Derogatory “Sports Bet” advert

[Adrian]

I can’t find the advert in a video on the internet… but if there is proof that it generated adverse publicity – read this extract of comments on:
http://forum.sportal.com.au/default.aspx?g=posts&m=2142935

Quote:

my local tab is exactly like that, especially the woman with a beard

Quote:

I find it piss funny actually. One of the funniest ads on TV.

Sure they give it to the TAB punters a bit but they are pretty careful in that it is loosely implied and not specific. Plus it is heavily tongue in cheek.
As someone who still ventures to the local TAB every now and then, I don’t find it offensive at all.

If you are highly offended, might I suggest it is just hitting a little too close to home?
(Are you a woman with a beard?)

Quote:

I’m not going to lie. I agree with most of the sportsbet ads. There is a lady at the local TAB down the road from my place who has a better mo than Merv Hughes!

[Anonymous]

Karly,

I have seen it and every time it comes on I cringe. It’s such a puerile advert that it cannot insult anybody. For it to be insulting then it needs some kind of sense or message…. In his case it has no sense and its message is so banal that nobody could take it seriously.

Another example of dumbing down things for the sake of it. Says a lot about those who bet on line….

[Anonymous]

Karly, a while ago , I amongst others on TgR made complaints to the Broadcasting Complaints body about an ad that featured a sexual advance from , what I believed to represent a Tg person. It was denied due to Kellogs saying it was clearly a woman and was indeed played by a woman in the ad.

I know ad you mean and I think the character you mean is actually meant to be a woman with a beard rather than a Tg woman and so , while it is a poor joke , it is not meant to denigrate us. The chances of a complaint being successful , after my experience, would be a dud.

[Anonymous]

I cringe too when I see this commercial but I really think it is meant to be a bearded woman. The ad does seem to denigrate women, leprechauns, double-jointed neck persons, bogan males and probably anyone else who has ever set foot in a TAB.

[Anonymous]

I think every one is only looking at the woman with the beard. After the woman with the beard appears if you look in the back ground when there is a group of people you will see the man dressed as a woman with dark hair.
There is a second and shorter add which just has the man who wants to make a bet with a group of 5 people behind him, you will clearly see over his left shoulder the person that I mentioned. It is in the shorter add that the add states “avoid the freaks” while showing this scene.

[Anonymous]

Karly, yes I do recall one of the” freaks” being as you describe, I will look closer next time.

[Anonymous]

I am concerned that this very childish and let’s face it stupid advert that caters for the lowest common denominator is being given an undue amount of discussion when there (probably) isn’t an issue towards the TG community.

I have noticed the obvious token ‘CD’ in the background, sighed and thought OK bogan ignorance is a causal element. However, if that piece of idiocy is left to go its normal route, then the average, intelligent person couldn’t care as they too have the same reaction to the advert.

I am neither insulted nor threatened by this 30 seconds of rubbish it is aimed at an audience that can’t spell never mind understand the term acceptance and any reasonable or normal person would place this crap into the Bogans only basket.

The advert is absolute rubbish, but if it’s highlighted, then it may get unwarranted attention. To me it’s only worth ignoring….

[Anonymous]

Really sorry to bang on about this, but Hello, TgR, “Home to the Gender Diverse”. If you are a member, you should be concerned. Perpetuating gender diverse people as freaks perpetuates the stereotyping, perpetuates the hatred, perpetuates the vilification, perpetuates the fear that many members have about coming out, perpetuates the difficulty family and friends have in accepting you, perpetuates the difficulty you encounter to get a job, getting fair treatment when you do get a job, perpetuates difficulties getting proper health care, perpetuates difficulties getting accommodation, perpetuates difficulties in using public toilets, perpetuates the difficulties when you travel and many other aspects of our lives that could be so much better. There is no evidence to show the person of average intelligence will fob this off. There is no evidence that positive media portrayal of gender diverse people (and I don’t mean passable young trans people only – and you hardly even get that) will improve our lot. But I would bet the house that positive portrayal will have a much more improvement in our lot than advertisements that average people may not care less about but nevertheless perpetuate stereotypes and portray us in a negative way. But that’s me.

[Anonymous]

Well, if the ad doesn’t offend you-this should.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVMpTG8tP0I&NR=1

[Anonymous]

Thanks for posting that link, I have put it up on my FB page. I will lodge a formal complaint with channel ten. I just hope other Tg’s will do the same and help support their fundamental rights of stopping the promotion of gender discrimination.
I am very sure that if they depicted a gay or lesbian person in the same way in that add, that there would be thousands of complaints. It’s no wounder TG’s are still so far behind in public acceptance if we accept being refered to as “Freaks” and happily sit back and accept it. So what if it is humorous and aimed at the “bogan” public, is it not the same public that are usualy the ones that shout out obscenities and inflict violence on those defensless “Freaks”.
Sorry to go on about this but I do feel strongly about it, maybe it is just because my nephew was recently bashed by “Bogans” while waiting for a bus because he dresses feminine and very possibly TG.

[Kathy_1]

I have read all comments to date, and note and agree with the various positions taken, I recognise instantly my distaste for the TG implications and then I saw that in fact the add denegrates men with tats etc as well.

I believe that adds that denegrate any section of the community are somewhat evil as they are corrosive to good community relations between all sections of the community, we already have too much tribalism, we need to push forward into a new paradigm of tolerance for legal, non destructive, peacefull behaviors that are simply a reflection of an individuals perspective.

So to me the add and its production philosophy are both bad, distasteful and destructive, a style that we do not need in a reasonable society.

Kathy

[Anonymous]

Well I just watched the video and yes they had a bearded lady and someone who said he was there as a drag queen. I don’t identify as a drag queen so really there was nothing there to offend me personally.
The only problem I see here is that being a minority group maybe we focus too intently on anything that can be construed as a derogatory sleight against us. I really think most people will see it as a funny ad and I doubt that anyone will single out the drag queen for special attention as a freak.
Mind you being a truck driver I found the inclusion of an obviously gay truckie very offensive, I shall feel very self conscious now every time someone looks at me in my truck. :pale:
Hugs Pamela!

[Anonymous]

Quote:

I am very sure that if they depicted a gay or lesbian person in the same way in that add, that there would be thousands of complaints.

Indeed. But I think that’s simply because it’s a numbers game, where TGs are far fewer.

I do think that if you’re an ad producer pretty much anything and everything is open to ridicule. Have you not noticed the thousands of offensive ads depicting the dominant, heterosexual demographic, where men and women are reduced to stereotypical gender roles with IQs marginally higher than a brain damaged snail?

Of course, such hilarity is couched in a patriarchal hierarchy, where we’re all supposed to take it on the chin — laugh, even — less we be labelled soft. Self-deprecation is the Aussie way, mate — the only way.

Horrible.

As for Channel Ten, well, do you remember this: Ron Wilson with Mardi Gras Co-Chair, Peter Urmson

And, yes, there was immediate outrage levelled at Wilson from the gay community.