Bennetton has always done this. They go for shock value, and I agree that it is tasteless. But as a company they have pretty much lost their cachet, at least as I understand it. So much is foisted upon us as being sophisticated. I don't go for it. On the other hand, I haven't watched a TV sitcom, or much of any other TV for at least 20 years.
Ok, I have occasionally watched the Simpsons when I kids had it on before dinner. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "feste37" <feste37@...> wrote: > > > > I think you have an odd idea of "cute," but that is your business. I don't see this as having a "positive message" embedded in it all. It's deliberately, cynically designed to be offensive. > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" jstein@ wrote: > > > > I don't think the pictures are disgusting at all. They're > > just *smooches*, for pete's sake, not passionate soul-kisses. > > They might as well be air-kisses for all the sexuality they > > convey. > > > > And if the world leaders and their flacks find the photos > > offensive, that's kind of their problem. I think they're cute. > > > > As to whether the campaign is solely for sales purposes, sure > > it is, but it's fine by me to embed a positive message within > > it. Most sales campaigns don't bother. > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "feste37" <feste37@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > It's a disgusting picture and the Vatican is right to sue. Benetton has no message of "unhate" at all; it is just trying to get attention for itself so it can sell more of its stuff. All the pictures are disgusting, but most people have been brainwashed by the liberals into thinking that to protest against them would be homophobic. But it's really a matter of decency and fairness. Doctoring photos of world leaders in a way that is deliberately designed to be offensive is not fair use of the photo. > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > > > The clothing line Benetton has long indulged in...uh...provocative > > > > advertising. This time they've hit the jackpot, because the UNHATE > > > > campaign showed images of world leaders getting over their hatred of > > > > each other and actually kissing. You can see the complete set of images > > > > -- the Pope kissing Ahmed Mohamed el-Tayeb, imam of the al-Azhar mosque > > > > in Egypt; Obama kissing Hugo Chavez; Benjamin Netanyahu kissing the > > > > leader of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas; North Korean dictator > > > > Kim Jong-Il kissing South Korean President Lee Myung-bak; German > > > > Chancellor Angela Merkel kissing French President Nicolas Sarkozy; and > > > > Obama (again) kissing Chinese leader Hu Jintao at the following link > > > > (slideshow about halfway down the page). > > > > > > > > http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/11/16/benetton-unhate-campaign-_n_1\ \ > > > > 097329.html?ref=uk#s477307&title=The_Pope_and > > > > > > > > <http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/11/16/benetton-unhate-campaign-_n_\ \ > > > > 1097329.html?ref=uk#s477307&title=The_Pope_and> > > > > What makes this newsworthy, and interesting, is that Benetton has > > > > withdrawn at least one of the campaign photos after protests from an > > > > organization representing one of the people shown. Who, you might ask? > > > > Could it be noted crazy persons Kim Jong-Il or Netanyahu? Or maybe > > > > Obama, possibly feeling as if being portrayed kissing two world leaders > > > > might make him seem...uh...promiscuous? > > > > > > > > Nope. The protest came from the Vatican, ironically defending the most > > > > obviously closeted gay Pope in recent history. "Protesting at the > > > > mocked-up picture, Federico Lombard, a spokesman for the Pope said: 'We > > > > must express the firmest protest for this absolutely unacceptable use > > > > of the image of the Holy Father, manipulated and exploited in a > > > > publicity campaign with commercial ends. This shows a grave lack of > > > > respect for the pope, an offence to the feelings of believers, a clear > > > > demonstration of how publicity can violate the basic rules of respect > > > > for people by attracting attention with provocation.'" > > > > > > > > > > > > [http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/197241/slide_197241_477307_lar\ \ > > > > ge.jpg?1321442898] > > > > > > > > Hilarious, if you ask me. It reminds me a little of the overreaction > > > > here on FFL yesterday by deadender cultists to the suggestion that > > > > they...uh...might belong to a cult. :-) > > > > > > > > It also reminds me of how a certain obsessive on this forum goes > > > > bat-shit crazy every time someone suggests (not unreasonably) that she > > > > might just have...uh...hidden reasons for stalking a few of her male > > > > victims for decades. Can't have that. Hate is hate and love is love, > > > > and never the twain shall meet. :-) > > > > > > > > > >
