So, there are a couple of SafeAuto commercials that really bother me.
[TW for implied sexual assault]
First is the one where the guy is walking through airport security and the passengers in front of him are having things done to them that are clearly making light of the real discomfort people feel at the possibility of full-body scanners or pat-downs; for example, one guard says “During the search, I’d like you to call me Lisa,” and another has a man on all fours and brandishes a riding crop. It’s played for laughs and really rubs me the wrong way.
The other has a man in a doctor’s office; the doctor comes in and says “Are you ready for your exam?” The guy says “yes” hesitantly and the doctor pulls on a blue glove, implying he’s probably about to get a proctology exam. The camera then pans so we see that there’s a line of doctors out the door, also with gloves on. The guy freaks out. Voice-over says “Is this what happens when you get caught driving without insurance? No, but considering the fines and penalties, it sure feels that way.” So this one is basically saying “paying fines is akin to having multiple strangers shove their fingers up your ass without your consent.” Yeah, really reinforces the common practice of referring to any basic inconvenience as rape.
Anyway I hadn’t seen either of these commercials discussed on any of the feminist blogs I follow, so out of curiosity I Googled “offensive SafeAuto commercial”. Know what the majority of the hits concerned? Their Super Bowl ad where men get kicked in the groin repeatedly. Not that I think that ad isn’t also offensive in its way, but this is the one people are focusing on, with no apparent objection to the others.
Anyone else have a problem with these commercials or is it just me?
