A couple of days ago there Microsoft was receiving the bad end of it on Twitter. Yes, if you want some tadka in your life then say hello to the desi twitterdom. The subject of major queer bashing: Windows Internet Explorer 8 television commercial. The ad was a spoof on (ex) producer and host Raghu Ram (Shakaal’s long lost berader) and his brainchild “MTV Roadies”, titled–to-rhyme “Goadies”.
The storyboard goes like this; a young guy auditions for the reality show, he’s jumping, he’s squatting, he’s working his pelvic muscles, and he’s doing the dhak dhak move but apna judge is the least impressed. So in order to get selected, our boy via Internet Explorer 8’s quick search capability digs in the judge’s profile, taps in on his personal taste and makes his next move accordingly. Next minute he is shown flirting with the judge, stripping his shirt, flashing his tattoo, behaving effeminate and voila, he has aced the audition with rainbow colours.
The said commercial was released in early 2009 and the reaction has taken place in mid-2010. So from the Marketing team’s point-of-view, total paisa vasool.
Now the bitter reaction from certain section of the desi gay community is completely justifiable. The commercial is insulting by all means. After all, it does portray homosexual men as sluts… as men who have not a penny’s worth of integrity and would stoop to any level at the slightest hint of sexual intimacy.
But tell me this; if the male contender was replaced with a female, would the commercial be any less offensive? I don’t think so. Probably the ad agency thought it’s in their best interest to avoid taking panga with the Bharitiya Nari mandal and gays ka kya hai, Bollywood regularly makes them butt of their slapstick humour, anyhow.
Also, are advertising agencies the only ones to be blamed for such thinking? From their perspective they are only capitalizing on the latest trend; MTV Roadies has been in the news for couch casting, reality shows like Splits Villa does encourage young minds into believing that the quickest way to the top is by showing skin and sleeping around.
Classic example of the hen or the egg scenario, won’t you agree?
Now the bitter reaction from certain section of the desi gay community is completely justifiable.
No it’s not. Desi communities, gay or not, are always looking for reasons to be outraged. Emotional Atyachaar invades privacy.. Be Outraged! They killed Mihir on Kyunki.. Be Outraged! Joel Stein made of us dotheads.. Be Outraged! Karan Johar uses stereotypes.. Be Outraged! Microsoft makes gay men look bad.. Be Outraged!
Has you been watching TV lately? Pick an ad.. Any random ad.. It always relies on generalisations and stereotypes. Look at the Cycle Agarbati Ad.. “Naariyal mein paani kaun bharta? Bhagwan Hai!”. Atheists should be outraged about an ad that asserts god exists. Look at every “Age-fighting” cream.. “He’ll notice you if you lose the wrinkles”.. The 40 year old women should be up in arms about the bitter disappointment the creams have been. Have you watched the Stayfree ads? “Have a happy period” Who the fuck has a happy period?
This is what advertisements do to sell their wares. Like you said, if the contestant had been a woman, who would even remember the ad? The judge would still be a sleaze-bag, just a straight one. Why is it okay for straight men to be douches and not gay men?
We need to pick our battles. This one isn’t worth fighting.
Yeah.. even I think this one’s not worth fighting for. As you said MJ, if it was a girl who tried these tactics, it would most likely not evoke the same reaction.
Perhaps one can argue in favour of this ad, that just like Dostana, which did not present gays and the community in the right perspective,but gave visibility and put it out there for discussion,this ad actually shows a gay judge, albeit a sleaze-bag (as Cathartist puts it).
Okay, there’s still the issue that it propagates the ‘notion’ that gays are promiscous, but I see it more of a casting couch issue – and thanks to Page 3 and Fashion, we know that the casting couch does not seem to discriminate between straight or gay people any longer.
Well, totally agreed with views presented here. But aren’t we forgetting one point which concerns the fact that homophobics outnumber us by a huge margin. Films like Dostana, ads like this one, gives a further push in widening that margin, considering the fact that there is hardly any positive portrayal which might be termed as a balancing act.
We need to reduce that gap, and television is a powerful medium which reaches almost each and every household across all sections of the society. Internet, movies, etc might not be accessible to our humble fellow queers who are yet to come out in open, afraid of not just being lashed out but also accused of bringing ‘shame’ to the family, We need to change that mindset, its nothing to be ashamed of.
Agreed, we have got a face, our presence is being noticed, but dont you think its overtly one sided where we are mainly restricted to humerous zones or a shady negative role?
Remind you all films like My Brother Nikhil fails to pull masses to the movie halls, but Dostana does. It is still the trend. Visibility alone is not enough and the right message without visibility is of no good.
We need both to work in tandem to encourage general acceptance.
DK,
Totally agree with you on your point of view too.. Portrayal of the LGBT community as a ‘normal’ community is not so commmon in our media and that balance needs to be brought about. We should not pat our backs with visibility alone.
Honestly, I think we need to stop making a big deal of everything. Somehow as Indians, we always find something to offend us. So no matter what happens, in a huge (and varied) country like ours, someone’s always getting offended. You’re offending mahila samajs, lgbt groups, right wing fundamentalists, muslim group- you name it. Someone’s always up in arms.
There’s a ad making fun/ generalisations when it comes to south indians all the time. Right from vaango-pongo-bingo. Should the people of four states cry foul? Should Sardars wage war?
We have so far to go when it comes to freedom of speech and expression. So very far. I didn’t think it was in particularly bad taste. A judge always has favourites. Its human nature. I’d be more inclined to pick a hot man or woman over a not-so-attractive person, especially when it came to something as trivial as a reality show. Gay people and women are soft targets. I’m pretty sure had the judge been a woman, no one would’ve given it a second look.
So goes the title as Argumentative Indian by Amratya Sen…Moreover its democracy here, getting offended and expression of the same is a healthy sign of it.
“Gay people and women are soft targets” – So, shall we simply accept it and let it continue?
And no one is denying the creativity of this ad as far as humor is concerned, but where is the other domain were gayism has shared the same platform as straight couples as far as media is concerned. for example, how about a condom ad?
I find this ad neither funny nor pro gay. its sad that they released this ad in india feeling confident that it would provoke no fury or outrage. had it been in US; they would ‘ve been sued by god knows how many pro gay communities. what surprises me though is that they claim to be v gay friendly.
@The Cathartist reaction is completely justifiable. weren’t u the one who made us think how we most of us are conditioned to prefer fair over dark ??
such ads only strengthen the crappy perceptions and stereotypes! and its time we (corporates , individuals , groups ) become responsible towards the society before making such sick commercials and / or endorsing them. gays are not whores yar.
@Others its time we stop justifying the wrong. tolerance should not mean acceptance. right ?
Had this ad been about a man wooing a female judge or a female wooing a male judge, would anyone been raising shackles about it? Can you make a similar analogy with the fair/dark advert? This ad is about the casting couch and about seducing your way into getting what you want.. That’s how they sell everything these days right? Soaps, creams, deodorants? The Axe deo is the biggest example of this.. Use Axe, seduce women. Does that mean women are easy? No. Does that mean women are sluts? No. Does that imply in any way that all you need is to smell good to get women? Maybe.. Would you morcha against Axe for it?
That’s what I meant when I said, pick your battles.