Two men kissing advert pulled

Two men kissing advert pulled

After receiving more than 200 complaints about a Heinz Deli Mayo advertisement in less than a week the advert has been yanked from the tube.

The entire advert is regular in every way except for featuring gay household. In it, two kids have their sandwiches packed by one male dad and is referred to as "Mum". Finally, the office-working father enters the kitchen, picks up his prepared lunch, and says, "See you tonight, love." After "Mum" notes that he is forgetting something, the father gives him a quick peck and leaves the house muttering nothing but words o' love.

This scene could have been played out quite easily by a heterosexual couple and no issues would have been raised. Instead, 200 people were revolted at the sight of a loving family with male parents. According to viewers, the ad was "offensive," "inappropriate", and "unsuitable to be seen by children."

Clearly, society is not beyond the gay movement. By yanking their advert, Heinz is indicating that they were in the wrong. But it is OK for people to feel uncomfortable by particular social interactions. Not long ago people also cringed when they saw minorities and then biracial couples on television. These feelings of unease signal to people that they need to reflect upon themselves and determine how the advertisement conflicts with their belief-systems. This process will ultimately cause a re-shifting in thinking as people consciously or unconsciously attempt to alleviate the uneasiness that they feel.

Complaint letters are an ineffective and superficial way of dealing with this conflict because it offers no long-term resolution. It only prolongs how long a person will have to eventually deal with the fact that a male couple are capable of not only loving each other but also of effectively raising a family.

Kudos to Heinz for being bold and challenging our beliefs regarding the definition of "family". However, just as gay men and women hold hands despite the snickering, name-calling, or worse, so too must Heinz hold its head up high with pride for those who can't.

- Biff

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