Based on past history, you know TV commercials during the Super Bowl are going to include sexual innuendos – some subtle and other blatant. The conversation often never had is, “What could have been?” How could the same concepts have been done to better reflect respect toward intimacy and sex? Welcome to the 1st Annual “Fumbles vs Touchdowns with Sex at the Super Bowl”
FUMBLES:
1. Audi’s Prom Commercial. We look forward to the day when the male walks up to the person; looks the person straight in the eye; confidently asks “May I Kiss You?”; and then has the person respond with a passionate, “YES!”
Instead Audi decided to make confidence be shown by a male doing what HE WANTED to a female he appeared to want – whether she wanted it or not. Wouldn’t the commercial have been completely different if the ending was:
He still has the black eye, except the punch was thrown by the woman. The son is in the Audi being driven home by his Dad (clearly looks like he is in trouble). The ending of the commercial said, “Some Simply Are NOT for Ready the Best. Live with RESPECT…AUDI.”
2. GoDaddy “When Sexy Meets Smart.” This play included 2 fumbles at once.
1st Fumble:
The kiss. The reason this commercial disgusted sooo many people wasn’t because of the combination of the two characters. The real reason was because the kiss itself didn’t look passionate at all. Regardless of the characters involved, it seemed more focused on the sounds and the saliva.
Imagine, if the 2 characters had simply looked at each other in the eyes and then one passionately said to the other, “May I Kiss You?” to which the partner responded, “YES!” The ending could have been the screen saying “When Sexy Meets Smart.” You would never have had to even seen the kiss.
2nd Fumble:
The ENTIRE concept of sexy is a model and smart is what TV shows as a “dork.” Wouldn’t the ultimate example of “When Sexy Meets Smart” had been showing a sexy person and then showing the person’s intelligence (Mensa member, etc…). Then the ending is, “Sexy and Smart do go together.”
TOUCHDOWNS:
Did you see any commercials you felt addressed intimacy and/or sexual imagery with respect?
The MVP: 2013 was another year of no commercial being worthy of receiving the MVP. This award is for the commercial which best exemplifies respect and consent in its sexual imagery and messaging.