I’m Going to Say It…”Fugly”
Sandra Bernhard had this to say on Mac’s (the makeup company) website during her “Shoutout”:
“If you’re some little freaked out, intimidated, frightened, right-wing Republican thin-lipped bitch…”
When she’s not busy putting poisoned apples into the baskets of beautiful princesses, she’s an actress/comedian. No, I get it, she’s hip, she’s Hollywood, I don’t expect her to like females who are Republican, that would require way to much brainpower/open-mindedness…but she certainly crosses the line when she refers to herself as “sexy”. As a human being, and a male, I’m offended at such a distortion of “sexy”. Now call me nuts…but I don’t see her being in the top…I don’t know…250 of anyone that I know (except for those people who are angry at her…some sort of primal act of getting even with angry feminists). Normally I’m not one to point out such shortcomings, being a solid 3 on the one to 10 scale myself, but when you attack someone’s looks, consult the “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall” first.
UPDATE: Mary Katherine Ham just posted on the same subject over at Ms. Malkin’s website.
Next up, Patricia Heaton for Venus razors: “These legs pounded the pavement in the Goldwater campaign, okay? I could not express myself with stubble all over these luscious gams. Now, if you’re some pot-smoking, war-protesting, left-wing, Democrat, hairy-legged b****…”
Heh…
IMHO the market segments that will respond positively to Sandra “wrap your big luscious lips around my throbbing member” Bernhard either have no money or too much money (starving reality challenged students or Hollywood/Trust Fund Geniuses). Not that there will be a distinctly negative response, I suspect a largely neutral response which equates to a slow death for a marketing campaign.
The slow death is much preferred in this case. A death that lingers and extracts as much hand wringing and painful explanations as to the many “why’s” as possible. The marketing people are going to have a whole bunch of explaining to do. BWaahhhaaaa…
The negative response will be labeled as neocon religious nuts, and do we want to market/sell to those demons?
Before we jump on the “just spell the name right” marketing/publicity axiom that spins in both directions now-a-days for high profile events people. Sometimes it is best to go low key, which is a marketing failure for a product and a chance at a remake/come back for people.
That’s M A C…
JOE
You’re speaking my language…I think that as a marketing ploy, Mac was attempting to position themselves apart from the market population by being “edgy”. Yes, they do appeal to a larger income, but it’s the appeal to a larger income which drives their sales to the middle class. Much like Target when they refused to allow the Salvation Army in front of their stores, one wrong move can shatter profit margins. While I do respect “edgy”, if you’re already a market leader, as Mac is, risky moves like this, if picked up by the media, can devastate your bottom line. They’re not offering a product that is in any way truly differentiated, and I don’t see a high brand loyalty margin in makeup. According to the linked article, they aren’t even in the top 200, making switching relatively painless. Negative press isn’t always good press…
Not gonna comment on her politics here, I know that isn’t the issue here. But…ok, sure I’m a straight male and all, but I’ve never heard of that company before. Now, they’re getting publicity from the likes of you and suddenly the proponents of Mac’s apparent politics have a shallow-yet-symbolic method to support their own political agenda: Buy Mac products. By alienating the right, they’ve tapped into a larger base and made a name for themselves by clinging onto the left in the light.
Ok, so I just talked to my fiance and realized that I’m a bloomin’ fool for not having heard of Mac. “But you’re a guy” she says with the tone of an insecure father making his five year old son feel better by explaining why the kid was no match for his father in the batting cages.
So maybe my point was empty…Mac doesn’t think so, but who cares? They have Sandra Bernhardt as their current spokes…woman?
Hehehe…you should feel better about not knowing what it is…I know because in the old F.A. days the lady coworkers would trick me into going to South Coast plaza under the guise of lunch…and then I’d have to stand awkward in the corner waiting…(*shiver*)…cold and scared.
Sandra Bernhard? You can’t even think that pretty.
Stout Republican an excellent post. I also wanted to let you guys know that MAC isn’t independent – they are owned by Estee Lauder in a portfolio that contains over 26 boutique brands. So MAC may be trying to be edgy but EL is going to bring them back from that edge because in the end it’s all about the almighty dollar and EL doesn’t want to alienate the women who do actually buy and use cosmetics – conservatives. When’s the last time a liberal protest “babe” was seen wearing lipgloss (or a bra for that matter) – really :)
Too bad it always comes down to insulting womens looks tho..I’m so tired of that..sorry ..I agree with ya SR and thanks for lettin us know bout one more lefty who thinks we actually care what she thinks.
All in all, the commercial isn’t even clever. She gives a poor “woman power” performance. All I see is Madonna’s lap dog (from the 90s. I don’t even think they are friends anymore but I digress) You know who would have been better?
Gina Gershon, sexy AND strong.
The whole incident started with name-calling. I just e-mailed the website for Kenneth Cole regarding an ad in the September 2006 issue of Vogue magazine on pages 210-211. It reads, With the government recording personal phone calls, our rights aren’t the only thing on the line. Are you putting us on? – Kenneth Cole
I just bought a Kenneth Cole handbag six weeks ago and loved it. I informed the company that I would not be buying any products EVER in the future. I looked through the Vogue and the rest of the ads only tried to sell a brand. Silly me, I thought companies were in business to make money, not alienate buyers by insulting either who they are or what they believe. Maybe the ads for Kenneth Cole will make Democrat women more likey to buy its products than it does Republican women less likely? I don’t know. However, I think companies need to remember just one thing about whether or not make political statements of any kind – Dixie Chicks.
Thanks Karol…I’ll look into this and see if there’s anything to be said, or being said for that matter yet. It might be a regional advertisement, at which point I’ll be out of luck…but if it’s national…I just have to hide in the corner of the grocery store while I check it out, that way I don’t have to be seen reading Vogue…it could ruin a man…better yet, I’ll have the wife read it, and then give me a detailed report…so I can avoid all contact with the publication, and live my life as I always have, careless and fashion free.