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ismnotwasm

(41,976 posts)
Wed Apr 9, 2014, 10:51 AM Apr 2014

Oh for gods sake this is stupid.

""don't risk dudeness"




Hair removal company Veet has attained a trifecta of offensiveness with their new ad campaign "Don't Risk Dudeness," which manages to be sexist, homophobic and transphobic in 30 seconds flat.

The spot opens with a man lying in bed, reaching out to caress what he thinks will be his girlfriend's baby-smooth leg. Alas, she has literally transformed into a big, hairy dude overnight because she went one day (one day!) without shaving. Hate it when that happens.

Said dude, who is dressed in a pink tank top and still has a girl's voice (because men displaying any femininity is hilarious), says sheepishly, "Yeah, I know, I'm a little prickly. I shaved yesterday!" The ad then closes with the tagline, "Don't risk dudeness! Veet Wax Strips: Feel womanly around the clock."

Nothing like a little body shaming to make a gal never want to buy a Veet product again.


Marketers regularly pray on women's insecurity to sell them beauty products, but this is ridiculous. For one thing, showing two men in a bed together for laughs is a tired, homophobic joke. Even worse, equating body hair with "dudeness" (plus poking fun at a guy in a cami) is more than a little transphobic. Last time I checked, waxing doesn't make you a girl, and going natural doesn't make you a guy. In the words of India Arie, we are not our hair.


http://www.policymic.com/articles/87187/offensive-veet-ad-shows-exactly-why-shaming-women-won-t-make-them-buy-your-products
11 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Oh for gods sake this is stupid. (Original Post) ismnotwasm Apr 2014 OP
they can take their dudeness and shove it up their ass. as cute as "they" may think it is. nt seabeyond Apr 2014 #1
And their nasty-ass product too ismnotwasm Apr 2014 #2
I saw mercuryblues Apr 2014 #3
This generation ismnotwasm Apr 2014 #5
Just another bunch of men in an ad agency Warpy Apr 2014 #4
Exactly ismnotwasm Apr 2014 #6
More unneeded chemicals AND offensively presented. Sounds like a winning combination. marble falls Apr 2014 #7
Given that even hetero guys are waxing and shaving these days, somebody whoever wrote this ad is ... DesertDiamond Apr 2014 #8
I'm going to tweet them and email them JustAnotherGen Apr 2014 #9
I know ismnotwasm Apr 2014 #10
sans glasses Skittles Apr 2014 #11

ismnotwasm

(41,976 posts)
2. And their nasty-ass product too
Wed Apr 9, 2014, 11:19 AM
Apr 2014

This is the kind of thing that men complain about as well-- made to look like total morons. In this case women don't even have to be present. It's assumed they're stupid and shallow.

mercuryblues

(14,530 posts)
3. I saw
Wed Apr 9, 2014, 11:59 AM
Apr 2014

that commercial last night and couldn't figure it out. The woman forgot to shave her beard and mustache? My 12 year old son had a hard time figuring it out. he wanted to know why the man sounded like a woman and what were they trying to sell. On the upside, seeing 2 men in bed together wasn't even a concern.

ismnotwasm

(41,976 posts)
5. This generation
Wed Apr 9, 2014, 12:43 PM
Apr 2014

The young ones-- hopefully will hear the dying gasps of homophobia in mainstream society. I think it will always exist in fundies though.

Warpy

(111,245 posts)
4. Just another bunch of men in an ad agency
Wed Apr 9, 2014, 12:12 PM
Apr 2014

trying to make women think their bodies are always wrong.

The only difference is that it's making men look picky and stupid.

DesertDiamond

(1,616 posts)
8. Given that even hetero guys are waxing and shaving these days, somebody whoever wrote this ad is ...
Wed Apr 9, 2014, 01:54 PM
Apr 2014

a teeeeny bit out of touch!

JustAnotherGen

(31,810 posts)
9. I'm going to tweet them and email them
Wed Apr 9, 2014, 02:59 PM
Apr 2014

(twitter is great for shaming companies) When I get home later - I KNOW I have two and a half boxes in my bathroom cabinet.

As another person noted below - men use these products too.

Mine has two patches of hair on his back that I'm responsible for removing prior to shore season each year. Wonder what he's gonna say when they KNOW their products are popular with both women and men in France and Italy and they just offended a whole bunch of people - of many genders.

ismnotwasm

(41,976 posts)
10. I know
Wed Apr 9, 2014, 07:44 PM
Apr 2014

I have a male friend who wanted to get rid of a bit of chest hair, he didn't use the product correctly and burned his nipple-- it is basically acid anyway.
The assumption that only women use hair removal products like this is ludicrous, but as an ad it's even worse.

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