Monday, March 12, 2007

Indiscriminate Discrimination

(advertisement found on the hollywood.com movie site while searching for movie times)

This is the sort of advertisement that really pisses me off. Am I the only one offended? Sirius Satellite Radio is openly discriminating in this ad. It's bad enough that every time you open a magazine or see an ad on TV, it seems the only people buying products, wearing clothes, going on vacations, playing sports, having sex, dining out, driving cars, etc. are thin people. Or thin women.

If our nation is one of the fattest in the world, tell me, where are all those fat people? An article in the San Francisco Business Times talks about a new store opening and the growing market for plus sized clothing production, and in the article, the director for an Oakland based retail consulting firm states that sixty percent of women in this country wear a size 14 or higher. Sixty percent. That's more than half, just in case you can't do the math. So where are all these large women when it comes to being represented in the media? It seems, despite their size, they're being kept very well hidden.

The fact that Sirius can get away with this ad without enduring any backlash from anyone, just goes to show how twisted people's views are and how acceptable weight discrimination is. I'm sure no one even thought much about the content, certainly not the people who created the ad. And for that matter, certainly not the people at hollywood.com, where I found the ad displayed.

What if the ad had pictures similar to the following groupings? Do you think people would find it acceptable to ask, "Which would YOU prefer?" when given the choices shown below?






Get the point? It's discrimination, no matter how you look at it. And perhaps because I'm not a thin woman, it offends me even more. Even so, I do not tolerate discrimination in any form and if I saw an ad like this depicting gay, black, Jewish, old or handicapped people, I would be just as vocal in my displeasure.

It's still okay to get away with a fat joke in mixed company; but if you were to tell a joke about a black person, a Jewish person or a handicapped person? Or if an old person wasn't hired because of their age? Someone would be covering it in the media, for sure. I'd like to see if you can get away with calling someone a nigger, a kike or a retard. I'm sure mouths would fall open if you casually dropped any of these words into a conversation. But calling someone a fatass, making oinking noises or not hiring them because they don't fit the "look" you were going for, is perfectly fine.

In fact, just recently, the media has been all abuzz because John Edwards was called a faggot. Oh, they didn't like that, did they? But joking about someone who is overweight seems to fly right below the radar; the last acceptable prejudice.

Discrimination against race, age, sexual orientation, religion, handicaps, etc. are not tolerated in our supposedly civil society, so why is it okay for a huge corporation like Sirius to openly discriminate against an overweight person in one of their ads and no one takes offense to it?

Perhaps next time you're faced with this same situation, you'll say something. You will let the person know that it's not acceptable. Refuse to buy their product or use their service. Write a letter. That's what I plan to do.
It's discrimination and prejudice any way you look at it.  It should not be tolerated.

Period.

6 comments:

Abby said...

Wow, that ad is really crazy! Thanks for your great response to it, and your pictoral examples really nail it. It is so frustrating that weight is one of the last acceptable prejudices to have in this society.

Anonymous said...

You go Girl, I love when you get all righteous! You are SO right and great examples.
I have Sirius radio (and love it) and am going to write them the meanest letter.
Greggie

Anonymous said...

Mailing Address
SIRIUS Satellite Radio
1221 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
or call
1-888-539-SIRIUS (7474)
Greggie

Anonymous said...

I agree with you,whole-heartedly. I have noticed a few ads on TV that depict REAL women, but not enough. Slim-Fast is one, I believe, and it thrills me to see that someone is taking notice. Shame on Sirius. Thanks for "laying it on the line".
Ed's mom

Michelle | Bleeding Espresso said...

100% agreed. I found your blog through your malocchio post a while back, and now I'm having fun getting to know you. Ciao from southern Italy :)

Lammy said...

Amen. 100% agreed.