pulled their British deli mayo ad which featured two men kissing,
after viewers sent in complaints that it was inappropriate
and unsuitable for children.
But, if homophobic groups think that banning this commercial means
they have succeeded in safe guarding their children from
homosexuality, they need to think again. For example, this ad ran
for a little over a week before uproar ensued; however, Katy Perry’s hugely
popular single “I Kissed a Girl” has been on rotation on pop
radio stations and music channels for months.
Why, if the image of two men kissing is so threatening, do we allow
a song about a woman drunkenly cheating on her boyfriend by making
out with a girl allowed into children’s ears over and over again?
The lyrics to this over played (and admittedly catchy) song
actually say that kissing a girl “is not what good girls do” and
not how good girls “should behave.” By pulling the Heinz ad, but
allowing songs and videos like Perry’s to air, we are setting an
extremely sexist and homophobic double standard.
We don’t approve of two men in a healthy, loving relationship, but
we give the ok to a night of “experimental” homosexuality as long
as it occurs between two attractive, young women, and in the name
of promiscuity. Why do we allow such egregious sexism to enter into
our popular culture and imagery? By not showing positive,
non-sexualized examples of LGBTQ love and families, homosexual
relationships lose their legitimacy in the public eye-which makes
the fight for equality even harder. In order to change these
homophobic and objectifying attitudes, those of us in the LGBTQ
community need to think about the types of media we condone; even
if it means turning off Tila Tequila.