It’s time for Stuff Straight People Like to get serious for a moment. This week, Manwich released an ad featuring a shirtless hairy guy talking about musicals. Spoiler alert! It ends with him getting smacked in the face for enjoying something that’s considered “unmanly”.
The gay media caused a big hullabaloo about how the clip “perpetuates homophobia”. Shortly after, it was removed from the brand’s official page. Before we move on, we should clarify that we don’t like this ad. It reinforces certain gender stereotypes and all those other things we’d complain about on top of our soapboxes. Basically, it’s problematic.
But can we address something? Is it really homophobic? To suggest so implies that liking musicals is an exclusively “gay” thing. There are plenty of heterosexual men who understand the entertainment value of musical theater. Don’t roll your eyes at me! It’s the fucking truth.
A real man, no matter his sexual preference, isn’t afraid to admit that Barbra Streisand just blew his mind in Yentl. Or that Jennifer Hudson sent shivers down his spine when she performed “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” in Dreamgirls. Or that the lead’s voice was like a hug… ::sandwich gets smacked into blogger’s face::
Jokes aside, I’ve been around a number of entirely heterosexual men who openly admit their love for musicals. Hell, I had to talk my own father down from renting Burlesque on-demand. He still keeps cassette tapes of Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in his pickup truck. True story. Straight people like musicals too.
– Dewitt
To watch this video, follow the JUMP:
kind of hilarious.
totally agree with Blah…plus the guy is cute and huggable!
Really? Honestly gays, take a joke. I love how we’re allowed to make fun of everything and then we’ll call homophobia on anything that lampoons anything remotely connected to “gay culture”. Oh, unless of course we make the joke about ourselves.
Why start with this commercial? There are so many other homophobic commercials. What’s funny is that most of those beer commercials also do special ads for homos. I like them, and sometimes, I hate them because I’m like, “I have square cuts like those.” LOL.
I thought it was funny. Definitely not as offensive as it could have been.
The reason why it’s ok for us to make fun of them is because we’re the minority. We don’t have the upper hand. I’m also black so I might be a bit touchy on the subject. Black people can make fun of white people because at the end of the day we’re more likely to be arrested, followed in a store or denied something based on the color of my skin. When a white person makes fun of a black person they’re still more likely to be paid better and all of the other positives afforded to them by having white skin. If you’re a white gay male who’s not noticeably gay I wouldn’t necessarily expect you to understand this.
Also this archaic message of what a real man is just furthers stereotypes and hurts us a community. How many guys are in the closet because they’re ‘straight acting’ and no one knows so they have girlfriends, wives, and children for fear of coming out and having everyone they know make fun of them for being ‘girls’ it’s 2011 for god’s sake.
It’s totally ok if you have straight friends call you faggot if that’s your relationship with them because they know you and don’t mean any harm. Would you let a random person on the street do it? No, because they’re intending to harm you.
It was definitely funny and when are we going to stop having “sensitivity” issues over stuff like this??
I thought it was funny, the language reminds me of Frasier Crane, was that show offensive? It’s kinda an exaggeration for the sake of selling a sandwich. I don’t see the offense.
Hair, A Chorus Line, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Hello Dolly, Burlesque, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Dreamgirls (Broadway thank you!), Fame, Funny Girl, Little Shop of Horrors, They’re Playing Our Song are all in Itunes so I can play them in my car! And those are only the soundtracks I have so far. Love musicals. But not because I’m gay but because I love the music.
And as for Homegrown I am also black, married (ending it) with kids but, No black people can’t make fun of white people with impunity just because they are black and in the minority. That is rediculous. By your logic a white person can go to an African country and start making fun of all the big-lipped fast running negros simply because he is now in the minority.
A) this commercial is harmless. It isn’t intending harm, it o’s not homophobic.
B) your logic is chopped. Predicating the appropriateness of one group poking fun at another based on whether they are in the majority or minority is problematic. Your statement says that the minority has no power and is the victim, therefore, nothing the small group says can hurt the majority group, so their poking fun is harmless and therefore entertaining.
Satire it’s self would find that stance insulting.
The truth is all groups benefit from having their values and faults lampooned. It’s better to be brought together through laughter, everyone grows then.
Anyway. The add is funny…and I’ll bet their were a few homos involved in it’s inception.
This is OBVIOUSLY playing to a stereotype and meant to be funny because of that…and it is. I’m as gay as they come and this isn’t at all offensive to me. If there was a gay guy in the commercial and he were being ridiculed for being gay, it would be different. We’ve got to keep a sense of humor about life…and our fabulousness. I’d much rather say that I love a good musical rather than saying that I’m a fan of monster truck rallies.