Crossposted at http://jennyknopinski.wordpress.com/2009/10/13/angry-letter-to-amc/.
Like Melissa of Shakesville, I Write Letters. Today's letter is about an old commercial that has popped up recently during episodes of Mad Men. Here is the commercial:
Here is my letter:
Dear AMC:
I love Mad Men, and I watch it religiously every Sunday night. One of the most fascinating aspects of the show is seeing the female characters struggle to find a voice and an identity within the confines of an oppressive, sexist culture. I love watching this journey because it reminds me of how far women have come in the last few decades. So you can imagine my disappointment when I am treated to the incredibly offensive "Mr. and Mrs. Potatohead" Bridgestone tire commercial during the break. This commercial depicts a woman being frightened by aggressive driving (which can be a form of domestic violence), and then makes a joke out of her mouth falling off so her complaining won't annoy the man anymore. It is a hurtful throwback to the era of Mad Men with its assertion that women should be seen but not heard. Bridgestone should be ashamed of themselves for capitalizing on the idea that women ought to be silenced to try to sell tires, and you should be ashamed of yourselves for airing it during a show like Mad Men. I hope you will consider how your female viewers (and enlightened male viewers) feel when this ad comes on and remove it from your network.
Thank you,
Jenny Knopinski
I encourage everyone to make your opinion heard if you don't like something you see on TV. If you are interested in contacting AMC, the email address is amccustomerservice@rainbow-media.com
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That fucking commercial is so idiotic.
That commercial really bothers me as well. I think it's worth nothing that while her husband didn't hit her, the silencing is pretty violent what with her mouth being knocked off and all.
Er, that would of course be "it's worth *noting*.." not, "nothing."
The comments on the video posted on YouTube are very telling:
"I wish I could do that to my wife/girlfriend" x200
"He should have smacked her"
"Yeah, that's how women are. Nag nag nag."
But thanks for articulating what I hate about that commercial. It drives me crazy (no pun intended) when it comes on.
I'm glad I'm not the only one bothered by this commercial.
For some reason the video and the links didn't work. (And that reason is I suck at HTML.) You can see the original here
THANK YOU!
I will never buy Bridgestone tires...Offending 51% of the population is not good business.
Oh man I'm so glad I'm not alone. I thought that commercial was so ridiculous and a shining example of why there should be more women in advertising.
Hi, Bridgestone, we buy tires, too, and we will not be buying yours, thanks.