Friday, July 28, 2006

Slimfast, get real...

It took me a little bit to get this image, but when I did, believe me, much eye-rolling ensued.

Slimfast, let me thank you for contributing to my neurotic tendencies towards calories, body image, and weight loss. Instead of encouraging healthy eating, you've championed the cause, apparently, of laxatives-- how else could anyone lose so much weight so quickly as to slip into a storm drain?

Agency: Grey Mexico. Originally found on AdArena!

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Transcript: A Chat with Jugo.

Jugo, a recent commenter, had a small debate with me today regarding women as directors. Rather than try to summarize it all, I'm just gonna copy and paste it (with his permission). Still think that his point make take us towards a slippery slope, but why don't you decide... (PS: The only edits I made should be clearly marked.)

jugo (1:36:09 PM): I responded to your response on your blog. [See comments made on this post, "What do these titles have in common?"]
jugo (1:36:20 PM): take THAT, feminism!
jen (1:39:14 PM): You want Greats, eh?
jugo (1:39:19 PM): I really do disagree with your stance. but I'm trying to give you room to maneuver and won't go into the finer details of why.
jen (1:39:48 PM): disagree w/ what stance, that women are capable as directors and the numbers in hollywood are abysmal?
jugo (1:40:11 PM): capable to direct what?
jen (1:40:33 PM): Films! Feature length, commercially released, Films
jugo (1:40:44 PM): There's more than one type of film.
jen (1:41:05 PM): yes.... drama, romance, comedy, action, etc. lots of genres out there, but I don't think a person's gender should preclude them from making a movie.
jugo (1:41:38 PM): Aeon Flux was a film directed by a woman pretending to direct like a man. If she had focused on things like emotions, character development, things that tend to work better for female audiences and not as well for male audiences, then maybe she would have been able to recapture was good about the cartoon and it would have been a watchable movie.
jen (1:42:20 PM): I haven't seen that movie. I haven't heard much about the cartoon, except that it had a lot of gratuitous boobs in it. [EDIT/ADDITION: Who says she’s trying to direct like a man?]
jugo (1:42:56 PM): it was dark and surreal and at the end of an episode, you'd be sort of blown away and a little disturbed. at least that's how I remember it.
jen (1:43:10 PM): And the Karyn might not have wanted to direct the way she did-- studios have TREMENDOUS power over these things and can order things the way they'd like, which is towards the 16-25 male audience.
jugo (1:43:49 PM): no, even for that, it was awful. I literally couldn't watch it for more than a minute at a time because I would start to feel unsettled by the horrible directing.
jen (1:44:02 PM): tons of action movies are superficial and gloss over things like character development... why pick on one female director's mistakes when these sins are committed everyday by men?
jugo (1:44:29 PM): because men and women are different. we shouldn't be trying to erase these differences.
jen (1:45:02 PM): When I direct I don't necessarily think, gosh, I'm a chick, I'm gonna direct like a chick and then have PMS...
jen (1:47:04 PM): The mistakes that were made could have been made by anyone, and you shouldn't think that just because women have been stereotyped as sensitive and kind that they should always have that reflected in their art. You're ignoring the full range of emotion and feelings, effectively pigeon-holing an entire gender.
jugo (1:48:01 PM): unless "retarded" is an emotion, Aeon Flux doesn't count for that argument. and anyway I'm not saying women can't do certain things. I'm saying that they're different from men. we should expect differences.
jen (1:48:21 PM): Not to mention that even if those things WERE Focused on in that movie (emotions, character dev.) women might not have necessarily appreciated it since the bulk of the audience was male anyway.
jugo (1:48:38 PM): women are going to be better at some things and men are going to be better at others.
jen (1:49:41 PM): but you shouldn't treat them differently because of it. There's no norm here-- think about it-- 50 yrs ago women weren't really present as doctors or lawyers, or scientists, but these days more women are graduating w/ a bachelors than guys are. [EDIT/ADDITION: Percentage wise, at least. Check out this link for info.]
jugo (1:49:49 PM): how much the audience appreciates it doesn't make it a better or worse movie. I like the feminine angle. I need things to have emotional impact. I like watching relationships between characters. if there were more women directors, I bet we'd have more and better of that.
jen (1:50:02 PM): Given the opportunity, women can do amazing things.
jen (1:50:43 PM): Not everyone likes "thinking" movies like you do. I wish more people did. Too many movies are immediately typecast to who they're targeting and stripped down and streamlined to appeal to one audience. it's ick.
jen (1:51:18 PM): did you like K-19? that movie was incredible-- I can't watch it again, because it's too painful.
jugo (1:51:22 PM): yes, sure, fine, they can do amazing things. I would love to see them do amazing things. but following after men and doing exactly what has already been done is not the way to do that. fighting for sameness will only get you sameness. you can't fight for sameness, catch up, and then suddenly branch off into something great.
jen (1:51:23 PM): that was an action/drama.
jugo (1:51:26 PM): I never saw that one.
jen (1:51:53 PM): the peacemaker was ok too-- about what you'd expect from a summer action flick.
jen (1:53:04 PM): Thelma and Louise was an incredible movie.
jen (1:53:16 PM): written by a woman, but she wasn't allowed to direct it.
jen (1:53:21 PM): Ridley Scott directed it.
jugo (1:53:30 PM): I'm not saying women can't make good movies and I'm not saying women don't make good movies. but I think there are certain differences that women should be indulging in.
jugo (1:53:36 PM): women have an inherent advantage in some respects.
jugo (1:53:44 PM): why not use it? why throw it away for the sake of "equality"?
jen (1:53:51 PM): Later, the writer, Callie Khouri, was given something "more appropriate" to direct: The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood."
jugo (1:54:05 PM): haha.
jen (1:54:13 PM): she was understandably pissed.
jugo (1:54:45 PM): I think anyone would be pissed if they were asked to direct The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.
jen (1:55:03 PM): It was a half decent movie, I saw it. But compared to Thelma and Louise...
jugo (1:55:43 PM): know what movie I like?
jugo (1:55:44 PM): Serenity.
jugo (1:55:48 PM): that appeals to all genders.
jugo (1:56:08 PM): Whedon has a really strong feminine side.
jen (1:56:54 PM): His stuff is also kinda kitschy though.
jugo (1:57:05 PM): his earlier stuff. Serenity is so tight.
jen (1:57:55 PM): I'll concede that there are biological differences in men and women, but I think that if you really rely on those and play them up, you're embarking on a limiting and dangerous slippery slope... limiting to both genders.
jugo (1:58:04 PM): um no
jugo (1:58:07 PM): there are psychological differences.
jugo (1:58:10 PM): serious ones.
jen (1:58:28 PM): Fine. My point remains the same.
jen (1:58:55 PM): I don't think it's a black and white issue and I think you're sorta treating as such.
jen (1:59:52 PM): anyhow-- would you be offended if I copied this conversation, edited it a little for length, and pasted it as blog post?
jugo (2:00:25 PM): go ahead. I was thinking that would be a good idea, but I wasn't going to suggest it.
jen (2:00:45 PM): I'm all about showing both sides of the argument..
jugo (2:01:07 PM): haha. there's more than two sides.
jen (2:01:35 PM): well, in this case, your opinions and mine.
jen (2:01:56 PM): two voices of the discussion with varied and multiple opinions.
jugo (2:02:10 PM): ok. better. talk to you later.
jen (2:02:49 PM): bye!

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Equal Opportunity Deities for Motorola Q



I like this new Motorola Q commercial. It's obvious why.

Monday, July 24, 2006

What do these titles have in common?

What do the following movies all have in common?

K-19: The Widowmaker, Bewitched, Sleepless in Seattle, How to Make an American Quilt, Real Women Have Curves, American Psycho, Whalerider, North Country, Lost in Translation, The Peacemaker, Aeon Flux, Girlfight, Me and You and Everyone We know, Monsoon Wedding...

They're all feature films directed by women. Specifically, these women:
Want more stats, info, and studies? Go here.

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Where are the Women Directors?

This older article from Salon raises a terrific question that still hasn't been answered: Where are the Women Directors? Why are as fewas 4% of a year's top grossing feature films (data from 2000) directed by women?

The article raises a few possible reasons, but over all, no solution.

Follow-up: "That Girl Emily"


Or should we say "That Hoax Emily?" Still not sure what they're advertising or marketing, but as Wizbang points out, they've spent a bunch of money on identical billboards in NY AND LA. Not the best way to run a viral campaign in the world of blogs, rapid-fire-google research and consumer criticism.

I've pasted another photo of the same billboard on an entirely different building (this one in LA). Will, at "What is Will Thinking," had a good list of reasons of why the whole campaign was suspect from the start, all of which I heartily agree with. So, last question, what the hell are they selling? (Curbed seems to think it's something for CourtTV.)

Update: ABC News says, yeah, it's for a cable TV show.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

That Girl Emily...

So, I've been looking into the shady blog of "That Girl Emily" and the billboard she commissioned about her lying cheating husband, Steve (Click the photo for an enlarged, easier to read, version). She joined Blogger in June 2006, and by July, she's discovered her husband's cheating on her and takes massive steps against him. It makes for sensationalist reading, but is it real?

Definitely not.

But what's the story behind it? Any smart gal or guy can figure out that this is some form of marketing, but what exactly are they hawking?

A number of other blogs, mainly written by women who've been through something similar, feel this Emily's pain, and wonder what the deal is. It doesn't sit right with a lot of readers, but if it is fake, it mocks a lot of real pain that couples go through when they part ways.

German Invasion of Grand Central: Invest in Germany (or else!)


There has been a recent blitzkreig of advertising to Invest in Germany.... It's all part of a new campaign to bring business and investors to Germany, esp. after the publicity and fanfare of the World Cup. How would you choose to get the message out? Maybe something Germany's known for? How about German-born supermodel Claudia Schiffer? Now we're talking!

Wrapped in a flag and posted on almost every available wall space in Grand Central Station in NYC, Schiffer shows her national pride and does her part to help get the word out about Germany. I find the campaign a little intimidating-- Schiffer's eyes stare out at you, daring you not to invest, and her body is plastered everywhere, making it hard to avoid her gaze.

Interesting that Germany would pick her as their hottest export, but it does lend a bit of buzz and humanity to a campaign that otherwise might be full of BMW's and lederhosen. It'd be nice if you could have a successful campaign that wasn't based on a hot blonde wrapped in a flag, but if that's all Germany has.... well, perhaps we'd better invest.


Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Tease: Axe for Women, with all its hang-ups.


Adrants' uncovers this little gem of a bodyspray... What was the brief? Probably something along the lines of "Axe for Women." While the site might ask"Why play hard to get, when you can play hard to forget," I think we can all agree this campaign is certainly easy to forget.

*Tease Special Challenge: How many phallic objects can you spot? Bonus if they're pink!

*Extra Credit Essay: Describe how tips on flirtation, differing levels of coyness, winning smiles, and bedroom eyes will slowly erode the women's lib movement. Extra points if you can link Tease to the Stupid Blonde Girl movement.

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

'Boards honors Ad Women


'boards is honoring Advertising Women of Excellence (or AWE), looking for women who've made a difference creatively, in production, or as business leaders. You can nominate people (specifically, women) here. The "gala celebration" will be held in September '06 during NYC's Advertising Week.

We won't unless you do...?


Adrants released this tidbit of news from Gillette here. Evidently, Gillette's Noscruf campaign is using celebs and unshaven women to scare men into shaving. If the guys are gonna bother us with a 5 o'clock shadow (or worse), why should we bother with nicks and cuts for them? Nice idea, but if you want to get really feminazi about it, you could claim women (and for equality's sake, I guess men) shouldn't be forced by societal norms to shave anyway.

Personally though, I'll stick w/ the razor. Other girls can take up the fight.

Friday, July 07, 2006

Sure's Super Woman


New spot for Sure deodorant from agency Lowe London- check it out here. It's fun, it's perfectly timed to capitalize on Superman Returns, but it makes me wonder how much the average woman is supposed to do in a day. At least this mom has superpowers! (And, on a more bitchy note, why isn't the dad helping out more, if there's a dad around? And why does the Super Woman have blond hair? Don't brunettes ever save the world?)

Growing Bellies, Growing Ad Space??

More and more women are selling space on their bodies to become billboards for companies while pregnant. While some may say that it's empowering and allows women to earn much needed cash for the new baby, others (myself among them) thinks it smacks of prostitution in a way... esp. since it doesn't seem to pay that much. (One woman made $1K, or perhaps $111 for each month of her pregnancy.)

One mom-to-be thinks that her child will be excited to learn they were part of a marketing campaign, and has started a scrap book to share with the kid in the future. "Oh boy, Mom, I helped advertise a casino for nine months-- And we were only paid a thousand dollars?!"