Bud Light Super Bowl ad: insult to book clubs? Or to guys?
A Bud Light commercial during the Super Bowl has kicked up some controversy. In case you missed it, the ad features a couple of male softball players (Marmots, the shirt says) who notice that Bud Light is being served at an all-women book club. They scrap the softball and make themselves at home. GalleyCat said the ad was "mocking book clubs, male readers, female readers, and book reading in general." Commenters called the ad "totally obnoxious," "dumb," "insulting to intelligent women and men."
As an avid reader and long-time softball player, I say this is much ado about nothing. It's a beer commercial, folks, not a political manifesto about the inherent characteristics of all men or all women or all book clubs. And I laughed at the kicker: Woman says, "Do you like 'Little Women'? " And scruffy guy answers, "Yeah, I'm not too picky, you know."
Comments
I've heard all the complaints but personally? I thought it was hilarious. It's the one commercial that I've talked about since the Superbowl. My husband and I both laughed out loud while it was on. And like you said, it's a BEER commercial ... do we really expect anything else from a beer commercial? (although nothing will ever beat the Budweiser frogs from all those years ago!)
Posted by: Heather J. | February 9, 2010 5:44 PM
I'm with you and Heather - I think people are making much ado about nothing.
Posted by: Kathy R (Bermudaonion) | February 9, 2010 6:30 PM
I'm with Heather. I thought the commercial was funny and I took it for what it was -- A beer commercial. Not exactly high-brow.
My mother-in-law and I actually looked at one another and joked that we should serve some beer at our book club meetings to liven things up a bit.
Posted by: Michelle @ Literarily Speaking | February 9, 2010 6:55 PM
yeh but
reel book club men wld like a Chateau Lafite Rothschild Bordeaux- say '97 or anything from the village of Pauillac (sp?)
the ad is funny- especially in the punch line- but-
it doesn't seem true to reality- but that makes it even funnier
Posted by: david eberhardt | February 10, 2010 2:10 PM