What We’re Up Against

Have you seen this one?  It ranks up there with the Carl’s Jr commercials, if you ask me.

This Bud Light commercial paints a picture of the “cultural man”… and the rest of us have to fight this stereotype in order to function as gentleman in society.  Don’t get me wrong… I enjoy playing sports, spending time with my buddies, letting my wife have some time with her girlfriends and so on… but how insulting to be depicted by these guys.  What am I talking about?  Well, take a look, then continue reading on so I can explain what I mean.

• First, a TrueMan doesn’t leave his wife (or girlfriend) by being a wink-and-shooter-guy.  He properly respects her, tells her he loves her and gives an affectionate sign of that love, being sure not to embarrass her in front of her guests.  He doesn’t perform offensive PDA, but shows that he’s secure enough to kiss his woman in a public setting.
• Secondly, why can’t this neanderthal match his clothing?  Are men so inept that they can’t figure out what shorts go with what shirt?  Granted, he’s going out to play a game, but I think Bud Light purposely showed that this guy is fashion-illiterate.  They wanted to paint the whole picture.
• Next we dive right into the heart of the commercial… the beer.  “Ugh, me like beer.”
• Then, as if men aren’t smart enough to hold an intellectual conversation without talking about sex, sexual connotations and sexual innuendo.  Another classic case of “cultural manliness” – which states – “If you want to be a “real man”, you have to like lesbians and want to see them thrusting on each other, even when there’s no lesbians around and thrusting is used not as a verb but as an adjective in the sentence where thrusting was used.”  How ridiculous.
• And, a TrueMan never hits on other women! Regardless of whether his wife/gf is sitting right next to him!
• Obviously, you must have beer to have a good time! (Sarcasm.)  “It’s a sure sign of a good time.”  (Don’t get me wrong, I like an ice cold beer, but what a stupid sentence!)
• Then, to cap it all off… as the young lady wastes her time talking to this unkempt, itchy, poorly groomed sap, he demonstrates the typical “cultural man’s” outlook on life… “If it moves, I’ll do it.”  Again, not smart enough to understand what she’s saying.

The thing that frustrates me about these sorts of depictions of men is that people begin to believe that they’re true.  Now, some men are quite neanderthal.  Some men aren’t capable of having an intellectual conversation.  Some men don’t know how to treat women.  Why glorify that?  Why do women settle for these men?  Instead, why don’t we (all of us) hold men to a higher standard of behavior?

Man up!

Another Star-of-a-Commercial

Carl’s Jr is at it again, continuing to make smutty commercials. Most of the time when I see a Carl’s Jr commercial, I simply turn the channel. I can see them coming from a mile away, so can you. The latest is terrible. The commercial shows a young male sitting in an auto body shop, watching a crew of workers buff out spray paint on his classic ’60’s Chevelle. The narrator says, “Having three girlfriends is great, until one of them finds out about the other two.” This line is wrong on a number of levels, but highlights the acceptable behavior of a “cultural man”. “Cultural Manliness” is telling even the youngest viewer that “when one of your multiple girlfriends finds out about your other girlfriends, you can just sit around and sneer about it. Just shell out a few extra bucks for a few burgers and laugh as your defiled muscle car gets a rub down to remove the paint from your unstable ex-girlfriend. It’s only a little extra cash.”

The “star” of the commercial sits eating his burger and fries as if nothing happened. He obviously is unscathed from the breakup and could care less about how anyone else feels about what he did.

It’s not okay to date multiple people. That’s not dating, that’s being a swinger. And if a guy’s “just hanging out” with a few women here and there, the women don’t become ravenous and spray paint his car with the words “CHEATER”. Only a (slightly unstable?) woman who thinks her man is committed to her does that. A TrueMan states his intentions clearly to one woman and remains committed and faithful to her. As men, we must demand that other men know what it means to be a man, and then challenge all men around us to act and respond in a manly way.

Man up!

Tebow in Pro-Life Ad [Pro-Life, Nothing Else Makes Sense]

I saw a Facebook status that mentioned something about Tim Tebow and the Super Bowl ad that he and his mother are going to be featured in on Sunday, February 7th.  The commercial has been funded by Focus on the Family and has an openly pro-life sentiment.  Pam Tebow, when faced with a sickness/disease during pregnancy with Tim (her 5th child), was informed by her doctors to abort the pregnancy for fear of her death, or complications with the baby.  Pam said no, and proceeded with the pregnancy, giving birth to a boy who would grow up and become one of the most recognizable faces in college sports history.

Tebow won the Heisman trophy and a National Championship, and quite arguably, the accomplishments he has made off the field far outweigh his accomplishments on the field.  However, regardless of what he’s done in life, he had the right to life while in the womb!  Pro-Life makes sense, pro-abortion doesn’t.  It simply doesn’t make sense.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find the ad itself, but I have a news conference with Tebow’s response and also one man’s (Larry Murphy, I guess) take on the situation.  (I disagree with the name-calling, but thought some of his quips were justified.)

Please stop calling abortion Pro-Choice.  No one should have the choice to murder.  Call it what it is, Pro-Abortion (Pro-Death).

Man up!

Scandalous Commercial – Bad Manning

Have you seen the new Peyton Manning, DirecTV – NFL  Sunday Ticket Commercial?  I saw it today.  Blah.  The commercial has Manning not “manning up” but instead, giving into the all-mighty-endorsement-deal-dollar – and NOT being anything even remotely close to a TrueMan.  I used to have so much more respect for him.  The commercial is supposed to be about watching football, and seeing every game on NFL Sunday Ticket, in HD.  Yet, there isn’t a single scene of a football player, play, ball or locker room.  The entire commercial is scenes of scantily clad cheerleaders strutting around, doing high kicks and bouncing up and down.

Manning has the opportunity to endorse lots of products, and some of his endorsements have been great.  (Most of his commercial spots are hilarious.)  What I don’t understand is why Manning, and society in general, thinks that it’s okay to objectify women by showing them in this manner?  I fault the cheerleaders for objectifying themselves, but they’re only doing what appears to be glamorous by society’s standards.  I want to call to action the men involved; if men step up, women will gladly follow suit.  That means Peyton, the men at DirecTV, men watching that network and men reading this post.

Come on Peyton.  Did you have to stoop to this level?  Why didn’t you say, “There’s no football in this commercial.”?  Why didn’t you say, “Nope, I won’t make sexual innuendos, they’re unnecessary.  People will lose respect for me.”  You didn’t.  Next time, man up.

How does this affect the rest of us?  How do we make a change?  By starting in the home, then branching out to schools, work and in the public arena, men who hold women to a higher level of respect must first stand up to this sort of societal objectification of women.  Be strong, stand firm.  Your example will challenge others and will change hearts.  Once a man has truly cherished a woman, in a manner most fitting within God’s plan, he’ll realize the importance of his actions.  Men, we can make the difference.  Change starts with you.  Do it today.

Man up!

Latest BK Commercial

I can’t believe this commercial.  Burger King is trying to sell food because it contains a Sponge Bob Square Pants image… they’ve taken distasteful to a whole new level.  Or should I say dis-tasteless? – (I’m not a fan of BK’s food regardless of this commercial.)  Watch it and see what you think.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gMZ62PsvRM]

The thing that gets me is this… with all the “booty” and sexual references throughout the video, the commercial is supposed to be selling KID’S MEALS!  Can you believe this mess?

Yuck.

Man up!