Menstuff® has long advocated various actions to get advertisers to desist from advertising that maligns or shames men, writing congress or local state legislatures on bills that are good or bad for men, and challenging the news media to present more positive stories about men, fathers (at least on Father's Day), etc. The Action of the Week features a major action that we feel is important for men to take towards making this a country that also cares about men. We will give you the situation, the call to action, and the people to contact to hopefully make something happen.
After reviewing some of these topics, we encourage you to write the corporations and the government and give them your viewpoint. Change doesn't usually take place when only one complaint is received. If you want to be part of the solution, let them hear from you! Here's how. See Take Action from 2006, 2005, 2004, 2002, and 2001. See Action of the Week Responses.
Action of the Week
Call to Action
How
and Where to Write the Officials
Click for larger version
- The Chairman of the board of trustees of Colgate University
- The Chairwoman of a Tennessee Girl Scout Council
- The first US woman to walk in space (and winner of the Girls Scouts of the US Woman of Distinction award)
- The former Chairman of Ohio State University’s board of trustees.
Hard as it is to believe, they all serve on the board of
directors of Abercrombie and Fitch. If you have a daughter
or care about girls, you already know the disturbing manner
in which the Abercrombie and Fitch clothing chain markets to
its primarily young customers – with nothing but
sexualized, often pornographic, images and messages. Yet the
majority of Abercrombie’s Directors lead or are
prominent in organizations committed to education, community
building, and/or girls’ empowerment. Act now to tell
those Directors to live up to their values and bring an end
to Abercrombie’s objectification of our daughters and
sons.
Dads & Daughters is mounting a campaign to
challenge Abercrumbie & Fitch's board to "Stop
Sexualizing Girls" The photos are from Abercrombie &
Fitch's marketing to youth. Take
action. 
(Editor: Wonder if these ads were created at the
Bohemian Grove?) L. H. Wexner, Chairman, Abercrombie
& Fitch Co., 4 Limited Parkway, Reynoldsburg,
OH 43078, 614.577.6500. You can order a
counter-campaign T-shirt from the Christian Right's group,
American Decency, for $10 which reads: "Ditch
Fitch: Abercrombie Peddles Porn & Exploits
Children" at www.americandecency.org/a&fshirts.htm
12/1/03: Something worked. 
12/8/03 the Citizens for Community Values (www.victimsofpornography.org)
ran a full-page pad in USA Today.
Peter B. Lewis, CEO, President, Progressive
Corp.(Insurance)
6300 Wilson Mills Rd, Cleveland, OH 44143, PO Box 5070
Cleveland, OH 44101, 440.461.5000, Fax 440.446.7168 or
800.Progressive (876.6327) or www.progressive.com
or e-mail at www.progressive.com/mail/mailfeed.asp
for a retailer close to you, if you also want them to know
your concerns. Many of these are independent retailers that
care what the people in their local community think.
Corporate: Steve Ritchey, Pres., Brian Leung, CEO,
Seattle Pacific Industries, Inc, 1633 Westlake Ave North,
Seattle, WA 98109-6214. Mail to PO Box 58710, Seattle,
WA 98138-1710 or 206.282.8889 or fax to 206.298.2147 or
www.svjeans.com
Their advertising agency is Toth Advertising
& Imaging, 30 Monumental Cir, Concord, MA 01742.
Their other trademarks are: Ary Cooper, Breezin, Heet,
Re-Union, Sergio Valente and SYNC.
Part of the French Connection Group, Bromley-by-Bow,
London, England, E3 2DA, 441713997000
12/1/03: Something worked.
As requested in your ad in the March 3 issue, I''ll "Join the conversation." There are a lot of better ways to encourage people to join the conversation than using what might seem as an obvious extreme national security measure as an example but isn't.
Whoever design and approved this ad obviously doesn't know that many Vietnamese children, who had been accepted by the GI's in Viet Nam to shine shoes, do their laundry, etc, were then wired with explosives, went back into the same GI barracks and were detonated, killing not only themselves but many U.S. military personnel. So, if security becomes lax, I wouldn't assume that this tactic wouldn't be used again. A terrorist could look like you or me. Your next door neighbor might be one and s/he may be under 10 years old. Their Initial Response
"The idea for this project came to me while watching --
for the umpteenth time -- one of those outrageous drug war
ads the Bush administration has flooded the airwaves with.
You know, the ones that try and link using drugs to
financing terrorism. Instead of shaking my head in disgust
and reaching for the Mute button like I usually do when I
see these ads, I decided to channel my indignation. Why not
turn the tables and adopt the same tactics the
administration was using in the drug war to point out the
much more credible link between driving SUVs and our
national security? Thus began our campaign to create a
series of TV ads designed to win the hearts and minds -- and
change the driving habits -- of American consumers by asking
them to connect the dots and think about the effect energy
wastefulness is having not just on the environment, but on
our foreign policy.
In 2001, we were told that they were looking for stories about Men for a future edition to be published in 2003. On 12/20/02 I called to find out the status. Well, it's been pushed back to 2004 at the earliest and may be renamed Dad's Soul, though they already have one for Father's. The excuse is that 80% of their sales are to women who are more interested in titles like a Cat's Soul than a Man's Soul. Apparently, men hold a similar lack of interest because the editor's haven't had much response for stories over the last two years. It may not be too late to change the marketing department's mind. And, while it's sad to say, maybe we have to get the women in our lives to request such a book so corporate will listen. In the end, however, if men don't submit stories, we're right back where we started - no Soul.
In an e-mail received on 12/19/02, Fuji Film was accused of removing Israel from its complimentary world map that they give to their customers with a purchase. The author made all kinds of accusations against Fuji Film and asked for a boycott of all Fuji products, including Subaru. To start with, Fuji Heavy Industries makes Subaru and the only connection between the two is the first name. Second, it was NOT Fuji that had such a map but DaimlerChrysler. Fuji's web site is www.fujifilm.com
and www.fujifilm.com/map
for more accurate information. If you don't believe them,
try the Anti-Defamation League at www.adl.org/rumors/fuji_rumors.asp
or About.com urban legends at urbanlegends.about.com/library/blfuji-map?terms=fujifilm
It was DaimlerChrysler, parent company of Mercedes Benz
and BMW and producers of many
products, that produced the maps on their web site. See
snopes.com
urban legends at www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/fuji.htm
regarding Fuji and www.snopes2.com/inboxer/outrage/noisrael.htm
for the BMW issue. While it doesn't appear to have been
intentional, the problem was apparently solved back in
August, 2002. The dangers of the Internet - old and errant
information. We're all for pointing the finger - just be
sure it's in the right direction.
DOne of the visitors to our site sent us this e-mail: "Has anyone taken notice of the Progressive Insurance ad where some jilted woman uses a Voodoo Doll to get even with some guy? She does a bunch of stuff to cause him some pain... They would not have the balls to run a violence against woman ad."
Their
Response
We've written to Progressive and are awaiting a "real" response.
Peter B. Lewis, CEO, President, Progressive
Corp.(Insurance)
6300 Wilson Mills Rd, Cleveland, OH 44143, PO Box 5070
Cleveland, OH 44101, 440.461.5000, Fax 440.446.7168 or
800.Progressive (876.6327) or www.progressive.com
or e-mail at www.progressive.com/mail/mailfeed.asp
DAOL features different web sites on its home page with gimmicky headlines to entice you to stay on line longer. The other day I clicked on an article about relationships. Low and behold, it took me to iVillage.com. There was a quiz titled "Should You Dump Him" with questions that sounded more like an intake interview on domestic violence. They didn't stop there with the compilation of their favorite 50 ideas for completely freaking out a guy (any guy) for good! Then there's the Worst Date of the Week and True Tales of Love Gone Wrong, a listing of 66 more articles, not one putting a positive spin on relationship.
They claim to be the largest global neighborhood of women
online. With information like this, that's scary!
Their
Response
DBeauty care manufacturers continue marketing products containing phthalates to our daughters -- despite evidence that these dangerous chemicals damage the liver, kidneys, lungs and reproductive system, especially in younger women.
The federal Food and Drug Administration regulates these products, but doesn't even force companies to say on the labels whether or not there are phthalates inside.
Studies show that females of childbearing age have far higher levels of phthalates in their systems than the general population - no surprise, considering how heavily cosmetics, deodorants, hair spray, etc. are marketed to young women. Put a stop to it now!
Join the latest Dads and Daughters' action and tell the
FDA to protect our daughters today! It takes just one easy
step at www.dadsanddaughters.org/takeaction.htm
DAdvertising copy from Snapple.com website: "My college buddies and I used to play a game that looked a lot like this. It’s nice to see youngsters carrying on some of our traditions."
Black, Latino and NIC fraternities/sororities have fought inch by inch and year by year to stop the practice of paddling where it exists in Greek life and to even question if paddles are appropriate when placed on sale in campus bookstores.
Now, out-for-the-bucks Snapple and their not-so-creative
agency Deutsch have a print and billboard poster called
"FRAT" depicting two bottles with hair and Delta Omega Delta
ball caps looking smug over a prostrate pledge. A broken
paddle sits nearby and other paddles, all with Greek
letters, fill out the picture. The campaign is aimed at
teens.
CMen lead in all 15 of the major causes of death in the U.S. We die six years early than women. We "tough it out" and too often wait until it's to late or too advanced to stop it. We could live longer. We could live healthier. Well, the Senate has followed the House (H.R. 632) in putting up for adoption the Men's Health Act (S. 2616). But, there is a lot of resistance in both houses. Please write your Senator at US Senate, Washington, DC 20510, and ask them to cosponsor and support the Men's Health Act, S. 2616.
DIt seems that several heartless men are preying on the desperation of homeless men. Called Bumfights.com
,
these uncaring men pay homeless men to fight each other and
perform other cruel, harmful stunts. These acts are
videotaped and the tapes are then sold over the Internet.
It's a brutal video depiction of street life. We are asking
all concerned men and women to send a protest.
DThe GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Media Awards featured Garry Marshall as emcee who said "Did you hear about Calista Flockhart's accident? Don't worry--she's all right; she's been faxed to the hospital!" Isn't that defamation? Guess not. The audience guffawed its approval. Not only is that defamation, it's deep seeded homophobia. You might ask GLAAD to make a public apology to Calista and Harrison Ford.
Joan M. Garry, Garry@glaad.org
, Executive Director, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation (GLAAD), 5455 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1500, Los
Angeles, CA 90036 or 323.933.2240 or www.glaad.org
DThis kind of irresponsible journalism, which appeared 6/2/02 in the Arizona Republic, takes on the talk show format of using cases that are very few in number and making everyone think they represent the major problem. It diverts attention away from the difficult task of rounding public support to deal with the real perpetrators of child abuse.
DHarvard Medical School has a web site InteliHealth.com
They have a section on Men's Health. They've had around 90
"commentaries" on men's health since 8/28/00, many of them
really general, not male specific. Under "Where to Find
Help" as an abused person, all references to an
"perpetrator" are male, all references to "victim" are
female. On 2/20/02 we asked them about it. No reply. Maybe
if you asked, that would help.
Response
Issue resolved.
DTwo Wisconsin men, Bill Stone (Menasha) and Ryan Burns (Appleton) have created 2Flatline.com
to reach girls through sticker vending machines you see in
cheap restaurants. They've created some great stickers, but
there is a special "Best of Boy Bash" section that is a tame
counterpoint to Rotten Cotton.
DWrigley's uses violence to introduce a new chewing gum that contains xylitol, a natural plant extract which works with your saliva to keep teeth healthy. Click on the Orbit ad to see a larger version showing three cookies on a plate, two with terror on their faces, as their buddy has red goo that looks like blood being squeezed out of it. The headline reads "Help knock tooth decay into orbit." .
Response
Our
Response Back
Their
Final Response
DStop Commercial Exploitation of Children asks: "Why is Scholastic sponsoring KidPower 2002, "the best and biggest conference on marketing to youth"?
DJ. C. Penney is airing a series of TV commercials that depict dads as complete incompetents with their own children. There are, we believe, five versions that all have the same theme: mom has gone to Penney's one day sale and dad is completely out of his element. Imagine women being denigrated this way over, say, having a job outside the home. I can see it now.
CAsko's ad in the 2/02 issue of Sunset says: "Like most Swedish supermodels, they consume next to nothing." By joking about the seriousness of eating disorders, Asko not only reduces the value of their name, but also degrades the estimated 8 million Americans that suffer from eating disorders.
A response.
Issue Resolved.
DThis ad for General Foods International Coffees, appeared in the 2/02 issue of Good Housekeeping. It shows a broken cup on the floor and a big coffee stain on the door.
|
T-SHIRTS FOR FUTURE WIFE BEATERS |
Out of Texas comes the line of Wife Beater T-shirts. There's even one for the wife of the Wife Beater and for the Future Wife Beater. At least they are identifying themselves in public.
DThe new television commercial for Doritos Extreme featuring cheerleaders and another "dare". It claims that you might think of yourself as bold but are you daring enough to look up a woman's skirt. What is Frito Lay and BBDO, their advertising agency, thinking? Bold taste? Rather, no taste at all.
DThis web site, out of Antioch, CA, uses the name of Old Crow Bourbon, and glamorizes serial killers, promotes sexism, racism, and homophobia, and suggest getting a girl drunk and then raping her. And that's just for starters.
A response
* * *
Political action is the highest responsibility of a
citizen. - John F. Kennedy
|
|
Menstuff® Directory
Menstuff® is a registered trademark of Gordon Clay
©1996-2023, Gordon Clay