Monday, June 4, 2012

Pols pissed off by iced tea ads

From the Queens Chronicle:

Ads promoting Arizona Iced Tea have raised questions in the Queens community over whether they are offensive to women because of their dual meaning.

The signs proclaim “I love big cans,” with a picture of the tall drink. But “cans” is also slang for breasts, or, in its singular form can refer to a person’s behind. The ads can be found in downtown Jamaica and other parts of the borough.

The company claims it never intended to convey a sexual message, but others say it is offensive especially to minority women who are often stereotyped for having above average endowments.

“It is disrespectful to black women, and all women in general,” said City Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), adding that Arizona tends to advertise more heavily in minority communities.

Jackie Harrigan, a spokeswoman for Arizona, said the nationwide campaign, which has been running for about one year, is “not skewed toward any one group.”

“The ‘I love big cans’ slogan is based on the popularity of our 23-ounce pre-priced cans, which are the bread and butter of our business,” Harrigan said.

She added that the company was not aware that the slogan could be perceived to have an alternate meaning and that it was not Arizona’s intention in developing the campaign.

Ann Jawin, president of the Center for the Women of New York in Kew Gardens, wasn’t buying that.

“I’m sure they are not innocent,” she said. “I’m sure they knew about the double entendre when they created the ad. It’s the same long, old story of objectifying women to sell products.”

Harrigan said no one has complained to the company about the ads being sexist or offensive.

City Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras (D-East Elmhurst), chairwoman of the Council’s Committee on Women’s Issues, was also troubled by the way Arizona is selling its tea.

“I find these ads concerning because they continue the trend throughout the media to objectify women for the purposes of selling products,” Ferreras said in an email statement. “I encourage companies to find more creative and respectful ways of selling their products, if they expect to keep women as consumers.”


1) It seems no one has a sense of humor anymore.
2) Dopey ultra-liberal pols are offended by this, but none of them have a peep to say about the whore ads in the Trib.
3) Ann Jawin has her panties in a bunch about silly iced tea ads, but not Grace Meng hiring a guy whose living is made off the previously mentioned whore ads.

Scotty, please beam me up!

15 comments:

jennifer anderson said...

i heard they were making large sweetened drinks illegal in nyc. how crazy is that?

Anonymous said...

Back in the day,
the offensive term for breasts
was "jugs".

But, alas,
we're far into the age of unbreakable light weight aluminum.

There's something
mighty chilly about "cans", though.

They're better
for keeping beer cold,
but for luv makin'...B-R-R-R-R...
the very idea puts frost
on my weenie.

If the "minorities" are smart,
they'd simply boycott the product.

But Arizona
sells big with ghetto folks.

Hey, Ann Jawin...
here's a crusade for your group
to take up.

Anonymous said...

Ann Jawin makes her living from public handouts.

Anonymous said...

Reminds me of the very short-lived campaign, "You bet your sweet Aspergum!"

Anonymous said...

There was a print ad for a beer or malt liquor with a picture of two rhinoceroses screwing, and the caption said "research says sex sells beer"
It was hysterical, at least to the grownups.
http://articles.nydailynews.com/1999-02-20/news/18096904_1_beer-ads-harlem-community-posters

Deke DaSilva said...

Now that I think about it, I should probably be offended by advertisements for Nabisco Saltine Crackers and Wonder White Bread.

But unlike Comrie, Jawin, and Ferreras, I have better things to do with my time and I have a life!

georgetheatheist said...

Crapper, you mention Grace Meng (a Stuyvesant High School graduate) hiring a guy [Michael Nussbaum, the Associate Publisher of the Queens Tribune] who makes a living off of publishing whore ads.

Well what about Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Comrie? He a NYC Councilman (prominently quoted in your post: "It is disrespectful to...all women in general") and she, Mrs. Marcia Moxam Comrie, employed by York College of the City University of New York.

Councilman Comrie's wife is also a "Contributing Editor" to the Press of Southeast Queens, the sister publication of the Queens Tribune. The Press of Southeast Queens was created to "mine" the advertising dollars in the borough's southern regions. However, you don't find Schenkler and Nussbaum's whore ads in that publication because they know they would get their heads handed to them by the outrage of the area's black churches for promoting prostitution.

What I don't understand is why Leroy Comrie's wife, Marcia Moxam Comrie, who writes a column every week ("A Personal Perspective") never, EVER, takes on the promotion of prostitution by her overseers, Schenkler and Nussbaum. Marcia Moxam Comrie is an educated woman and yet her silence on this matter is deafening.

Readers, please check out her prominent publishing on the masthead and column here.

Ms Comrie. What's in it for you and your husband? Money, fame? Are you being black-mailed by Schenkler and Nussbaum?

How come you, a wife of a NYC political figure and mother of children, don't speak up about this?

Anonymous said...

"Yo...Leroy's our bro...
and will look out for all us brothers and sisters in the hood.

Yeah...right,
and we're selling shares of the Queensboro Bridge.

He's just another self serving jive turkey...screwing his own kind...looking out for only him and his.

Anonymous said...

"Bitches or hos":

It seems to me that its a lot of African-American men who exhibit a bad attitude toward women.

Anonymous said...

No wonder Comrie's wearing sunglasses in the photo - to hide her identity.

She doesn't speak up about the Tribune's whore ads because they promote prostitution among the Chinese, "up there in Flushing" She doesn't give a rat's ass about women of Asiatic descent being exploited.

Anonymous said...

It's well known that
Asians are extremely prejudiced against African Americans.

So if I were "Black" I wouldn't lose much sleep over Asian problems.

Aren't the Chinese pushing out
people of darker colors from the Bland Houses?

Anonymous said...

Maybe she was hung over,
and had to shade her eyes.

Anonymous said...

Nobody in politics or indebted to politicians will mess with the Queens Tribune or their whore promotion business.

Ackerman's Q Trib is vital
to smooth operation of the incestuous Democratic Queens machine.

Everybody's in it together
and up each others' butts.

Anonymous said...

Assembly member Grace Meng is Chinese
and she's using Multi Media's services to run her Congressional campaign.

So, she doesn't care
a rat's ass worth about her own race's
prostitution bondage either.

Anonymous said...

Oh please lighten up and grow up!