Gay couples in TV commercials - immoral, or about time?

Question

It's 2006, but commercials on American TV have barely scratched the "interracial couple" barrier — so it might be the 22nd century before we see a representation of a gay couple in a commercial.

But supposing for a moment that some progressive-thinking company put out a marketing campaign that includes two guys or two women, apparently gay, promoting, e.g. pizza: "Is it delivery or is it DiGiorno's?" Or, say, a Bose stereo — two guys sipping coffee at breakfast, just enjoying the music, for example.

I'm talking about the idea of gay couples in TV commercials, but with nothing sexual going on. No touchy feelies. No innuendo. Nothing even gay-oriented. Just same-sex couples who apparently live together and have comfortable relationships, promoting a product, the same way heterosexual couples have been doing on TV for about 60 years.

Your opinions? Approve / disapprove? Would you protest? Boycott the product? Be supportive? Be indifferent?

Most commercials I've seen with same-sex actors make it a point to indicate that they're not meant to be seen as gay. TV ads seldom show two males by themselves who apparently live together. You might see three or four guys "at home" but not two. If you see guys together golfing or fishing, usually there will be a scene with one of the wives, or a reference to a wife or girlfriend. Commercials are generally careful to represent males as straight — at least the ones I've seen.

Answer 1

I'd be thrilled. Maybe if the general public started to see commercials like that, they would start to view homosexual people as normal everyday people, and not something to be afraid of. I would be more inclined to use a product that featured a homosexual couple in it's commercials.

Answer 2

I'm not really sure what immoral is. I see no problem with it if it is not overtly sexual to the extent that It might be inappropriate for children. I would draw the same line for an ad that featured straight actors. I doubt if I would actually even make the connection that they were supposed to be gay.

This would require a judgment on my part that I seldom make about people. If you would have a problem with it, it would be because you were looking for a reason to be offended. I see the sexual preferences of others as irrelevant to my life. I have far too many other things that I see as being more important to spend my time contemplating than what others do in the privacy of their own homes. I guess I would see it as long over due.

Love and blessings
don

Answer 3

Interesting and provocative idea. I think that in spot-markets it would work. You would probably sell the heck out of it in Progressive areas of the country, cities and places where education actually went beyond the Book of Revelation.

I would be supportive of it. Look how popular Queer Eye for the Straight Guy is right now, especially among women. Bet there is a market waiting for that.

How about a Brokeback Mountain fishing and camping gear?

I think when we finally do start seeing it, maybe some of the violence against gays will start going down. I certainly hope so. Matthew Shepherd murder was not that long ago nor was it an isolated incidence.

Answer 4

The only real gay commercials I've seen have been from Subaru on the gay channel: Logo. (Others have been local in hopes of promoting acceptance in my town. Subaru has three or four advertising their car in a very artsy way with animated homosexual couples entering and exiting said cars.)
I wouldn't mind seeing more as advertising as such allows the gay community to see that the company is accepting, open-minded, and up with the times.

HOWEVER, I know perfectly why they don't; associations like Focus on the Family scream boycott the moment they get a whiff of homosexual-support from any company and with America being as conservative as it can be from the older generations (see: the ones that pay the bills and buy the pizza), they'd rather make a profit than get screamed at by the "family" associations.

Answer 5

first let me say that that's a good question that probes the mindset of this world on the gay issue. me, don't care one way or the other. let's be honest, commecials are shite anyway. they work most of the time by assuming that the american public will buy their products because the commerical shows other people using the product. you know, the"people are sheep" belief. peosnally I want to see more interracial and gay couples on tv anyway. but putting this in commercials won't affect me. I look at the quality of the product, not the quality of the commerical. that way MAYBE, I won't get screwed with my purchases.

Answer 6

I wouldn't have a problem with it. Would be nice to see, actually.

There are a few out there, by the way. Check out commercialcloset.org, a website solely dedicated to tracking gay advertising.

Answer 7

ok u wanna no if der R gays in labeled classified ads in u . s . a ., i dont no. yet der R gay labeled classified ads here in South Africa. the two maximum modern-day ones became Polka. And an coverage agency.interior the Polka there became no gay issues (jst talking) jointly as in da different the a million held the different (it became an upload asserting no rely who or wat u R, we help u). Im gay so u could no the respond 2 dat final section.

Answer 8

If "nothing sexual " is going on, why would you think a couple was a gay couple rather than two friends or two siblings?

Answer 9

I don't think homosexuality is right or "normal", so I don't think I would ever be comfortable with it. Even if homosexuality becomes "normal" for the majority of people (which I hope doesn't happen), the facts are that a very small minority of people actually are gay or lesbian, so I think it is unlikely that advertisers would use a gay/lesbian couple to promote their product, since fewer people relate to them.

Answer 10

about time.


and I would buy MORE of the product even if I didn't need it.

then I'd give it to churches as a donation and watch them hypocritically accept it because they are greedy