I was watching an episode of Strangers with Candy tonight, and I was taken aback by the ad I saw. I decided to write Hulu (fat chance I'll receive a response, but I just had to). I think that I'm either going to put the technological skills to which I allude in the email to use (women don't know how to use computers indeed!) or go back to less *ahem* profitable-to-the-company ways to watch my TV.
To Whom It May Concern,
This is a response to the advertisers your site chooses to allow to play their ads during streams of television shows.
I have been a fan of Hulu ever since I discovered it. It was a legal way to enjoy many of the shows which I could not catch on live television, everything from back episodes of Strangers with Candy to the newest Dollhouse or Family Guy episodes. I understand that the advertisements on the site are essential to its success, and am not inherently offended by the presence of them. Indeed, although I easily possess the technological prowess to circumvent the ads ever playing, I allow them to play with the awareness that it generates revenue.
Lately, however, I have noticed that most of the ads played during the shows I enjoy are of a very misogynistic tone. The last three ads that I remember seeing are ones for Latisse, some sort of anti-wrinkle product, and most recently an insultingly, one for Uncharted 2 (transcript courtesy of this site):
“Dear PlayStation, I’ve been playing Uncharted 2 for days, but my girlfriend won’t stop watching because she thinks it’s a movie.” The ad cuts to an office with a white guy in a suit, leaning back in a chair, another big television on the wall, showing graphics from the game. As the man talks, we are shown clips of in-game footage. “This is pretty common, Jason, I mean, just look at this game, you know, you got napalm strikes, epic gunfights, impossible escape scenes and a plotline filled with betrayal, give her an hour or so, she’ll know it’s a videogame. ”The ad cuts back to the living room, where Jason, looking haggard, says: “It’s been two days.”
As a female viewer of the programming you offer, it has been quite disturbing to me that your site completely disregards the opinions and intelligence of its users by allowing such ads to play. As Hulu is quite popular and works with conjunction with major news networks and is considered successful, I am sure your company can find less offensive and distracting advertisements. The distasteful ads are a relatively recent development and I am sure that alternatives exist, just as they did before.
Thank you very much for paying attention to the needs of all your users and not just a perceived target demographic.
Regards,
Heina
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This isn't the perfect answer, but just something else that you can do too...
With Hulu, and this may just be because I have an account with them to store my playlists, there is a chance to rate ads when they show with a thumbs up or thumbs down.
I try to rate mine regularly, and lately I've not been getting any ads for Axe body spray and Latisse or other offending products/campaigns (including the one you describe above) and most are for Gardisil, Girls Inc, and non-profits. And I'm watching things like the Daily Show and old sitcoms, nothing that would make Hulu think off the bat "Oh Noes! an unfunnyfeministwhowon'tlikemyjokes. let's spare her the offending commercials."
However, it is upsetting that they carry ads like the ones you describe above in the first place. I applaud your letter writing enthusiasm.
You may want to edit your letter before sending it off. Latisse is for growing longer thicker, fuller eyelashes. Some people have conditions which prevent their eyelashes from growing or which makes their lashes fall out. May sound like a sexist issue to you but try that with someone who has little to NO eyelashes and actually WANT longer ones. I see nothing misogynistic about that commercial.
The Unchartered 2 commercial on the other hand is a totally different story.
I think the Gardisil commercials are sexist. A vaccine for a sexually transmitted disease that MEN can get too but the people who *need* to be vaccinated are all women trying to be "one less?" As if women can't possibly fathom having protected sex, abstaining, being monogamous or we're all destined to be raped. To be sure we all *must* get vaccinated. Sounds sexist to me. Couple that with the sexualizing of little girls who just MUST have the vaccines because goodness knows they can't keep their legs closed and when they DO open them they absolutely will have no use for birth control or condoms. Only way to save the vaginas are to force or push them all into vaccination against a completely preventable disease.
I respectfully disagree. I would rather not be bombarded incessantly with ads about "inadequate" lashes, especially since the ad in question doesn't seem to have anything to do with medicine and everything to do with playing into female stereotypes and insecurities and resembles a Maybelline commercial, not one for a medical treatment. Those with that condition can research and find out about Latisse from their doctors (as it is, you say, a medical condition) without that particular ad that Hulu likes to play endlessly.
Additionally, the company that makes Latisse is under fire from the FDA because, surprise surprise, they've downplayed the risks: http://womenshealth.suite101.com/article.cfm/latisse_potentially_unsafe
I'm a little torn on the Latisse one. While I understand the issue with playing into insecurities, the ad itself is presented in a way that is more in line with a medicine commercial than a normal beauty product, which affects the mental associations it creates. (I'm probably over thinking this...)
"Some people have conditions which prevent their eyelashes from growing or which makes their lashes fall out. "
Then why is Latisse not marketed towards men with the condition as well?
I'm not saying it's a bad product with no place in the world, but marketing it to women who actually have "adequate" eyelashes is terribly sexist. It's basically a mascara commercial.
Woah there,
Back off on the Gardasil. It sounds like you're not all that informed on HPV. HPV is pretty much impossible to test for and can be transmitted despite condoms. It's also responsible for cervical cancer, which kills a lot of women. So, it's a sexually transmitted disease that can kill you, and it can't be prevented with condoms, but you're offended by a vaccine for it? They're getting it approved for men as well, and I would like to get it when they do. They just prioritized women since their chance to die of cervical cancer seemed more pressing than the genital warts that it also protects against.
Yes, HPV is completely preventable if you live a life of abstinence. Otherwise, you can catch it despite using a condom with a partner who has never had condom-free sex and has been recently tested for STDs.
Or how about the advertisements for breast-milk substitutes, which is expressly forbidden by the WHO Code for Breast-milk Substitutes? I know that the US hasn't necessarily committed WHO standards to law, but I'm sure Hulu could find other companies who'd pay to be advertised.
The Playstation ads are dreadful. I saw another one, in a similar vein, on television the other night.
It featured a woman complaining (to the same guy, I believe) that her boyfriend had not hooked up the internet to the playstation. Because apparently, women are not capable hooking up the internets and men should be expected to do those things.
Sigh.
And when I did a quick google search, I found that playstation thinks these ads are so creative...
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/08/it-only-does-everything/
As a gamer this makes me feel angry, its like they're trying to butt the girls out of the games. We're smart enough to at least recognize a game when we see it, dumbasses.
WHY are you all so nice? Don't write a novel, this is business.
I regularly write something like this:
to xyz director of marketing !
My dollars will no longer contribute to your bottomline. I am taking my business elsewhere effective immediately based on the sexist xyz ad for abc product/service. Additionally, as a center of influence and ground zero for your target demographic I will make SURE to inform my wide circle of influence to do the same via social media, networking, and more.
Had enough!
I then list my name and phone number.
Most recently I received a personal apology from Ralph Lauren and their bs photo shopped advertising. I use English as a second language but they seem to get the point. This is the US it's ALL about money and the only language they understand.
Nina