Is this misogynistic?

[Ghoulish Delight]

I've seen this ad a bunch and I'm starting to conclude that it's uncomfortably misogynistic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amBTr9kcJes

First off, it seems to play off the idea that everyone is trying to save this poor ignorant woman from herself (with the 'Hey lady!' underscoring it). And just as you think it could redeem itself with a, "Hey, idiots, she knows what she's doing" message...it ends with her giving a look at the MAN that we didn't know was with her giving it a, "Didn't you all realize I have a man with men?" vibe that just seems wrong. Why did he have to be there?

Maybe I'm reading too much into it.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

It didn't strike me as misogynistic. "Hey lady!" didn't feel like a comment on her gender. I just thought it was something one yells to get a female's attention. I didn't get the impression they were yelling at her because she's a woman.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I didn't think it was overt, I just got this uncomfortable subtext of, "Oh ****, that woman clearly has no idea what she's doing!" And that was underscored with the completely unnecessary reveal of a man at the end. "Oh...nevermind, she's got a dude with her, everything's fine."

Seriously, can someone give me another plausible explanation for the guy at the end?

[Alex]

I don't think the guy is with her. My take is that he's at another pump about to do the same thing and they're exchanging a look of "how behind the times are these rubes?"

She's clearly the only one in the car when it pulls up to the pump.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Hmm, yeah, hadn't caught that. Alright, I'll buy that I guess.

[alphabassettgrrl]

What a stupid commercial. The "stop her!!!!" thing from everybody is waaaaaaaaaaaay overblown. I don't see it as misogynistic. Just dumb.

[Strangler Lewis]

It's a car commercial. Everyone's an idiot. I agree that it could be clearer about who's in which car and at which pump. I also briefly considered whether we were supposed to recognize wrestler Kevin Nash's "Diesel" character, but the guy's too young and short.

Onward.

[Alex]

While hyperbolic, I do know it isn't horribly uncommon for gas station people to have to deal (or used to be, I'll admit I haven't known a gas station employee for quite a while) with someone who mindlessly put diesel in their car.

[alphabassettgrrl]

The gas pumps are different sizes than the regular gas. To prevent exactly that. I'm guessing the diesel are larger than regular.

[Strangler Lewis]

Driving around Europe, we had the option of two different diesels, and the pump handles and gas caps were appropriately color coded.

But I must wonder why GD is concerned about the misogyny directed at the sleek pretty lady with the world on a string and not that directed at the coffee spilling husky lady who looks like she takes all her meals at the gas station and risks serious cheap coffee burns to worry about Miss Fancy.

[RStar]

I first say this on TV last week and thought how unrealistic it seemed. In the real worl nothing like that would ever happen. I have seen small diesel cars before, and it would not have made people think twice while fueling. Just plain stupid advertising, I thought.

[Moonliner]

I first say this on TV last week and thought how unrealistic it seemed. In the real worl nothing like that would ever happen. I have seen small diesel cars before, and it would not have made people think twice while fueling. Just plain stupid advertising, I thought.

Exactly, because nothing is more important in the advertising world than faithful representations of normal life.

[Alex]

The bigger nozzles on some diesel pumps are not to distinguish them from but rather because the primary purchasers of diesel are high volume purchasers and the bigger nozzles allow faster filling (if you have a 200 gallon tank you get unhappy with 8 gallons a minute).

Many residential stations primarily selling diesel to regular cars have green diesel nozzles of the same size as all the others. And many stations will have both nozzle sizes available.

The VW TDI does have a gas tank hole (what is that part called, the word escapes me at the moment) that is large enough for the larger nozzle but when you pump gas with one you have to be careful to watch the flow so you don't make a mess.


But yes, it isn't a realistic commercial. It is a hyperbolic commercial trying to make you focus on the fact that these diesel cars (which have been difficult to come by for years) are now available.

Same as the one with the woman telling her husband she has a confession, she's been bored, she just wanted some excitement and when he thinks she's going to admit to an affair she says "I got a diesel."

I think I've seen three commercials in the series and they've all featured women, I don't know if it is misogynistic but I suspect it is driven by the fact that women are viewed as the key purchasers of Volksgagens.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Faster filling, I could see that. I thought it was because people had put diesel in a regular-gas car and damaged them.

[RStar]

Exactly, because nothing is more important in the advertising world than faithful representations of normal life.

There are extremes that boarder annoying. Give me boobs, a hamburger, a beer, and a pretty car and I'm happy. ;)