Film/TV Jan 29, 2010 at 1:10 pm

Maybe CBS Rejected This Superbowl Ad for a Gay Dating Website...

Dan Savage
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Comments

1
Maybe they're rejecting it because it's LAME.

Though, I love the words to the jingle. "... Go with it. Why not?"
boxofbirds on January 29, 2010 at 1:16 PM Report this
2
Nice job of spinning a story to make it fit your agenda, Dan. The truth is, CBS didn't reject the ad. The dating service was simply told that all the ads had already been sold, which is the truth.
Fifty-Two-Eighty on January 29, 2010 at 1:16 PM Report this
3
Hasn't this skit been used a million times over?

Besides, I like the stereotypes we have about not liking sports and being stylish. That commercial could damage our image.
Shelby on January 29, 2010 at 1:27 PM Report this
4
this commercial is stupid, and poorly done. I think perhaps that more than anything else merits its rejection.
jmahlon on January 29, 2010 at 1:30 PM Report this
5
Its more of a hug, but yeah, nice butt.
very bad homo on January 29, 2010 at 1:31 PM Report this
6
Maybe ..... "I wanna kiss this guy, I really, really, really wanna kiss this guy" coupled with all the inuendo has something to do with it. But to avoid further headches they should stay away from all political ads.
Loveschild on January 29, 2010 at 1:34 PM Report this
7
Next time I hear some right-wing nut complain the the gays are trying to push their "agenda" on us, blah, blah, blah, maybe I'll thing he's right.
balmonter on January 29, 2010 at 1:38 PM Report this
8
So, if I were casting an ad for a gay dating website I'd probably go ahead and hire a couple of GAY actors instead of a couple straight actors who are afraid to actually kiss each other.

I don't really care that this was rejected. I do, however, care that Focus on the Family's ad was accepted.
monkey on January 29, 2010 at 1:39 PM Report this
9
So, it was bad enough when the Super Bowl media blitz lasted for two whole weeks. Now the Super Bowl commercials media blitz has to last that long too?

I do not give a shit about Super Bowl commercials. They're not good, they're not funny, they're not interesting in any way. STOP TALKING ABOUT THEM. At least wait until the fucking shit has aired.
Fnarf on January 29, 2010 at 1:47 PM Report this
10
The production values seem pretty low for a Super Bowl ad. Not that I expect the Tim Tebow/Focus on the Family ad (Your aborted fetus could've been a Heisman winner!) to be any better. At the very least, the idea of this ad running during the biggest football game of the year would've been a nice change of pace from the "eww, yucky sports" attitude that a lot of gay dudes seem to have (see @3).
Hernandez on January 29, 2010 at 1:49 PM Report this
11
The dude on the left should have shrugged his shoulders and made a face like "that seems like a good idea" instead of looking shocked and vacant.
Mattini on January 29, 2010 at 2:17 PM Report this
12
I do, however, care that Focus on the Family's ad was accepted.

Seriously, what the fuck, CBS? It's as if they deliberately set out to make this urban legend a reality.
Furcifer on January 29, 2010 at 2:18 PM Report this
13
Foxy? People still use that word? Maybe it would've helped if they were wearing the right jerseys.
Peggy on January 29, 2010 at 2:21 PM Report this
14
"two guys lunging toward each other, one with his mouth open, but at the last second their heads turn and they lunge past each other and place their chins on each other's shoulders and tilt their heads from side-to-side."

meh-be they should run this during the winter olympics... as it's full of two guys luge-ing toward the finish line.

not loogie-ing because we get enough of that with baseball
pissy mcslogbot on January 29, 2010 at 2:25 PM Report this
15
It's a sad day for CBS and the Super Bowl. And a sad day Mancrunch. And this Slog, and Dan Savage too. A sad day for everyone touched by this cluster bomb of fail. It's sad day for me to even be thinking about how lame it all is.
elenchos on January 29, 2010 at 2:31 PM Report this
16
This has to either be a spoof or the worst possible ad ever created for a gay dating site. The hottest guy was the black guy sitting in the other chair off to the side at the end. Production values that would be an embarrassment to any community college film class. Terrible acting, if you can even call it that.

I'm glad this won't air during the Superbowl. It's a disaster of an ad.
Reverse Polarity on January 29, 2010 at 2:31 PM Report this
17
No, they did reject it. http://news-briefs.ew.com/2010/01/29/man…

“After reviewing the ad — which is entirely commercial in nature — our Standards and Practices department decided not to accept this particular spot,” a network rep said in a statement. “As always, we are open to working with the client on alternative submissions.”
Dingo on January 29, 2010 at 2:33 PM Report this
18
Super Bowl ads are always a little bit sleazy. Between GoDaddy.com and that one ad that had pandas with stereotypical Chinese accents and demeanors, adtime is never very classy. And by that I mean it's worse than the half-time show.
But yeah, next time get some actors who are actually comfortable with kissing each other for the ad.

GARBAGE.
venomlash on January 29, 2010 at 2:37 PM Report this
19
Not only might it have been seen as offensive by three or four tight-asses out there, but the African-American guy at the end who is all stunned over a gay kiss offends the rest of us. Bad commercial.
Bauhaus I on January 29, 2010 at 2:37 PM Report this
20
Ah, that's more recent than what I had seen, Dingo. Thanks for the update.
Fifty-Two-Eighty on January 29, 2010 at 2:42 PM Report this
21
Is anyone surprised? This is american TV we're talking about. Though how anyone can actually watch a game of american football is beyond me. As a sport it's nearly as dull as cricket
Tetchy Brit on January 29, 2010 at 2:43 PM Report this
22
The Super Bowl is not a place for political statements. But the thing is, this isn't a political statement. It's an ad for a dating site. It's not a "pro-gay marriage" campaign, it's just a commercial. Much like if Tim Tebow's mother did a commercial for an adoption agency rather than anti-abortion crusade.

Ad space wasn't available for this.. but I think it would've been a fine thing to show. It's not shoving a message down anyone's throats (a la Focus on the Family), it just is.
Ness on January 29, 2010 at 2:46 PM Report this
23
Correction: apparently ad space was available. There was no reason for them to squash this ass.. other than maybe it was a bit lame. The message was fine though.
Ness on January 29, 2010 at 2:47 PM Report this
24
Mmmm, @17, you're getting me all hot with your talk of "alternative submissions."
whisky tango foxtrot on January 29, 2010 at 2:50 PM Report this
25
"ManCrunch: where many many many men pay to come out and not fuck"
pissy mcslogbot on January 29, 2010 at 2:52 PM Report this
26
Hell yes they should reject it, it's pretty offensive to gay people.
Fenrox on January 29, 2010 at 3:55 PM Report this
27
@23, what was the message? Chips make you gay? You will randomly find yourself making out with other men when music plays? when three people are in a room 2 of them will make the third uncomfortable?
Fenrox on January 29, 2010 at 3:57 PM Report this
28
@ 23 - Ness, I want to thank you for giving us perhaps the very best typo of all time!

:-D

merry on January 29, 2010 at 4:00 PM Report this
29
@ 27.. by "the message" I mean the whole gay dating site thing. Gays need love too?

@28 Oh dear. I would apologize.. but apparently that was a bit of a Freudian slip. Oops.
Ness on January 29, 2010 at 4:23 PM Report this
30
The guys aren't even kissing. What a stupid Ad!
CBS is trying to cover its loser ASS. The champagne network became the Colt 45 network long ago. No offense to "homeless" people. You bunch of idiots.
Mark in Colorado on January 29, 2010 at 4:43 PM Report this
31
I love how at the end you see a black guy eating fried chicken. I would feel embarressed if they aired this on superbowl.
Nova on January 29, 2010 at 5:27 PM Report this
32
I think it's cute.
blah on January 29, 2010 at 5:53 PM Report this
33
Football *is* the perfect demographic for closeted gay men. All those buff dudes tackling each other... embracing in the end-zone after a TD...

Boy - it's getting warm in here.
Free Lunch on January 29, 2010 at 6:05 PM Report this
34
Huh. Maybe watching it without sound improves it, but I thought the ad was cute, especially the black guy's reaction at the end.
Lavode on January 29, 2010 at 6:31 PM Report this
35
This annoys me in so many ways
cheerio on January 29, 2010 at 6:34 PM Report this
36
S-T-O-O-P-I-D
linda with a y on January 29, 2010 at 8:16 PM Report this
37
Lighten the fuck up, people. It's a funny commercial. They look like stereotypical straight guys until they *surprise* start making out. Har, har anyone could be gay, blah, blah, blah. Who cares if they fucking kiss or not? They're actors, not porn stars.

I'll tell you the real fucking problem with this ad? The Vikings fan making out with the Packer backer.

That's just against God's plan.
esmeraldajellyb on January 29, 2010 at 10:19 PM Report this
38
@37: Yeah, the whole Vikes-Pack bit is sort of a forbidden romance. As a BEARS fan, I can tell you that while we don't like any of our division-mates, we at least respect the Packers (old team, great legacy, wocka wocka wocka). Not so with the silly Vikings.
venomlash on January 30, 2010 at 1:39 AM Report this
39
You might think it's almost anti-gay by looking at the signs hanging on the wall behind them. NO ENTRY, STOP HERE \|/, CAUTION, THIS EQUIPMENT STOPS AND STARTS AUTOMATICALLY. lol
linda with a y on January 30, 2010 at 3:02 PM Report this
40
That song is pretty funny if you think about it. I read somewhere it's actually called "Kiss the Sky"
on January 30, 2010 at 6:59 PM Report this
41
LC, the Super Bowl should air no political ads. OMG we agree on something. *faints, then runs outside & checks for horsemen* Unfortunately, the ManCrunch ad is NOT a political ad. It's an ad by a private company that happens to feature gay dudes. Well, actors portraying gay dudes. Not very political.

However, the ad they ARE running, which BTW I Emailed to the Stranger some days ag, IS a politically charged ad. They're going to run an anti-abortion Focus on the Family ad. You won't find this story on a lot major US news sites, link is Canadian:

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/story/…

Keeping track? CBS WILL run a politically charged "advocacy ad" like the one above, but they won't run the ManCrunch commerical They also would not run a spot that was supportive of gay marriage & an ad for the UCC (United Church of Christ), which put together a gay-tolerant commercial. They are picking & choosing their message for sure.

Brilliant marketing move by ManCrunch BTW. If the ad runs, ppl talk about it. If it doesn't, same. Well done.

Listen to Loveschild, CBS, & drop that anti-abortion ad..;)
Eva Hopkins on January 31, 2010 at 5:38 AM Report this
42
Agree w/ the above, too. It's not a good commercial: I'd be willing to bet that talk of having 40 million in cash raised aside, ALL ManCrunch had in mind was us talking about it.
Eva Hopkins on January 31, 2010 at 5:44 AM Report this
43
Crappy crappy ad. But hey, it probably didn't cost much (very poor production), and look how many times they've gotten it aired now, for free. I'd say although unattractive, it's pretty clever, all-in-all.
Lola, Missing Iowa City on January 31, 2010 at 8:00 AM Report this
44
30 seconds of gay awareness over the airwaves on the super bowl might be enough to convert the entire nation. Imagine the glory!

Hell, it might bring procreation back into the realm of sanity if everyone was gay! Oh god I can't wait!

So far, living in Capital Hill for 2 years didn't convert me gay, much to the dismay of my "fans", so I don't hold much hope that a gay add during the superbowl will turn me gay.

I do believe that Tim Tebow, has GOT to be gay. I mean, that would be ultimate poetic justice, a christiain, a "virgin", a heisman trophy winner, and football player for UF, and an all around "swell" guy, with good southern Christian morals.

I'm not buying the whole St. Tebow thing for a second ... there has got to be something.
former tri-state on January 31, 2010 at 9:47 AM Report this
45
Here's a real treat for Superbowl fans, some trivia,:

Like when was the first superbowl?

http://surftofind.com/super
on January 31, 2010 at 9:09 PM Report this
46
This is the superbowl website I am talki…
on January 31, 2010 at 9:15 PM Report this
47
Fenrocks@27 expresses it very well. Amateurish, tacky ad but still... I couldn't help but laugh.
on February 1, 2010 at 10:19 AM Report this
48
@ 41 - Why is an ad for a gay dating service "political"? Just because it's gay? Sorry, but I reject the whole "personal is political" bullshit; I just live my life.

I refuse to be made into a hot button issue...
Chris in Vancouver WA on February 1, 2010 at 8:48 PM Report this
49
@ 41 - Sorry, just read your comment a second time...
Chris in Vancouver WA on February 1, 2010 at 8:50 PM Report this
50
"They also would not run a spot that was supportive of gay marriage & an ad for the UCC (United Church of Christ), which put together a gay-tolerant commercial. They are picking & choosing their message for sure."

That's true, and at the time that, CBS explicitly stated that they have a "longstanding policy of not accepting advocacy advertising"... Hmm...

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articl…

Also keep in mind the Tebow ad is not just an ad that says women should think about not having abortions. It's an ad financed by Focus on the Family, and organization that is vehemently anti-gay and anti-gay marriage.
mgear on February 2, 2010 at 5:59 AM Report this

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