Homophobic Commercial aired...or so they say.

The Independent (UK) ^ | 12/01/02 | James Morrison

[scouse]

By James Morrison, Arts and Media Correspondent
01 December 2002

A high-profile television advert is under investigation after complaints suggesting it was homophobic and had resorted to stereotyping gays.The commercial, for Virgin Mobile, features the musician Wyclef Jean. He is shown naked in communal showers in a jail in the "deep south" of the United States, looking alarmed about the prospect of picking up a bar of soap from the floor.

Last week, the Independent Television Commission suspended a commercial for the internet company Yahoo! after 15 people complained that its depiction of a naked man being preyed on by a raincoat-clad figure was homophobic. The company denied the accusation.

The complaints coincide with Stonewall, the gay rights pressure group, condemning right-wing newspapers for having a "bizarre fascination" with homosexuality, which far outstrips the interests of the public. Reacting to "weeks of homophobic coverage", the charity derided the editors of papers, such the Daily Mail, for being "out of touch" with their readers.

Stonewall's attack followed last week's announcement by the Crown Prosecution Service that it was to adopt a "zero tolerance" policy towards homophobic crime.

Rest of story can be accessed at URL shown

[scouse]

More idiocy from the lavender clad queens.

[mrgolden]

I'm outraged about the bigotry against southerners in this ad.

[Chad Fairbanks]

The complaints coincide with Stonewall, the gay rights pressure group, condemning right-wing newspapers for having a "bizarre fascination" with homosexuality, which far outstrips the interests of the public.

Hmmm... so, if the public isn't interested in homosexuality, then why don't all the gay rights groups shut the hell up then?

[irish guard]

I truly believe that many...no most American males are scared to death about the prospect of ever going to jail for fear of being "rear ended" in prison. If that is a deterrent, then so be it. Sure that depicts the true meanig of homophobia.....so what? Ask the reporters reporting about this if they want to be ass raped in prison? Ask them if that is really homophobia? Darn right it is.

[Always Right]

The complaints coincide with Stonewall, the gay rights pressure group, condemning right-wing newspapers for having a "bizarre fascination" with homosexuality, which far outstrips the interests of the public.

I agree, which is why we don't need a gay cable-network channel, or gay themes in virtually every sit-com, or gay-straight aliances in our schools, or gay marriages. There is no interest out there.

[Search4Truth]

I suppose they think prison rape is hysterical.

Virgin Mobile goes on my list of companies to boycott.

[lady lawyer]

Now let me get this straight (no pun intended). Their position is that it is wrong to want to avoid being raped if you are a man and the perp is a queer. Okay.

[mountaineer]

last week's announcement by the Crown Prosecution Service that it was to adopt a "zero tolerance" policy towards homophobic crime.

If a Jesse Dirkhising-type case (a brutal attack by predatory homosexuals) occurred in England, what approach would the Crown take, I wonder?

[arkady_renko]

You've hit the nail on the head. This has nothing to do with gender, but with assault. They must have thought the violation of the fellow in NY with a plunger was just dandy.

That the whole premise is thought humorous by the producers of the ad is in itself sick.

AR