about men was very evident a few days ago when Tim Matheson told his old joke. I think that a lot of women get their ideas from magazines where the material is written by gay men.  I’m certain most of their ideas about clothing designs come from similar sources which have no idea what the word ‘sexy’ means, otherwise they wouldn’t let their boobs hang out..

    • Tubesteak says:

      12:37pm | 09/02/13

      Correct. Not only do men not care but men actually want to be treated like a sex object. This is a refreshing change from being treated as an ATM.

      Men don’t carry on like victims every time an ad comes on that we don’t like. Men know that everything you have in life is based on what you earn from the work you do.

      We also know most feminists are intellectually bankrupt hypocrites: hence the Huffpo treatment.

    • Super D says:

      06:25am | 09/02/13

      Men, rather, white heterosexual men, just can never be accepted as victims.  If there can’t be a victim then their cant be a crime. Of course it’s sexist, there just isn’t the victim culture to make a song and dance about it. Seriously if there was a group of men who bear no similarity to the Adonis in the ads, agitating against the exploitation of men they’d be laughed out of town, or at least would get nowhere near the airplay that chunky fashion challenged hirsute females with a bee in their bonnets can garner.

      Reply

    • Jesse Bell says:

      09:01am | 09/02/13

      Im sorry, but this is a typical whine from someone who feels like their dominant position is under threat.Men can’t be victims, it’s as simple as that.

      As long as you are a member of the gender that holds hegemonic power you hold all the cards. Men are first class citizens, women are second class. That’s a simple fact . Feminists only seek to ask that we all be treated as first class citizens, but that is a threat to the patriarchy so they scream that they are being oppressed. The oppressors don’t like it when their victims fight back against oppression.

      Walk away in a woman’s shoes (perhaps some high heels, the straitjacket-type shoes forced on women by a misogynistic fashion industry) and come back to me about men’s oppression.

    • Paul says:

      11:03am | 09/02/13

      That’s funny because I’m hearing a whine from someone in love with the act of barking at cars regardless of whether there’s cars or not.

      No one’s forcing anyone to be in the fashion industry or wear high heels. Today’s feminists are like Anthony Mundine. You’re in love with the idea that you’re an underdog and that some other well-to-do bastard is keeping you down.

      Try walking in an impartial person’s shoes for once and don’t blame evil misogynists or passing traffic for all your woes. The world owes you nothing.

    • IPL says:

      11:10am | 09/02/13

      @Jesse. Don’t you have a bra burning rally to get to? What a bunch of hogwash. Get over yourself.

    • Jason says:

      11:30am | 09/02/13

      Jesse - a victim is a victim and sexism is sexism regardless of gender. That is why feminists are a joke, they only seek to improve conditions for women and oppress men.

      Don’t talk about male oppression like its a trivial facet of modern life, it happens and what is worse women try to justify it. People truly wanting equality don’t selectively pick and chose what battles they fight.

    • Greg says:

      11:42am | 09/02/13

      @ Jesse, Pointing out feminist hypocrisy usually results in accusations of “whining” and attempting to use bizarre conspiracy theories about “the patriarchy” as some sort of justification.  It provides a distraction and avoids the need to provide a rebuttal when none is available. It’s as simple as that.

      Why must any grievances made by women to be considered as “resisting oppression” and “quests for social justice” while any grievances made by men are just “whining”?

      How can there be a “patriarchy” in a country with the 3 most powerful positions of Monarch, Governor-General and Prime Minister are all held by women? Tell me again about which gender holds all the cards?

      How can women be “second-class” citizens when they get special affirmative action privileges that are not available to men? Like Emily’s List policies that have benefited the Prime Minister, for example.

      How can women be “second-class” citizens when they get more reproductive rights and better treatment in Family Law courts?

      How can women be “second-class” citizens when they get shorter (or no) gaol time for the same crimes when compered to men?

      How can women be “second-class” citizens when it is men who are assumed guilty unless proven innocent in any domestic violence disputes, where “raising your voice” is considered to be violent behaviour for men but not for women.

      How can women be victims of oppression within a system of government that makes men pay most of the taxes yet gives most of the benefit payments to women?

      Nobody is forcing women to wear high heels either, not even an alleged “misogynistic fashion industry” that also happens to be dominated by women.

      Can you name a single piece of legislation or government policy that benefits men more than women, to balance all those that benefit women more than men?

    • marley says:

      11:46am | 09/02/13

      ” Men are first class citizens, women are second class. That’s a simple fact .”

      No, it’s not a fact;  it’s an opinion, and one with which many people of both genders would heartily disagree.  Women have the right to vote, the right to equal access to education, the right to equal employment opportunities and to equal pay.  They have the right to decide how to live their lives, and the responsibility to accept the consequences of the choices they make.  That’s pretty first class to me.

    • Pro says:

      12:43pm | 09/02/13

      Greg you’re on fire mate. Spot on! Best comment in here

    • Jesse Bell says:

      01:43pm | 09/02/13

      @IPL - don’t you have a stoning to go to?

      Honestly, I’m not surprised to see the apologists for hate-thought and misogyny come crawling out of the woodwork with their attitudes that belong better in rural Pakistan than modern Australia. Stone the feminists, why are they complaining? I mean we already gave them the vote, what more do they want?

      I can just imagine the spittle flecks across your computer screens as you struggle with the cognitive dissonance that allows you to live in a world where you hold all the power but still believe that the women you oppress are in-fact oppressing you.

      @Greg- how about the appalling fact that a woman who is raped is the one who has the burden of proof in criminal law. That is why the majority of rapists don’t even get reported to police, because the female rape victim knows that she will be the one treated like a criminal by the so called justice system. Until the burden of proof switches to the rapist to prove they didn’t do it then there is one major glaring way women are second class citizens. As for your other examples, of course family law favours women. Because it is the MEN who beat their wives and children.

      But, boohoo I feel sorry for you poor downtrodden men, struggling under the sharp stiletto of the vicious sisterhood. Oh my, a female PM. The oppression you poor little boys must feel.

    • marley says:

      02:17pm | 09/02/13

      @JesseBell - how appalling that the accused has the presumption of innocence.  By all means, let’s shift the burden of proof.  In fact, let’s not bother:  let’s just accept the word of the accuser, and throw the accused into prison. Why bother with a trial at all? 

      Good god almighty, we have spent millennia getting to the point where our laws and our parliaments accept the concept that people have fundamental rights, and you want to toss them on the rubbish heap with no thought to the consequences. 

      No respectable bra-burner of the 60s would have any time for that kind of thinking.  The villages of Pakistan, on the other hand, would perfectly understand your thinking.  They’d just use it in somewhat different circumstances to the ones you envisage.  But that’s what happens when you throw away basic precepts of justice.

    • Chillin says:

      02:26pm | 09/02/13

      @Jesse Bell

      Well we probably hold rape victims as having to prove the case for two reasons

      1) If you are going to make an accusation you better be able to prove it.

      2) Our legal system requires that for ALL offences.

      Did you want even more dispensation because you are female?

    • shelley says:

      02:35pm | 09/02/13

      @Jesse. I was seriously going to counter your “arguments” about burden of proof in rape cases; that men are first class and women second class; that somehow shoes are “forced” on women; that somehow men are always oppressors and women the downtrodden; that men can’t be victims.
      But then I realised you are just incredibly ignorant or a troll. Or perhaps both.
      And so much anger and hate too.
      You should consider yourself lucky. You obviously have very little knowledge of what it’s really like to be oppressed, but certainly hold on to a victim mentality like few others. A sad way to be really.

    • CJ Johnson says:

      03:14pm | 09/02/13

      Jesse Bell

      I’m going to assume you’re trolling at this point and counter those two arguments with: The Woman should’ve worn less revealing clothes, and those damn wives and kids should’ve been In the kitchen making cakes, and asleep respectively.

      See, it’s fun to speculate!

    • Greg says:

      03:21pm | 09/02/13

      @Jesse, the presumption of innocence until proven guilty beyond any reasonable doubt provides the foundation of our criminal justice system.

      It applies to all criminal defendants, in all criminal trials, regardless of gender.

      If that’s all you’ve got, then you have got nothing. As expected.

      In any case, if “the majority of rapes are not reported to police”, how do you know about them? What is the source of your data? Or are you just making up more stuff, more feminist dogma, and pretending that it is real?

      And how many of these alleged rapes were false reports? Or instances where consent was “retrospectively withdrawn” (aka a woman changing her mind) a few days after the event, or where consent was “forgotten” after a few too many drinks?

      Even rape studies done by your feminist sisters in the Office of Women’s Policy confirm that 26% of rape complaints were made by women with “psychiatric disability or mental health issues”:

      https://www.ncjrs.gov/app/abstractdb/AbstractDBDetails.aspx?id=243182

      Yet despite the proven false rape claims, men who have falsely been accused of rape still have their name published in the media, while the false accusers do not. Innocent men still have their reputations ruined, while the false accusers receive no penalty whatsoever. The men get treated as criminals by the justice system and the media, who always treat the women as victims regardless of the trial outcome.

      Women get the better deal once again.

      The laws always favours women in every circumstance. If women kill their husbands, they are found innocent due to alleged “battered wife syndrome”. If they kill their babies, they are found innocent due to post-natal depression.

      There is always some legal excuse to explain why women are never guilty and are always victims.

      Female gender privileges are entrenched, pervasive and unwarranted. Yet still feminists still want more, while they accuse men about whining!

    • Ben says:

      03:37pm | 09/02/13

      @Jesse Bell

      >>Men can’t be victims, it’s as simple as that.As long as you are a member of the gender that holds hegemonic power…<<

      “It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies and nosers-out of orthodoxy.”

      George Orwell, 1984

    • Jesse Bell says:

      03:46pm | 09/02/13

      troll troll troll

    • Tator says:

      03:51pm | 09/02/13

      Jesse Bell,
      ” how about the appalling fact that a woman who is raped is the one who has the burden of proof in criminal law.”

      Ahh that happens in all criminal law for all victims.  The law is written so that the prosecution (not the victim) has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the offence has occurred.  Now whether the victim is a female rape victim or a male rape victim, the burden of proof is still with the prosecution.  The fact that rape is a very difficult crime to prove because of the issue with consent (Victoria has some interesting laws about consent and rape) is always going to be a she said/ he said unless other evidence ie video is available.  So that is not a female bashing exercise, just the way the legal system works here in Australia.

    • Brian says:

      03:55pm | 09/02/13

      Sorry, Jesse, I don’t want to live in a world where I have to prove I didn’t do something, rather than you having to prove I did. This applies equally to rape, theft, murder, fraud or any other offense. There have been multiple cases of false claims of rape - some of them not discovered for years, long after the ‘offender’ was punished. There have also doubtlessly been many, many cases of rapists who were no punished due to a lack of evidence. Unfortunately, that is the way the system ~has~ to work - if there is nothing but one person’s word against another, you cannot simply assume one of them is telling the truth based on their gender!

    • James says:

      04:14pm | 09/02/13

      @Jesse

      For someone complaining about “whining” you sure love to play the victim yourself. Go ahead regurgitate the notion that only women suffer oppression… whatever keeps you in the victims chair !

    • Joan says:

      06:31am | 09/02/13

      Who cares?  Who watches the ads anyway?  So many ads during the breaks that you have time to do a chore, get the lunch, make butterflycakes. , read a book, check emails , write a blog. etc, etc. Glossy mag ads capture my attention, but not dumb TV ads running one after the other. A nice body, male or female , a handsome or pretty face always get a good look whether in the street, beach, on the bus, TV - that`s the way it is. One thing for sure there are more dumb yobo males on TV ads than there are quality sexy talented hunky men. Imagine the outcry if shows like `Desperate Husbands `  and male version ` Sex in the City` happened- the howls would come from women . Instead we get plenty of slovenly,  dumb dopey smart mouthed male sitcoms served up- yanky men proudly quite happy to be shown as the world biggest dumbest dopes.

      Reply

    • TChong says:

      06:36am | 09/02/13

      Men are used to the double standard- not accepting of it, but simply used to the idea that so many “feminist “commentators, male or female, are breath taking hypocrits in their selective outrage.

      Reply

    • Lucky says:

      07:08am | 09/02/13

      It’s simple. Blokes just aren’t that sensitive and don’t really care. Hell, if I’d spent that many hours in the gym I’d be more than happy to be ogled by throngs of women. Until women are earning more for the same positions and are over represented at board levels etc blokes aren’t going to think a harmless ad like this portrays them as nothing more than a sex object.
      On the flip side, geez I hope the marketing execs make the ad you suggested at the beginning of the article! Oops….how sexist of me : )

      Reply

    • ramases says:

      07:08am | 09/02/13

      Unfortunately we have become used to men being the brunt of adds and the “new” sex symbols. Who really cares anyway, all adds should be either taken with a grain of salt or in our house muted so that conversation can recommence or one can safely go to the loo, put the kettle on, or do a miriade of other activities safe in the knowledge that one wont be missing anything of importance. That’s what add breaks are for, except to show which products not to buy as they are artificially inflated to pay for the cost of using some sporting dweeb or actor.
        As for the double standard, if that gets your rocks off go for it but it truly shows just how desperate some people are to get a thrill.
      They are certainly not to entertain unless you are so brain dead that that’s what you call entertainment and although the TV channels keep telling us they are always broadcast at a much higher decibel level than the show you are watching.
        Personally I think that everybody should walk around topless or naked then everybody would be either outraged as one or happy as one, pick a side.

      Reply

    • BruceMullinger says:

      07:21am | 09/02/13

      Commercial television is exactly that - saturation advertising intermittently interrupted by what purports to be entertainment and standards for both is a race to the bottom.

      Reply

    • Andybob says:

      07:25am | 09/02/13

      The double standard exists because ads that objectify men as sex objects don’t usually result in women treating men with less respect.

      Reply

    • Chris says:

      07:33am | 09/02/13

      Actually Suzie,

      As a man I think a woman taking her top off is not sexist but sexy.

      As a married man with three children the most sexy woman doing this is my wife.

      I think most people see ads for what they are- selling a product. Given your outrage at some of the ads I am glad you did not see the Lynx Airway ads

      Reply

    • Pisces says:

      04:30pm | 09/02/13

      Good on you Chris!

    • Chillin says:

      07:33am | 09/02/13

      There’s a tampon ad that does the same thing.  Where women hang out at the footy oval stalking the male players.

      I am glad you noticed the hypocrisy, the feminist movement is full of it.  It’s much easier to whine and complain how you are hard done by than actually expend effort to improve yourself.

      1) The majority of men don’t have the mental issues that feminists do.
      2) The majority of men don’t have the self esteem issues that feminists do.
      3) If they did complain, the PC crowd, wouldn’t listen.  There would be some bullshit reason provided, how it’s an acceptable ad to ‘right the wrongs of the past’.

      Reply

    • Horthy says:

      07:38am | 09/02/13

      Not disagreeing with you, but why did you feel the need to use the word ‘rack’?

      Reply

    • NESLIHAN KUROSAWA says:

      07:51am | 09/02/13

      Hi Susie,

      In the world of commercialism and consumerism those kind of ads aren’t necessarily all that sexist to the interested world audience! It is more like “sex sells anything and everything policy” which has done for many products like diet coke. And as long as there is a huge market for products from diet drinks ads to diet cereals, why question this marketing theory which has been doing wonders for our world as well as making some people very wealthy in the process.  It is so much like those fairy tale type films which everyone finds very entertaining, right?

      Men taking their clothes to impress the members of the opposite sex isn’t really any different.  They are only embodying the perfect image of a perfect male in today’s society.  After all when we all know that women notice what other women are wearing or not wearing at all times, right?  Why should it be any different for men when there is huge market for male shoppers just dying to look like those male models with perfect abs.  Those kind of images actually sell products from clothing, cosmetics, energy drinks to fast food chains.  It can be seen as the easiest money ever made. 

      I don’t necessarily think that those kinds of advertising only target the members of the opposite sex. It is the longing in most women and men to be part of that make believe world with our life styles, cars we drive and clothes we wear.  A bit like the Victoria’s Secret model fashion catwalk shows, while men are admiring the gorgeous models with almost nothing to on but the famous wings and I can say with all honesty most women are only dreaming if they could be that tall and beautiful.  I personally don’t feel that there is nothing wrong with dreaming our lives away at all.  It is only a few minutes of modern day escapism at its best or its worst?  Who can tell for certain?  Kind regards.

      Reply

    • Rambo says:

      07:51am | 09/02/13

      The difference is men liked to be viewed as a sex object.

      Reply

    • Mouse says:

      07:53am | 09/02/13

      Some women just don’t know what they want. They must be so insecure and unsure of themselves that they think all the world is talking about them and being critical of every move they make.  Sorry Sugar, but, as an individual, the world doesn’t even know you are alive! Men don’t care what the world thinks of them because they know they are sexy, Even if they are bald, with a beer gut and knobbly knees, they know that they God’s gift, especially in a pair of shorts.  God bless’em hey!!  LOL

      There was a post yesterday about women going on “Romance” holidays, overseas jaunts to have sex with younger men, all good. When men go and do the same thing, they are perverts, pedophiles and all sorts of deviates. Double standards? Surely not!
      On Punch, you listen to people screaming about double standards in politics, some of the biggest critics are women.  When it comes to sex, play and advertising, double standards are there too but it’s OK if the offended are men? A shirtless man in an ad is OK but a babe in a bikini is bad?  A man being dimwitted is funny but a dumb woman is sexist?  Funnily enough, ads like the “face creams were sold using slogans such as “Husbands stay lovers … when wives guard against drying, lifeless middle-aged skin” are used to sell to women… and they work! Go figure!!  lol

      Some women just aren’t smart. They get all indignant when the ad uses women to sell a product, but cheer for the ones with men. They say they are emancipated and emboldened when they pick up stray sex partners but men are perverts when they do the same. Is it any wonder that some women have trouble getting people to take them seriously?

      They use sex in ads, because sex sells, always has and probably always will!  If you don’t like the ad, don’t buy the product. Telling everyone about how “bad” it is just free advertising, imo. If you want the direction changed, stop using it, stop talking about it, nothing will work better than a product being ignored! Stop being offended and start being smart. Being offended hasn’t really worked, they are still making the ads, so start showing your displeasure where it counts, at the register.  You never know, it may just be more effective that what is happening now.  lol :o)

      Reply

    • Rolls Canardly says:

      10:11am | 09/02/13

      Good comment, Mouse.
       
      The author is clearly suffering under the influence of *Roxonism.
       
      ( a psychological disorder under which the patient suffers:
      a) self-righteous nanny delusions, and presents most commonly as a puritanical overreaction to commonplace scenarios (usually, but not restricted to those of a benign sexual nature, and health-risk recreational activities)
      b) an inordinate desire to control or moderate normal behaviour in others. Incurable

    • pa_kelvin says:

      10:38am | 09/02/13

      Post of the year Mouse .... *thinks* now where are those shorts?? smile

    • pa_kelvin says:

      11:12am | 09/02/13

      Mouse ..comment of the year.. *thinks* now where are those shorts.. smile

    • Pisces says:

      02:05pm | 09/02/13

      @  Rolls Canardly: 10:11am

      As a woman…........I LOVE IT!

    • Shane says:

      08:00am | 09/02/13

      Great read Susie. Personally (as an anti corporate type) I’d love to see an outright ban world wide on the use of sex, or anything remotely related to it, to advertise such products. Yes, I know, it will never happen. It just seems there is absolutely no limit when it comes to these giant corporates who so aggressively market their product. Take the ‘sex’ out of it and perhaps we wont have any sexist issues? Imagine a world where companies like Coke had to advertise the reality of their product ..... hardly sexy at all. Corporates .. I hate them.

      Reply

    • Don says:

      09:08am | 09/02/13

      Move to North Korea then to escape such madness. Enjoy the corporate free environment!

    • marley says:

      12:05pm | 09/02/13

      Let’s see if I’ve got this right:  take the “sex” out of advertising and we won’t have sexism issues.  Because, of course, there was absolutely no sexism a century or two ago, before the age of advertising.

    • Hank says:

      08:01am | 09/02/13

      You fail to understand it Susie my dear because you fail to understand or ignore the age old fact that predominately men are sexual creatures and love to be ogled at by women.  You feminists need to view the world more objectively and realise that in a lot of ways men and women are and always will be different.  Get over yourself, enjoy the view and focus on something a bit more important eg.the abhorrent treatment of woman in countries like Pakistan and India.

      Reply

    • Gianna says:

      08:03am | 09/02/13

      Some sections of the feminist movement have brought about the double standards through their distorted vision of equality, and therefore diminished the original cause.
      In many ways, the focus been shallow and unworthy.
      Some do not seem to be aware this is 2012, not 1950, and have in reality, become a parody of themselves.

      Reply

    • Thomas says:

      08:07am | 09/02/13

      Urgh, who are you people? It’s an ad. An Ad!

      Really, in all seriousness - as a journalist, did this really compel you to write this? Or was it a directive that came down that someone had too, and you drew the shortest straw?

      If you really think that effectively banning ‘sexist’ ads - cause that is what you’re saying - is a sign of ‘sophistication’ , I suggest you get a life.

      Reply

    • Birko says:

      10:51am | 09/02/13

      Exactly Thomas, isn’t there more important things in life to worry about than some ad.  We all, male and female, need to harden the hell up and stop taking offense at ridiculous things.

    • maree says:

      12:18pm | 09/02/13

      Thomas: Agree. I have no problem with the advertisement. Not sure what the real problem is. Its a bit “corney”, but thats the laugh ! If it takes a scantily clad women (or man) to sell a power tool, a hammer, or a bottle of soft drink, then so be it.

    • PeterH says:

      08:27am | 09/02/13

      So why does no one care when this exact ad is made starring a muscle-clad man and his tanned, six-pack torso being admired by a gaggle of perving women?

      I’ll give you a couple of reasons
      1. Most men don’t care…it’s just an ad FFS
      2. Most blokes would love to get perved on by a gaggle of women.

      Reply

    • Chris from Alice Springs says:

      08:36am | 09/02/13

      I think it’s more along the lines that most blokes are too busy to give a damn about whinging about pointless crap like this. Or we’re too busy mowing the lawn with our shirts off. Thirsty work in the summer, yer know?

      Reply

    • Lucky says:

      09:09am | 09/02/13

      Gold - sums it up really

    • Bolz says:

      09:20am | 09/02/13

      With that mind, off with shirt and out with the lawn mower! Time to give the ladies, in the street, what they really want!

    • Mouse says:

      09:20am | 09/02/13

      Chris…errrrrrr I am going to be up Alice Springs way soon…. where abouts did you say you live…....?  lol ;o)

    • LJ Dots says:

      10:55am | 09/02/13

      Watch out Mouse, this is an obvious scam. There is no lawn in Alice Springs.

    • Mouse says:

      01:48pm | 09/02/13

      LJD…what…you mean it may not be true…....Chris may not really live in Alice Springs…...? Oh dear, how silly do I feel….... **slowly walks away shaking downturned head**  sobbbb     :o(

    • marley says:

      09:11am | 09/02/13

      It’s advertising.  It appeals to what we really are.  Women like products that show sexy hunks.  Men like products that show bikini-clad babes.  Women are offended by the latter; men aren’t much offended by the former.  Both genders, however, get offended if the character in the ad is a dimwit of their own gender.  To be honest, I don’t think the whole thing matters much, or is worth much more analysis than that.

      Reply

    • Iggy Crash says:

      09:13am | 09/02/13

      I don’t really care about either. Objectification is such a non issue when it’s fairly harmless ie coke ads. I think people get too riled up on stuff like this when, really, we should be focusing on harmful objectification like sex trafficking etc. I personally don’t mind the being someone’s sexual object in the form of a wolf whistle or compliment. I’m a sexual creature and being desired is nice, provided it doesn’t cross a line without consent.

      Reply

    • Richard M says:

      09:22am | 09/02/13

      For pity’s sake, get over it!  Men (or most of them find women sexually desirable, and women (or most of them) find men sexually desirable.  They always have and always will.  Why is it sexist to portray what is an essential part of human life?  I feel no less a person for the fact that women enjoy admiring a guy with a 6 pack.  Why do feminists feel that women are belittled by being portrayed as sexually desirable to men?

      Reply

    • Andy says:

      09:26am | 09/02/13

      “I am definitely a feminist, and love to attack a sexist stereotype as much as the next gal. But I am surprised that so few men – or women – speak up when a man is portrayed as a sex object.”  That’s because feminists think that to be sexually desirable is wrong.  It’s one of the many problems feminism has created where there wasn’t one.  Then you wonder why many of us aren’t attracted to you.  What were you expecting?

      Reply

    • Alan says:

      09:28am | 09/02/13

      And the reason nobody has complained about the Philadelphia cheese ad where the female acts suggestively and slaps two guys on the behind is because, MEN DON’T CARE ABOUT TRIVIAL CRAP!!!

      Reply

    • ol matey says:

      10:58am | 09/02/13

      Beat me to it.

    • jow blow says:

      12:08pm | 09/02/13

      @Alan.  Got it in one.  But I suppose if feminists didn;t make a big deal out of this sort of stuff what else would they do for a living?

    • Testfest says:

      01:31pm | 09/02/13

      Agreed Alan. The double standard and hypocrisy in that ad always annoyed me, but I wasn’t offended by it. It certainly never bothered me enough to make a complaint about it either…

    • Jarred says:

      10:19am | 09/02/13

      I am more offended by portrayals of fathers and husbands in ads as dumb clumsy useless man children with no value in a family, while women children and even the family dog are portrayed as infinitely smatter with more common sense. why would any man want to be a husband and farther if that is what our culture views them as. And what woman wants to marry that.

      Reply

    • David V. says:

      10:25am | 09/02/13

      Now South Africans take a stand against rape:
      http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/02/201328171132262482.html

      Will the Trendy Lefty set now admit that the “new” South Africa is no paradise for its own people under ANC governance?

      Men are today unfairly treated in schools and courts, often denied parental rights. Yet men are by far more caring and competent parents. Many single mothers do a lousy job.

      Reply

    • Ben says:

      10:41am | 09/02/13

      I just want to be held.

      Reply

    • LJ Dots says:

      12:58pm | 09/02/13

      And now coffee meets keyboard. Thanks heaps Ben.

    • Economist says:

      10:53am | 09/02/13

      It’s amusing that everybody is making out that men are above being offended because they don’t care, or they recognise the double standard but unlike women don’t make a big deal out of it, because they’re MEN Goddamnit!!

      No the reason it’s not an issue is it doesn’t happen in real life and if it does it’s rare. I don’t see hoards of woman cat whistling blokes and calling out show us your dong! Or woman aren’t following the man, or women aren’t unwarrantably touching the man , So instead the ad is treated as a piece of comedy by most men who aren’t aggrieved by feminism, it reflects a situation that doesn’t happen in reality so it’s amusing.

      Reply

    • Chillin says:

      12:24pm | 09/02/13

      I don’t see hoards of men cat whistling blokes and calling out show us your dong! 

      I see I lot who imagine this happens, but that’s just toeing the feminist propaganda line.

    • A guy who disagrees says:

      01:31pm | 09/02/13

      Economist. I think it’s rare because you don’t read about guys reporting it.

      I’ve been groped. I’ve had my anatomy grabbed while drinking from the water fountain. I’ve had my female manager ask if my horizontal performance and oral skills are as impressive outside of work.

      I’ve had my manager and team leader, both woman, discuss in detail and rate how I’d go in the sack, this is while I was standing there.

      I’ve dealt with a female manager who could not raise her eyes above groin level whenever she spoke to me. And these are just professional situations, lets not talk about social settings.

      This was not friendly banter by the way and I’m sure I’m not the only guy who has similar experiences. Guys still don’t see it as an issue, much like me - ergo, it’s rare to hear about ‘hoards’ of women acting inappropriately. It does still happen though.

    • Economist says:

      02:34pm | 09/02/13

      AGWD, well all I can say is that’ll teach you for working at Fox News! It’s always the conservative one’s you have to watch out for!

      I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but it’s simply not as common. As others have highlighted Hens Nights! Sure more woman are letting loose but I call this a move to equality i.e. being obnoxious, rude, overtly sexual is no longer the sole domain of men. Ain’t it great.

    • loooking..loooking..now its called a perv, what ha says:

      10:54am | 09/02/13

      the feminine mystique ehh betty..

      Reply

    • Chillin says:

      10:57am | 09/02/13

      “I am definitely a feminist, and love to attack a sexist stereotype as much as the next gal.”

      That’s the thing, the ‘sane’ girls don’t.  They don’t care.

      Reply

    • stephen says:

      10:57am | 09/02/13

      They’re good ads - everybody is still buying Coke.

      Reply

    • Rebecca says:

      11:12am | 09/02/13

      Seriously Susie, there must be more important issues in the community today than this add,who cares!! Having just watched you on the Today show discuss a Victorias Secret add and have a good laugh about it,if those women havent put feminism back 20 years nothing has!

      Reply

    • Gavin says:

      11:22am | 09/02/13

      Really. You are suggesting that men on average have the same lack of self esteem as you seem to. You need to get out more. If the men you know seem to have the same thought processes as you do, they’re probably just saying that to make you feel good while they check out your ‘rack’ - a word I’ve never heard used among my friends, must be a feminist term!

      Reply

    • StanleyG says:

      11:30am | 09/02/13

      Bolz at 9.20,l just did exactly that too.l hope you had more success than l did.

      Reply

    • probably a mysoginist says:

      11:57am | 09/02/13

      A bit like the bill board i used to drive past advertising bed sheets with a handsome bloke laying on the bed with the caption ‘’ fantastic in bed ‘‘i often looked at it and wondered about the fuss the local feminists would have made if they had used a woman in that photo.I think men just are not as petty as some the offence seeking ladys in this country

      Reply

    • Pisces says:

      12:20pm | 09/02/13

      Actually Susie, if Coke specifically targets women then the ad says more about women’s gullibility than males’ values/morals…whatever.

      Biologically, there is a huge difference between male/female brains: the former watches purely for aesthetics while the latter analyses every little aspect and if they can’t find anything to complain about, sure enough the old goodies are trotted out - sexism, racism, ageism and the favourite of all time: misogyny!

      I guess women have too much time on their hands and not enough to do so they whinge.

      I am a woman but I rooly rooly dislike my fellow women most of the time. Does that make ME a “misogynist”?

      Reply

    • Chillin says:

      12:30pm | 09/02/13

      It comes down to jealousy and insecurity.  Women attack pretty women in ads because they have self esteem issues.  How do women deal with issues with other women?  They attack them.  It’s got nothing to do with how they are portrayed.  It has EVERYTHING to do with, they don’t come up to the image portrayed (so lower the standard, of course).

      Reply

    • Trude says:

      12:33pm | 09/02/13

      I am more offended by being told I should be offended at a man being shown as attractive. I have never met a man who did not wish to be desired. There are many truly offensive things out there, but this is not one.

      Reply

    • Spanner says:

      12:36pm | 09/02/13

      While l read this blog my wife (60) is drooling over some wolf boy with his shirt off on DVD and fanning herself with the TV guide.  I am outraged but she doesn’t care what l think. I feel diminished.

      Reply

    • Mouse says:

      02:48pm | 09/02/13

      oh no Spanner, don’t ever feel diminished. I will let you in on a little secret, it’s a secret we never tell our menfolk, but I will share it with you just this once. When us women drool over some wolfboy with his shirt off, with great buns and outstanding pecs, we are putting our partners faces on them!  Honestly…would I lie to you?  lol ;o)

    • OchreBunyip says:

      01:02pm | 09/02/13

      Susie, sexism against men doesn’t count, you should have realised that in Feminism 101; men are capable, resource people with agency, they can make decisions and think for themselves and are adult enough to take whatever consequences come their way. Women are infantile and need to be protected, even against themselves.

      I am only surprised that you are surprised.

      Reply

    • Old bear says:

      02:27pm | 09/02/13

      And yet it’s today’s world that’s so much nastier.

      Reply

    • Tim says:

      02:57pm | 09/02/13

      “According to some breathless analysts, the women in the ad are even described as “clever” for managing to roll the can of drink down the hill to reach the rippling hunk.”

      This shows a degree of planning and mechanical awareness that most women seem to lack. There is a reason they stuck to the gathering wink

      Reply

    • Jason says:

      04:30pm | 09/02/13

      So why are the ads that show women doing these things banned? Are women that pathetic that they need to complain about this sort of stuff? Really? If you chose to fight a cause, don’t be selective about who you fight on behalf of otherwise you look just as bad.

      Reply

    • Vanu says:

      04:56pm | 09/02/13

      Oh…get off your left-wing soap box and live a little!

      Reply
 
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