Friday, May 24, 2013

Some Men Up in Arms Over Samsung Commercial

Charges of sexism usually come from women, but this time some men are brandishing it, complaining about a new Samsung ad that's gone viral for the company's new Evolution Kit, which transforms any Samsung TV into a smart TV.


The commercial that debuted on YouTube last week shows a woman walking into the living room to find her slovenly husband sprawled on the couch watching TV, burping, grunting and chewing with his mouth open as he watches a cartoon.

The wife plugs the Evolution Kit into the back of the TV, and fantasizes about having a similar kit for her husband, imagining him transformed into a Stepford Husband sort-of guy who's baking, taking care of the baby, painting the kitchen, serving her champagne and more, before she's brought back to the reality of her real husband farting on the couch.

A lot of men have taken to social media to complain, including in the comments section of the ad's YouTube posting, with one writing that he was, quote, "tired of the double standard and depicting men as idiots in advertising."

But in a column Wednesday (May 22nd), Adweek's David Gianatasio said Samsung would only be helped by the controversy over what he called "questionable material," writing, "The clip is nearing 10 million YouTube views in just a week, and generating gobs of attention for the product, so I'd hardly call it a total stinker."

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