Haggar Makes Reverse Sexual Harassment Cool
Writing on Make the Logo Bigger, Bill Green questions Crispin Porter Bogusky's use of sexual harassment in the office place as the focal point of one of its commercials for Haggar. Because the spot focuses on male sexual harassment, it's perfectly fine to turn it into one big joke. Watch the spot. Now watch it again but imagine the men as women and the women as men. Would that approach be acceptable? Would it pass the PC test? We think not.
Yea, yea. We know. It's a joke. We get it. But consider this. Why is it OK to joke about male sexual harassment while, at the same time, it's not OK to joke about female sexual harassment?
Comments
Okay, I watched it a few times. The campaign is called "Making Things Right." Get it?
Your argument just doesn't hold water. Whereas women would never behave the way these women are depicted unless they *are* making a joke, men do all the time and they're serious when they do it. So, how do you like it when the tables are turned? Now men get an inkling of how it feels.
Talk about "making things right"! I think they were more successful than they realized with this commercial!
It's funny, lighten up.
And I thought commercials were suppose to be creative, trying to achieve the goal of "better than the average". They are not only below average they are riding a tried horse and no matter what harassment in the work place is not funny, I might have laughed if it had been in a bar.
It had the potential to be funny, but didn't quite live up to it. I agree that this reversal is within the acceptable limits of good taste.
How about same sex harassment? Now that's funny.
i don't have a problem with turning the tables to make a point, but at least be funny when you do it. this ad falls pretty flat.
Hey all. I was one of the writers on this stuff, along with Bob Cianfrone. We're pretty happy with how they turned out, so thanks much to everyone who enjoyed them. Gorman shot them...he's tremendous. Send your boards to Gorman.
The joke here is pretty hyperbolic--wear our suits and your female coworkers will act like, uh...this. The guys we're targeting know they're not really going to get harassed. But they have a sense of humor, and they've enjoyed the joke.
Why is it okay to joke about male sexual harassment, but not female sexual harassment? That's actually a really interesting discussion. In this spot, I think it's okay because: Pete and Red are the ones being "victimized," and we can tell it doesn't really cause them to suffer in any way. Plus, it's done in a lighthearted fashion.
Just my two cents.
Well guys, it doesn’t land to kindly on my JOKE meter. Brings back old memories, regardless of the sex you targeted. Is it your purpose to keep on hurting people? The way society is now; no one cares about who they hurt just as long as someone is laughing. Congratulations to you, you made someone laugh and someone cry.
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