Paddy Power lose their leg to stand on as advert pulled

Cross posted on LGBT+ Lib Dems Northern Ireland

Remember the defense used by Paddy Power about why they wished to continue showing the Transphobic advert for Cheltenham:

Several members of the UK transgender community are cast in the ad, and it was also cleared by Clearcast [which pre-vets TV ads] before airing. This ad is simply a bit of mild-mannered fun in the runup to the Cheltenham festival.

Well Clearcast have now issued the following statement:

Last week we approved a tv ad for Paddy Power featuring references to transgendered people. When making our decision to approve the ad, we took into account the fact that the advertiser had sought a view from the Beaumont Society (a body run by and for those who cross dress or are transsexual) which did not find the script idea offensive.

However following a number of complaints over the last few days, it appears that the ad has caused offence and in consultation with broadcasters, it has been decided that the ad should no longer run on their TV or VoD services in its current format. We regret offence that may have been caused.

So where does Paddy Power stand now? Well they have issued the following statement:

Paddy Power’s Ladies Day commercial has been pulled from TV.

The decision to suspend the clip wasn’t made by us – it was done by the British TV advertising regulator along with television broadcasters.

This is especially frustrating given the commercial was already pre-approved by British television advertising clearance body Clearcast, just one week ago, who then considered the humour in the advert, while not to everyone’s taste, fell short of causing offence.

The Beaumont Society said there was "nothing untoward with the advert concept" and felt it was not inappropriate since "the entire campaign would be a tongue-in-cheek look at the Ladies Day race meeting where these days a large number of cross dresser’s make a day of it".

Furthermore, Paddy Power cast members of the trans-community in the various transgender roles in the commercial.

Given the attention and diligence we demonstrated throughout the development of this commercial, we are very disappointed by today’s decision.

So Paddy Power are frustrated and disappointed that they can no longer show this ad, that the decision on decency wasn't made by them but by bodies outside their control.

Having one group, and one that many in the transgender community are sceptical of, agree with your point of view may not reflect the other groups dealing with Transgender issues who have disagreed with your stance, that much is clear. Paddy Power unlike Clearcast have not shown any remorse for the offence they have caused to others, but rather go on to boast about the number of YouTube views they have received of the ad.

The ad has been removed for the screens though no doubt will still be available of Paddy Power's YouTube channel. Hopefully in future advertisers will think how to positively include transgender people in their adverts.

Blogged elsewhere: TV companies take mixed approach on Paddy Power ad

Broadcasters are taking mixed approach to Paddy Power's Transphobic ad, which is currently under referral by the Advertising Standard Authority.

Read more about the current state of play on LGBT+ Lib Dems Northern Ireland.

What are Early Learning Centres Made Of?

There is the 19th century nursery rhyme What are little boys made of? it goes.

What are little boys made of?
Snips and snails, and puppy dogs tails
That's what little boys are made of !
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice and all things nice
That's what little girls are made of!

The reason that this comes to mind is that Jennie has mentioned this from the Early Learning Centre website.

For the little princess in the family we have great feminine outfits like Butterfly Fairy, Sleeping Beauty, Ballerina and Nurse’s uniform. Why not add a medical case for that extra touch of authenticity.

The boys are catered for too, with great Doctor, Policeman & Fireman uniforms, not to mention fantastic Pirate and Knight costumes. All these can be combined with a range of accessories so your child will really look the part.

Now hang on a cotton picking minute. I was one of four boys in my school choir, I did drama, I even wore tights for the ball scene in the school pantomime. All this before the age of 12. Plus my mother's old brownie uniform was part of me and my brother's dressing up box and often got used for military purposes.

When we were growing up we played football with the family next door, there were six of them and two of us. Only one of us fulfilled those childhood dreams of playing football for Northern Ireland, that would be the elder daughter of the family next door.

One of my nephews loves his gymnastics and is very good at it. But it isn't one of those sports that is seen as butch and macho, like football or rugby. At least not until later in life. As one of the kids who just loved to run I got ribbed for it at school. I even got to wear a predominantly green (the girls' uniform colour at our school) honours tie for it in the sixth form. Neither of those are seen as sports for men until you get really goo at it. Look at poor Tom Daley and the abuse he got as a public example.

I was also read recently, and I will try and refind the source, some man being interviewed about their childhood saying that they had their action men have sex together because their parents wouldn't buy them a Barbie because that was too gay.

I guess the moral of this story is that don't limit your children's imaginations or ambitions by stereotyping the genders. They will find other ways to use them themselves. In this day where we have female firefighters and male nurses. There are female doctors and male dancers. Have you seen how much lace in on a Jack Sparrow costume? Almost as much as the ballerina's tutu.

So maybe the earlier learning centre should stop gender stereotyping in its advertising. Thus speaks this New Romantic teenage boy from the 80s. Yeah gel, mouse or spray the hair got it all.

Twigs Have Blemishes Too

Well I'm sitting on the HSS heading away from Scotland (actually currently still surrounded by Scotland as we're still in Loch Ryan) for the Christmas holidays, so I'm only just catching up on stuff that has been happening since my three trains to get here.

One thing I did see on TV before setting off was Jo Swinson talking about the Olay ad for wrinkle cream in which Twiggy's wriggles had been airbrushed out, it aired at 7:40 this morning a time of that show I don't usually see. Reading on Lib Dem Voice just now there is a party press release about the Advertising Standards Agency banning this misleading advert.

The fact that we live in botox world is no excuse for a company producing wrinkle reduction cream to try and compete on a par with that medical solution. The fact that the results as advertised where lies is something that the ASA needs to take a stand on and should be applauded for their decision in this case. Anyway I thought scientists had shown us that while the perfect image is our fantasy when it comes to reality it is the little imperfections of the person that we end up loving that endear them to us.

Listening to Jo this morning she put forward a very strong case for the whole body image argument against airbrushing in advertising giving false imagery for people to live up to. I say people because I was very impressed to her Jo say "and men too" when talking about the problem. Now I know that the campaign was part of the Real Woman initiative that the party made policy at conference in Bournemouth earlier this year, but as I pointed out at the time the issue it affects men as well.

To be honest I can't honestly remember if I've actually raised the issue with Jo in person on the numerous times we have met in the intervening months. I know I have raised it with a number of people and was doing so at conference, even though I had another appointment at the time of the actual debate. However, I was glad to see that Jo has taken that point on board and whether I mentioned it to her directly or she read it on the blog or from other source this is truly an issue that isn't really gender specific.

By the way Twiggy turned 60 on the day of the Real Woman debate of confernce. I know this without having to look it up as the debate took place on our mutual birthdays, though Twiggy is 20 years my senior.

Sammy Wilson an Insidious Propaganda Machine

Back in the summer of 1987 I had a temporary Economics teacherat Regent House. At the time he was a Belfast City Councillor and press officer for the DUP. We would occasionally have our classed broken my his phone and early mobile going off in the the storeroom where it was inevitably on charge.

We had a propaganda machine in our classroom. That early mobile would feed one sides argument to the BBC, UTV or the printed press.

That propaganda machine's user is now the Northern Irish Environment Minister Sammy Wilson MP, MLA. Not everyone, certainly not the majorities, ideal choice of environment minister as he is a climate change denier. He hasn't got of to a good start with many of his pronouncements thus far.

Well he has truly but his foot in it this time. The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change was to run a advertisement campaign in all parts of the UK except Scotland. Scotland were excused because the Scottish executive was planning its own campaign on the same lines. Sammy has said NO! to showing the ad in Northern Ireland. He called it an "insidious propaganda machine".

Now the ad it right out there how it can be working or spreading any message harmfully in a subtle or stealthy manner to make it insidious is beyond me. Maybe one of the lads he taught that summer in 1987, who went on to take Economics at University and took two specialist courses in environmental and energy economics could give his old teacher a lesson on the subject of his brief. That is something I may get around to later today.

In the meantime there are obviously calls for the resignation of a Minister who doesn't have the best insterests of the electorate for his brief to the forefront of his actions.

Probably Going to Get Turned Down

I see with regret that Stephen Green of Christian Voice has fallen right into the trap laid out by the Atheist Agnostic* bus campaign. He is snared in a heffalump trap of his own making. Some of my fellow Lib Dems will be smiling with glee but I just struck my forehead firmly to my hand.

The advert's wording is:

There's probably no God.
Now stop worrying and enjoy yourself.

It is being displayed on buses up and down the country. But Mr Green is one of 57 complainants to the Advertising Standard Commission. Now I'm happy for him to decide to do that because we live in a free and democratic society that allows him to voice his opinion. However, it is argument he gives that makes me cringe. He says:

"It is given as a statement of fact and that means it must be capable of
substantiation if it is not to break the rules.

"There is plenty of evidence for God, from people's personal
experience, to the complexity, interdependence, beauty and design of the natural
world.

"But there is scant evidence on the other side, so I think the
advertisers are really going to struggle to show their claim is not an
exaggeration or inaccurate, as the ASA code puts it."

Ok lets take a look at the two statements. It a court of law the use of the word probably would not count as being beyond reasonable doubt. Probably still suggests that is possibly some probability that you are wrong. Foot in mouth one.

Foot in mouth two comes in last two paragraphs of Mt Green's comments. He says there is scant evidence for the counter cause to theism, whilst listing what a court of law would deem the circumstantial evidence for theism. You see Stephen Green has forgotten one thing with his conviction in these statements, the evidence that he has talked about needs more that just those personal experiences. To link the complexity, interdependence, beauty and design of the natural world requires a faith in a deity.

Now if you please all turn in you pew or hotel room bible or look up at the bus advertising hoarding on the wall over you head. And turn please to Hebrew's chapter 11 and verse 1 we find:

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not
seen. "

Sadly Stephen you conviction that there is a God is the same as mine, not solely based on the things you listed above, but in association with that faith. A faith of things yet to come and conviction of things we have not seen.

By your own argument Churches should also be banned by the ASA from advertising and therefore I know that your complaint will fail. It only succeeds in doing one thing giving a little bit more publicity to the opposition's view point.

Of course the British Humanist society should probably have used the word "possibly" in the ad if they wanted avoid so many complaints. But then the end result is possibly just the exact reason why they ended up going with "probably".

*As the campaign says has the word "probably" in it rather saying an atheistic "There is no god" it clearly is false advertising by the press to call this agnosticism an Atheist Bus Advert.

Heinz Two Man No Messed Up

Heinz were close to earning praise for their New York Deli mayo ad as it represented a non-traditionally nuclear family.
It was tongue in cheek humorous and featured two men as the parents in this familial skit and like all couples at the start of the day ended with a rushed peck on the cheek as one went off to work with the sandwich lovingly created by the other.

All was quiet on the advertising front until as a result of allegedly only 202 complaints to the Advertising Standards Agency claiming that the ad, which is not shown during specific child orientated broadcasting, was "offensive", "inappropriate" and "unsuitable to be seen by children". So having taken the brave step of commissioning the ad in the first place Heinz ran for cover pulling the ad from our screens, claiming they had done so because they were "listening to its consumers".

Whoops bad choice of words there, because now of course all the consumers who hadn't spoken out in praise of the ad because of its inclusivity in today's society are speaking out. There is a petition calling from those who:

"feel that the decision to withdraw the advert is wrong in the face of a small number of narrow-minded individuals.

"By doing so, Heinz have given the impression that they would prefer to cater for the homophobic than the free-thinking, and the decision has provoked upset, brand distrust and outrage among the LGBT community and outside of it."

and calling on Heinz not to "bow down to these homophobic individuals."

At time of writing this petition has 1844 signatures. The originators only wanted to get a few over the 202 complaints that Heinz had originally received.

For those of you on facebook there is a group calling for a boycott of Heinz products until the ad is reinstated, currently with over 775 members. Both of these have been set up in the last 24 hours.

Oh dear if Heinz really are listening to their consumers they are going to have to listen now, after all there are many varieties of people in this world, whether there are 57 distinct variations I cannot say, but one variety shouldn't be dictated prejudiced views over another.

Update 16:30 909 in Facebook group, 2500 signature on petition.

Further Update 17:03 My stat counter has reported a visit at the time stated from H.J. Heinz Company's IP address from Pittsburgh, Pa. somebody at the World Headquarters is clearly taking an interest in this issue.