While I hate debating about things, I just have a few things to respond to. A lot of people are saying how this commercial is insulting of women. I don't think so, I agree with a number of posts here that this commercial is targeting a type of individual who values Form over function...which the commercial is implying as the iPhone. If you look at it, it's personifying the iPhone into archetypes that people can identify in their lives. It's a comercial, it's trying to connect to it's audience.
Well, since you asked...
Yeah, I think the commercial's sexist and mean spirited. It made me not want to buy a motorola, felt like a turn off. Showing images of women and talking about "digitally clueless pageant queens" or whatever just reinforces a really unfortunate stereotype that most people tend to believe: That women, especially attractive women, tend to be stupid.
It feels like commercials like this are appealing to the dickheads in dudes, and not to women at all.
Trends of sexism in commercials seems to point at a larger truth that is going on in our culture right now too, which is economic collapse, which affect men hard. Just remember, we don't have to drown our economic sorrows in the denigration of women.
I'm seeing a lot of double-standards about women here. While I don't feel the commercial targets women in general, I feel like a lot people think we should "go-easier" about the message in the commercial because it'll offend women. Isn't this way of thinking sexist in itself? Your arguing about how "sexist" a commercial is with a sexist way of thinking. Either way, it's not making the situation any better.
Also I'm seeing a lot of stereotyping with comments people against the commercial are saying. There have been a number of women that have stated that they liked the commercial and were not offended by it. So if this commercial isn't suppose to appeal to women, then what is? A comercial were Verizon and AT&T are holding hands, or the droid and the iPhone skipping through a field of flowers and having a picnic discussing while sipping camomile tea? The commercial is at-least honest about it's opinion and it's not about to sugar coat it just because some people aren't going to like. Or you could take the european commercial and take a stand like that. But unfortunately that won't fly in the US, it wouldn't do a good job at selling the product. As verizon's flagship phone and marking their relationship with google, that in itself is a big deal. They'd be kinda foolish if they didn't press it in their commercials somehow.
Also I didn't see it as saying "attractive women are stupid" at-all If anything I thought it was kinda mocking beauty pageants. If you want to talk about denigration of women I think your in the wrong forum, you should be attacking a Pageant forum which is in support Beauty pageants (which is has been part of our culture for a looooong time). This stereotype only exist because IMO it's mostly true, *cough*miss california*cough*. I'm sure a lot of beauty pageant participants are intelligent but IMO many are over-emphasizing the Beauty part of it, and we get is a "beauty" that maybe on surface seems like she has her head on right, but let's face it... it's a contest people are going to say anything/appear a certain way to win. Beauty pageants are very superficial if you ask me. How are they suppose to benefit women as a whole?
But first and foremost this is a commercial. It's suppose to put a product out there to the masses. And from what I've seen it's freaking working. Whether it be bad publicity or good publicity, it's still publicity. I think people are over-thinking this waaay too much. Heck you've even got me to over-think this. This comercial was about the Droid vs. iPhone, I don't know how it became about men vs women. You don't like the commercial...fine, you don't agree with it's message...that's perfectly fine. I think it's healthy that we're all having a discussion about it, but when one person starts saying "you shouldn't say this or that" and start censoring things then we start having a problem, as it's our american right to say what our opinions are.
Lastly...It's a friggin' commercial. If you get offended by a commercial I think there are other issues to be addressed...If you don't like it then fine, move along and buy some other product. But "making it a big deal about it" like that women upset in the Original post's article is just adding fuel to the fire. If she truly wanted to "protect" women I think she should start somewhere more meaningful rather than one commercial about one product that sometimes gets aired on T.V. which only lasts a few seconds.
Lighten up people it's just a commericial :icon_ banana: