LGBT
Related: About this forumBuzz About Toyota Ad: Bikini Babe Gender-Bends Our Expectations
http://www.alternet.org/buzz-about-toyota-ad-bikini-babe-gender-bends-our-expectationsIts not the first time a beautiful, bikini-clad model has been used to sell a car. But this ones a little different.
In a new Japanese Toyota ad, the long-haired 19-year-old Ukrainian Stav Strashko struts toward a car as the camera lovingly follows the models perfect, red bikini-bottomed butt. A jacket is seductively shed. And then Strashko turns around to reveal shes a man, baby! Yup, that bare chest is flat, but the bulge in the bikini bottom is not.
Its a novel twist on the old hot chick advertising trope, and while it may have exactly zero to do with why you should buy a car, it has everything to do with the changing way gender is portrayed in advertising. Strashko is the surprise within the ad but, thankfully, he isnt the punch line of it. This isnt some transphobic BS trying to sell the notion of what makes a real woman (apparently its menstrual blood) or some hardy-har-har challenge to distinguish the stallions from the mares or a joke about how gender identity is something one whimsically takes on and then regrets . In a making-of clip, Strashko says proudly, I cant put it in words how excited I am about this commercial and everything I experienced here.
Why is the ad not running in America? No doubt because it would immediately gay indoctrinate all our menfolk and then there would never be any more babies made and Mitt Romney would never become president. Why did Toyota make certain that the comments for the ad were disabled? Um, have you ever read the comments on YouTube? We still have work to be done, people.
Strashko, like fellow androgynous model Andrej Pejic , isnt transgender, isnt doing drag. As he says, Ive never thought about becoming a woman. I feel very comfortable in my own body just the way it is. He represents a new understanding that gender isnt always neatly defined, and that if a man can be alluringly beautiful, that shouldnt be anything to be laughed at or scared of. The jurys out whether thats a concept that can sell Toyotas. But its definitely an idea worth sharing.
rfranklin
(13,200 posts)That's a good one.
longship
(40,416 posts)It is an attempt to show the dissonance of culture. If you do not understand that and take it at its base level, you may indeed want to discount the message.
As Charles Ives said to a fussing neighbor at Boston Symphony Hall at an early US performance of Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra, "Stand up and take your dissonance like a man."
I find your post to be crass and naive. There's a message there beyond the purient. Please open your eyes and see the underlying message.
Thanks.
rfranklin
(13,200 posts)I have nothing against the fellow looking like he wants to look.
Marrah_G
(28,581 posts)nolabear
(41,932 posts)He's a great invitation to think beyond Real-Man-real-Woman stereotypes. Stretching those concept is exciting and creative, and long overdue.
TalkingDog
(9,001 posts)I would argue no. He's not trying to convince anybody he's a woman nor is he acting "feminized". But he's still wearing a dress.
Toyota might be trying to push that idea, but the model is not.
longship
(40,416 posts)When visual imagery challenges cultural stereotypes, it is an opportunity for learning. Artists have been doing this forever.
I am happy to be the first to rec and kick this.
MadrasT
(7,237 posts)And I would dearly love to see this ad run in the U.S.
Thanks for posting, I hadn't seen it yet.
tavalon
(27,985 posts)I think it's magnificent, but I eschewed mainstream culture a long time ago.
Evasporque
(2,133 posts)xchrom
(108,903 posts)Talk about covering all your bases.
jonthebru
(1,034 posts)(Uncomfortable squirm.) "That pushes the envelop a bit, doesn't it."
stevenleser
(32,886 posts)Perhaps you want to rephrase or explain?
Wasn't expecting that. That's one hell of a camels toe. What happen to her bra. Really, dude got some good steroids.
xchrom
(108,903 posts)Auggie
(31,133 posts)What an idiot
xchrom
(108,903 posts)JackBeck
(12,359 posts)xchrom
(108,903 posts)So I don't bother to alert on LGBTIQ issues.
JackBeck
(12,359 posts)is the jury result from the first alert the one that stands, regardless of the reasons why another person alerts on a post?
Hassin Bin Sober
(26,311 posts)If the post has been adjudicated the second alerter only gets the results - minus the jury comments. The system is somewhat confusing because it attaches YOUR comment to the prior results sent to your DUmail as if your comment was somehow considered - it wasn't.
Heddi
(18,312 posts)OK
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1137&pid=19066
REASON FOR ALERT:
This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate. (See <a href="http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=aboutus#communitystandards" target="_blank">Community Standards</a>.)
YOUR COMMENTS:
Given the thread, and where it's located, this is just over the top and hateful, and especially given that the poster has been here 2 weeks. Please hide so MIRT can remove this homophobic/bigoted troll
JURY RESULTS
A randomly-selected Jury of DU members completed their review of this alert at Mon Aug 27, 2012, 05:08 PM, and voted 3-3 to LEAVE IT ALONE.
Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: No explanation given
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: No explanation given
Juror #3 voted to HIDE IT and said: No explanation given
Juror #4 voted to HIDE IT and said: No explanation given
Juror #5 voted to HIDE IT and said: No explanation given
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: No explanation given
Thank you.
Call Me Wesley
(38,187 posts)This website should be called DUzombieundergroud. Including the resident cave-trolls. Disgusting.
Fearless
(18,421 posts)You will get an auto response with the results.
JackBeck
(12,359 posts)What if the alerter gave a poor reason for alerting and the jury bases their result on that faulty reasoning?
I see above that this isn't the case with the original alerter, but for me it feels like a waste of time to lodge a complaint if a post has already been unknowingly adjudicated and the greater community has no knowledge that it was ever alerted upon.
Fearless
(18,421 posts)They will not be tolerated and will be dealt with quickly and effectively. If any of our trans community ever feels like they are being singled out, discriminated against, or otherwise bashed, feel free to drop me a line and it will be resolved.
stevenleser
(32,886 posts)comments.
I dont remember who is on MIRT this go around or I would send them a PM myself.
Fearless
(18,421 posts)stevenleser
(32,886 posts)I am offended by the transphobic comments of those two posters
Fearless
(18,421 posts)Locrian
(4,522 posts)Auggie
(31,133 posts)" Turn your) Ass toward common sense."