Things on the Radio that Piss Me Off

"http://www.youtube.com/embed/9DTOt1SPSwY

This is a link to a Caliber Collision radio ad that I find despicable.  I have contacted the company via their website, but have received only a form response.

In today's atmosphere of increased attacks on women's rights and protections, I think this ad sends a very bad message.

At the beginning we hear glass breaking, and a voice says, "Hey, Hey!  That's my car!"  A second voice says, "So.  You like Cindy, huh?"  The first voice replies, "Cindy?  That's my sister!"  The response?  "You're Michael!"  After all the Company Message, Voice #2 says, "We don't have to tell Cindy about this..," and "Michael" answers, "Yeah, sure."

What's wrong with this picture?  So glad you asked.

For a start, this makes fun of a serious and abusive situation.  A man who smashes a car he thinks belongs to someone who "likes" his girlfriend needs anger management at the very least.  This behaviour is abusive, both to "Michael," and to "Cindy."  We know what these guys do.  If he's beating a car now, he could be beating his girlfriend by next month.  Then, her stupid brother agrees not to tell her.  Now, he sounds a bit skeptical, and I would like to think he is just saying that to get away from Mr Jealous, but he does agree to keep quiet.  If some asshole was acting like that, the first thing I would do would be tell my sister and let her know that the guy is dangerous.  Isn't that how a brother is supposed to act?  Not go all good-old-boy, we're-all-in-this-together-against-the-women.

Am I right?

I've been accused in the past (both distantly and less so) of having no sense of humour about this sort of thing, and I know that's correct.  I consider a sense of humour to be out of place here.

It's ads like this that feed the climate of hatred toward women.  It speaks to social acceptance of this sort of behaviour, and it should not be happening.  Remember that old magazine ad:  "Promise her anything, but give her Arpège?"  You don't see that any more, because women began to object.  I think a little bit of objecting is in order here.  When I contacted the company, I let them know that I had used their services in the past, but would no longer do so, as I feel they don't take women seriously as a target audience for their ads.  I'm sure that half their customers are women, after all. 

Nothing changes if nobody bitches about it.