Shut Up, Low-Fat Snacks

by Tara Ariano on March 7, 2009

in Pop Culture,Shopping,Shut Up

Hey, do you guys want to see why I’m not going to be buying Baked Lay’s, Flat Earth, or Smartfood? Check it out!

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Women’s History Month than with the kickoff of an ad campaign so sexist and retrograde that it would be too hackneyed to show up in a “Cathy.” Like, I know that at least a couple of women had to be involved in this atrocity, to do the voices of the “characters,” but any woman who may have worked on writing it or drawing it or conceiving it in any way is a complete Uncle Tom of womanhood. Appalling.

{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }

maggiemae March 8, 2009 at 12:35 am

Thank you. I fucking hate these commercials. I saw an article (maybe in New York magazine?) about how Frito Lay wanted to “feminize” baked lays because they are selling a ton at Subway and don’t think they’re really reaching their target audience – women. The female VP they interviewed said she thought they were hilarious. ACK!

Chyna March 8, 2009 at 9:47 am

God, I didn’t realize this was a TV campaign too! I saw some of these ads in a magazine and they made smoke come out of my ears.

F. McGee March 8, 2009 at 1:32 pm

Holy. Crap. Thanks for posting this, Tara. I will join in the boycott. I don’t know why people insist that sexism isn’t something we have to worry about anymore, when it’s all over the popular media (of which I am, in general, a big fan, so I’m not trying to torpedo the entire enterprise). For another example of breathtaking misogyny, please see: “Watchmen.” Except, don’t see it. Barf.

brenda March 8, 2009 at 6:18 pm

…I was really annoyed by the last half of that one on TV the other night, but it’s even worse with the beginning. It’s just so lazy, too. It’s like they couldn’t think of anything that wasn’t a lame stereotype about how ladies are.

ctuley07 March 8, 2009 at 6:44 pm

My mom and I saw the ad for that during “What Not to Wear” and we were genuinely confused. The phrase “Did we change the channel” was invoked several times, because there was no way it could be anything other than some sort of bizarre satirical cartoon.

Tara Ariano March 8, 2009 at 6:51 pm

Also — and this is a trivial query given all the other awfulness on display, but — why would the woman with the toddler also be the one who’s having hot flashes?

tuftsmo March 8, 2009 at 7:17 pm

THANK YOU. I saw this the other night and asked of the empty living room “Whaa? Is this a commercial, who? I don’t….. what?” Beyond cringe inducing.

Jessica March 10, 2009 at 7:54 pm

OMG. I can’t even believe that’s REAL.

bluesabriel March 12, 2009 at 4:20 pm

What the HELL?! I mean . . . the cell phone bit? The redhead acting like a whore? “CANKLES”?!

I LIKE Flat Earth. I’m not one to write letters, but seriously. This may be an exception.

Leave a Comment

Previous post:

Next post: