America's top obesity sugar water company enters the culture wars

[Jingthing]

COKE (as in Coca Cola) ran an ad during the iconic American "cultural" event -- the SUPER BOWL -- and it has stirred up a hornet's nest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=RrvcnbSoz-c

The American patriotic song features racial and religious diversity, languages other than English, and (at second 43) ... brace for it ... an interracial gay male couple with a CHILD. (The horror! )

The American right wing is upset.

It's a little surprising to see COKE positioning itself this way, clearly taking the liberal position in America's endless culture wars.

A cynical and perhaps apt observation I read elsewhere was that it was done to soften the protests against COKE for being a major sponsor at Putin's Winter Olympics at Sochi.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/coca-cola-super-bowl-ad-america-the-beautiful-conservatives-boycott

Edited February 4, 2014 by Jingthing

[Costas2008]

This is a nice adverb from Coke and generally from the USA.

Shows the freedom from xenophobia, racism, discrimination and the integration of foreign cultures within USA.

God Bless America..........but spare their politicians.

Edited February 4, 2014 by Costas2008

[Jingthing]

It won't be shown on Russian t.v. as it would be illegal as gay propaganda. Yet Coke sponsors Sochi. Coke is not a charity. They are cynical and are selling obesity (to children). But I like the ad too.

[ToddWeston]

This is a nice adverb from Coke and generally from the USA.

Shows the freedom from xenophobia, racism, discrimination and the integration of foreign cultures within USA.

God Bless America..........but spare their politicians.

I wouldn't get too carried away there, try travelling as a mixed gay foreign couple in certain states.

If I ever drink pop I'm a Pepsi man anyway, but good on Coke for the ad it shows corporate America is willing to take risk.

[Jingthing]

I agree. The USA has a lot of work to do on reducing discrimination against minorities BUT at least it is moving in the right direction.

On the backlash to the Coke ad, another sort of factoid.

It appears the writer of the song in the video "American The Beautiful" was arguably rather lesbian.

So the people complaining about gay content with the song look even sillier. Some are even complaining that the national anthem has been insulted. This song of course is NOT the American national anthem!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katharine_Lee_Bates

Some describe the couple as intimate lesbian partners,^[7] citing as an example Bates' 1891 letter to Coman: "It was never very possible to leave Wellesley [for good], because so many love-anchors held me there, and it seemed least of all possible when I had just found the long-desired way to your dearest heart...Of course I want to come to you, very much as I want to come to Heaven."^[8] Many contest the use of the term lesbian to describe such a platonic "Boston marriage", typical of many professional women of their time. Writes one: "We cannot say with certainty what sexual connotations these relationships conveyed. We do know that these relationships were deeply intellectual; they fostered verbal and physical expressions of love."^[9]

[HooHaa]

strange, people have been drinking coke for generations without getting fat.

Its not a water replacement, but one every once in a while is pretty damn good.

people who drink litres of any sort of pop, diet or otherwise are fools who are ignoring the information the already have.

where is personal accountability in all this?

[onthemoon]

I liked the ad when I first saw it. I had to go back to see the gay couple when reading this thread.

Interesting to know that it's a big deal for some.

More confusing is the stance that some people in the US think that speaking foreign languages is somehow bad...

[Showbags]

What was the gay couple doing with the child ?

[Jingthing]

I liked the ad when I first saw it. I had to go back to see the gay couple when reading this thread.

Interesting to know that it's a big deal for some.

More confusing is the stance that some people in the US think that speaking foreign languages is somehow bad...

There were some hot button languages for right wingers.

Spanish and Arabic.

The U.S. right winger reactionaries (primarily white Anglos) tend to be against the cultural change in the USA to be more Latin American/Spanish speaking (and of course the immigration politics, legal and otherwise) and of course the reaction to Arabic is linked to Islamophobia.

BTW, to add to the gay angle, the ad showed the first GAY PARENTS in a SUPER BOWL ad in history, and yes, SUPER BOWL ads are a big deal.

American right wingers have a tendency to support English only policies and laws and are offended by all kinds of multiculturalism, including printing voting ballots in several languages (which they often are).

Edited February 4, 2014 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

What was the gay couple doing with the child ?

They were obviously being depicted as a couple, possibly legally married, with a child, at an ice rink, having fun with their child and showing affection. What did you think?

[onthemoon]

I liked the ad when I first saw it. I had to go back to see the gay couple when reading this thread.

Interesting to know that it's a big deal for some.

More confusing is the stance that some people in the US think that speaking foreign languages is somehow bad...

There were some hot button languages for right wingers.

Spanish and Arabic.

The U.S. right winger reactionaries (primarily white Anglos) tend to be against the cultural change in the USA to be more Latin American/Spanish speaking (and of course the immigration politics, legal and otherwise) and of course the reaction to Arabic is linked to Islamophobia.

BTW, to add to the gay angle, the ad showed the first GAY PARENTS in a SUPER BOWL ad in history, and yes, SUPER BOWL ads are a big deal.

American right wingers have a tendency to support English only policies and laws and are offended by all kinds of multiculturalism, including printing voting ballots in several languages (which they often are).

Spanish and Arabic are two of the six World Languages (along with English, French, Russian, Mandarin Chinese). How offensive....

The Super Bowl is certainly a display of US American culture, and I applaud Coca Cola for their diversity ad.

[Jingthing]

Yes, of course, Spanish and Arabic are major world languages. But the USA is primarily an English speaking country though it does not have any official one language. Let's not be naive. Language changes can be politicized in many countries. Look at Canada with French/English. In the USA, Spanish is challenging English in many areas. In cities like Miami you're really at a disadvantage not speaking BOTH languages and if you had to choose one, Spanish might be better.

Yes, fine, I would also applaud Coca Cola for this ad, but personally I wouldn't applaud their product especially being pushed to children. But that's probably not really relevant here.

Edited February 4, 2014 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

Humor time!

For anyone who doesn't know, the Colbert Report is a COMEDY - "news" show where Colbert plays a character, kind of like a Fox News hyper nationalistic right wing moron type.

Enjoy!

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/432753/february-03-2014/coca-cola-s-diverse--america-the-beautiful--ad

[onthemoon]

Yes, of course, Spanish and Arabic are major world languages. But the USA is primarily an English speaking country though it does not have any official one language. Let's not be naive. Language changes can be politicized in many countries. Look at Canada with French/English. In the USA, Spanish is challenging English in many areas. In cities like Miami you're really at a disadvantage not speaking BOTH languages and if you had to choose one, Spanish might be better.

Yes, I have had this discussion with many US citizens. For us Europeans, it is amazing that you can literally drive for days and be still in the same country, were everybody speaks the same language. And nobody even wants to learn another language.

At least some States are de-facto bilingual (my Spanish was very useful in SoCal, and I believe it is not much different in Florida, but there is still a reluctance to acknowledge the (growing) fact, let alone WASPs trying to learn the language. In Europe, we learn languages for fun.

Yes, fine, I would also applaud Coca Cola for this ad, but personally I wouldn't applaud their product especially being pushed to children. But that's probably not really relevant here.

No, because it is undisputed. But hey, they have the right to advertise.

One more thing: This ad is now all over the world. Kudos to their marketing team, I think they will get promotions and pay raises.

[onthemoon]

Humor time!

For anyone who doesn't know, the Colbert Report is a COMEDY - "news" show where Colbert plays a character, kind of like a Fox News hyper nationalistic right wing moron type.

Enjoy!

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/432753/february-03-2014/coca-cola-s-diverse--america-the-beautiful--ad

He is funny, no doubt!

Errm, I think he is being sarcastic and is indeed siding with me rather than you about the language issue...

[Jingthing]

Errm, I think he is being sarcastic and is indeed siding with me rather than you about the language issue...

I have no idea what you are talking about. Could you spell out exactly what you think my "side" is and what your "side" is on this topic. Because I'm guessing you really don't understand my views about this in the slightest. Cheers.

[onthemoon]

Errm, I think he is being sarcastic and is indeed siding with me rather than you about the language issue...

I have no idea what you are talking about. Could you spell out exactly what you think my "side" is and what your "side" is on this topic. Because I'm guessing you really don't understand my views about this in the slightest. Cheers.

Well you said that Arabic and Spanish may be world languages, but not US languages. I said that many people in the US speak these languages as their native language, while you said that the US is an English-speaking country.

I implied that you meant English is the only acceptable language in the US. That is what I construed as "your side", while I tried to make a point that many more languages are spoken in the US, which I construed as "my side".

I am looking forward to your correction of my simple views, as apparently, I do not understand your views from the postings of yours. Thank you for a clarification.

[Jingthing]

You are correct -- your perception of my views is completely distorted. Of course many languages are spoken in the USA. English is the most dominant language. That is just an undeniable fact. It is not the "official" language as the USA has none, but is has been described as the DE FACTO official language. If you perceived that I was intolerant of non-English languages being spoken in the USA or anywhere, I can't imagine where you ever acquired such a totally daft idea. Perhaps you get confused when I try to explain there are FACTIONS in the USA (NOT ME!) that are generally more reactionary RIGHT WING types that ARE intolerant of languages other then English in the USA. Please be careful of jumping to totally wrong conclusions about what I think in future as you have now done on multiple threads. Perhaps focus more on your OWN opinions? Hopefully you are more clear on what THOSE are. Yes, I feel insulted to be painted as some kind of right wing "English only" promoting moron. I pride myself on my multi-culti bona fides, my dear.

BTW, over 90 percent of Americans speak English. I don't have a breakdown of how many of those speak it as a primary/native language but definitely a majority. No other language comes close to that, but Spanish would be number two. Again, please don't take this fact and try to twist it to a perception that I personally am intolerant of languages other than English, OK?

Edited February 6, 2014 by Jingthing

[Scott]

Dear, oh, dear, oh dear. I do think this thread is going astray. There is a fair amount of linguistic diversity in the US because it is a nation made up of immigrants. Those immigrants often take great pride in learning the language and some are happy that their children learn it well. Thus, the cultural emphasis has been a smaller linguistic groups learning the dominant language rather than the dominant linguistic group learning a lot of languages for the minority. It is a lot easier to speak English to the Korean grocer and the Chinese laundry owner and the Mexican gardener than it is to learn all 3 of those languages.

My mother, by the way, spoke 3 languages and English was the 3rd language. When I was young, I grew up with 2. After I started school, I pretty much lost one of those languages because it was simply not heard. I have seen a movie in it, but I was not able to understand it very well. Languages are living, breathing things. If you don't use them, you will lose them. Oh goodness, I seem to have forgotten that Latin phrase for it.....

Now what was the thread about again?

[sustento]

Is this something I need to be offended about? Please PM me if so

[onthemoon]

You are correct -- your perception of my views is completely distorted. Of course many languages are spoken in the USA. English is the most dominant language. That is just an undeniable fact. It is not the "official" language as the USA has none, but is has been described as the DE FACTO official language. If you perceived that I was intolerant of non-English languages being spoken in the USA or anywhere, I can't imagine where you ever acquired such a totally daft idea. Perhaps you get confused when I try to explain there are FACTIONS in the USA (NOT ME!) that are generally more reactionary RIGHT WING types that ARE intolerant of languages other then English in the USA. Please be careful of jumping to totally wrong conclusions about what I think in future as you have now done on multiple threads. Perhaps focus more on your OWN opinions? Hopefully you are more clear on what THOSE are. Yes, I feel insulted to be painted as some kind of right wing "English only" promoting moron. I pride myself on my multi-culti bona fides, my dear.

BTW, over 90 percent of Americans speak English. I don't have a breakdown of how many of those speak it as a primary/native language but definitely a majority. No other language comes close to that, but Spanish would be number two. Again, please don't take this fact and try to twist it to a perception that I personally am intolerant of languages other than English, OK?

I asked you for a clarification, and you explained. I appreciate that, thanks.

[Jingthing]

This is NOT a real Coke ad.

But still --

[onthemoon]

This is NOT a real Coke ad.

But still --

Too bad it's not a real Coke ad. But then, they can't get involved in politics, can they?

[Jingthing]

This is NOT a real Coke ad.

But still --

Too bad it's not a real Coke ad. But then, they can't get involved in politics, can they?

Who said they can't? Many saw their Super Bowl ad as a political statement in favor of the LIBERAL side (American definition of liberal) in the culture wars.

[onthemoon]

This is NOT a real Coke ad.

But still --

Too bad it's not a real Coke ad. But then, they can't get involved in politics, can they?

Who said they can't? Many saw their Super Bowl ad as a political statement in favor of the LIBERAL side (American definition of liberal) in the culture wars.

Yeah, you're right.

[Jingthing]

Honey Maid (Graham Crackers) going so much further than Coke!

A nearly 90-year-old graham cracker brand is defining "wholesome" with a new campaign featuring interracial and gay couples, a tattooed punk rock musician and a single father.

Honey Maid, which is owned by Mondelez International, debuted the campaign today on TV shows including ABC's "The View." The ads are the latest example of mainstream marketers attempting to infuse more diversity into their advertising, as Ad Age outlined today in a story about the new faces of advertising.

http://adage.com/article/see-the-spot/honey-maid-s-wholesome-families-includes-gay-couple/292074/