Ohio car dealership blasted for jihad ad

[deminks]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060924/ap_on_bi_ge/dealership_jihad_ad

COLUMBUS, Ohio - A car dealership's planned radio advertisement that declared "a jihad on the automotive market" has drawn sharp criticism for its content but will not be changed, the business said Saturday.

Several stations rejected the Dennis Mitsubishi spot, which says sales representatives wearing "burqas" — head-to-toe traditional dress for Islamic women — will sell vehicles that can "comfortably seat 12 jihadists in the back."

"Our prices are lower than the evildoers' every day. Just ask the pope!" the ad says. "Friday is fatwa Friday, with free rubber swords for the kiddies." A fatwa is a religious edict.

Dealership president Keith Dennis said the ad does not disrespect any religion or culture. He said it was "fair game" to poke "a little fun at radical extremists."

(end snip)

Oh, please tell me this is not real. Please. Tell me.

[Teaser]

1. classy!

nt

[LiberalHeart]

2. I think it's real. I saw an AP story about it yesterday.

It reads like a story in The Onion, though.

[Warren DeMontague]

3. Yes. Thou shalt not poke fun at the ridiculous fucking situation

the planet finds itself in.

Hey, call me crazy, it sounds sort of funny. Probably in questionable taste, though. Not a good move from an advertising standpoint.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

7. I find it to be humorous also, and it does what advertisement is

suppose to do, it gets attention.

[beam me up scottie]

4. "He said it was "fair game" to poke "a little fun at radical extremists"

Translation: It's fair game to poke fun at THEIR radical extremists.

Ours, of course, are still safe from public ridicule in advertisements.

The Columbus chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations decried the ad as disrespectful.

"Using that as a promotional pitch when so many are dying from the criminal activity of suicide bombers, that's not funny," chapter president Asma Mobin-Uddin said. "I don't think it's appropriate when it causes real pain. It exploits or promotes misunderstanding in terms already misunderstood or misused."

Three guesses who their target audience is, and the first two don't count.

[Bluebear]

5. "Onward Christian Salesmen!"

"Come join our Staions of the Car Lot sale this Good Friday, Friday, Friday! Our salespeople will be dressed in flowing robes, they ARE your Disciples of the Deal! If I can't beat our competitor's best deal, I'll hang on a simulated cross for a half hour!"

"All in fun" - - -can you imagine the reaction?

[freeplessinseattle]

8. "Disciples of the Deal"

you should write jingles! if they air this tacky junk then anything goes from then on.

[Tanuki]

9. "We'll crucify the competition!"

"Then we'll resurrect low prices."

[Warren DeMontague]

12. I'd be all over it.

'Course, I dressed up as Jesus one halloween years ago, complete with giant cardboard cross. This was at WORK, at a retail gig I used to have. (Fortunately, it was a pretty funky, indie, anti-corporate environment) Some people freaked out, but the worst was one lady who took one look at me and said- real snotty, like; "Wasn't Jesus Thinner?"

Ouch. I'm hit!

[blonndee]

14. LOL.

A couple of years ago my boyfriend at the time went as Jesus. I dressed him up in some bedsheets and used a rough wreath from a hobby store as a crown of thorns. He actually looked more like John Belushi from Animal House, though. But my slutty nun costume to go along with him helped everyone figure it out! It was a party with a bunch of English grad students so we didn't get any hassling at all.

[Bluebear]

15. :)

[REP]

16. "Mattress Christ"

The cartoon "Squidbillies" on Adult Swim already has this - a store called "Mattress Christ."

[tanyev]

10. Yep. I bet an ad poking fun at the Jesus Camp kids praying

before a cardboard cut-out of George Bush would never make it to the airwaves.

[Warren DeMontague]

11. So the line about the Pope in the ad doesn't count?

It sounded kind of equal opportunity, to me.

[Telly Savalas]

13. Well, unlike the jihadists, Christianist extremists probably make up

a material chunk of the guy's customer base.

Many people in the Middle East have legitimate grievances against the West, but goofball theocrats who try to exploit this resentment to advance their mindless, violent, and misogynistic agenda are deserving of ridicule.

Is the ad in good taste? Probably not, but I'm pretty sure there are FCC regulations against car dealerships airing tastefully produced advertisments.

[Eurobabe]

6. Ohio is pretty racist, I am not surprised

My 18 months there were not enjoyable. I never saw so much blatant racism before in my life.