Snickers "Kiss" Super Bowl Ad Pulled

Gay Groups Call Commercial Featuring Men Accidentally Kissing Homophobic

(AP)  A commercial for Snickers candy bars launched in the Super Bowl broadcast was benched after its maker got complaints that it was homophobic.

The ad showed two auto mechanics accidentally kissing while eating the same candy bar and then ripping out some chest hair to do something “manly.” One of the alternate endings on the Snickers Web site showed the men attacking each other.

The Human Rights Campaign and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation complained to the maker of Snickers, Hackettstown-based Masterfoods USA, a division of Mars Inc., which also makes M&M's and other candies.

The Web site also featured video of players from the Super Bowl teams reacting to the kiss.

“This type of jeering from professional sports figures at the sight of two men kissing fuels the kind of anti-gay bullying that haunts countless gay and lesbian school children on playgrounds all across the country,” Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese said in a statement.

GLAAD spokesman Marc McCarthy said Tuesday the group believed “this kind of prejudice was inexcusable.”

Masterfoods spokeswoman Alice Nathanson issued a statement in which she said the company would stop running the ad on television and the Web site.

“As with all of our Snickers advertising, our goal was to capture the attention of our core Snickers consumer,” Nathanson wrote.

“Feedback from our target consumers has been positive. In addition, many media and website commentators of this year's Super Bowl commercial line-up ranked the commercial among this year's top ten best. USA Today ranked it 9 of its top ten picks,” she continued.

“We know that humor is highly subjective and understand that some people may have found the ad offensive. Clearly that was not our intent,” she wrote.

Masterfoods brands include Uncle Ben's rice, Pedigree dog food and Whiskas cat food. It is part of Mars Inc., a family-owned company.

[paviles394]

One day I hope companys will say "go to hell" to groups like this, it was a cute ad in fact it was one of the funnier ones & did no harm except to this humorless group.

[juliemd]

I saw the ad where they realize they're kissing and then they do the "manly" thing and rip off their chest hairs.

Dig this boys: I am gay and I thought the ad was hilarious.

But, reading some of your hateful, prejudiced, blogs here makes me realize we've a long way to go as a civilization to accept people and not judge.

BTW, I am a Christian, I know Jesus loves me, and when I die I am going to Heaven/Home, too. And, no, it's not a GAY heaven. But hopefully, a heaven without evil SOB white guys the likes of you all...here's me sticking my tongue out at you all. Now, make a heterosexist comment about that!!!!

[intn1]

It was just a commercial

[wny14127]

Once again the PC idiots raise their ire over a commercial that they find offensive. Of course, Mars in this case, runs for cover and does the bidding of the GLADD group.

It would have been interesting to see Mars tell the group to take a hike, and that Mars' surveys showed that most people were indifferent to the ad.

I'm surprised that PETA wasn't screaming over the Blockbuster ad and that some immigrant-rights group didn't complain about the Bud ad.

Time for the *** to stop pushing for acceptance of their lifestyle. Just deal with the fact that you are not universally accepted by everyone and probably never will be.

[ksrugger]

we knew what you meant, singinrick, and I agree with you. I, personally, don't consider it a 'sin' but that's a WHOLE other topic. But what you're saying; hate the sin, not the sinner is exactly how things SHOULD be.

[ksrugger]

or don't threaten to 'kill' me for being me.

[ksrugger]

I can only speak for myself. I have no problem when people want to speak their mind. I've stood up for the Phelps' out of Topeka, KS to have the RIGHT to speak their mind. I don't understand them nor their point of view, but anyone who asks me what I think will be told that I will fight for their right to say how they feel. It would make me a hypocrite if I didn't. The juvenile threats are what I personally object to. Say it's wrong, say you don't believe in it, but let me have the ability to stat how I disagree with you.

[ksrugger]

three-o-six, again with the lump assumptions...not ALL parents of g@ys and lesbians are in PSYCHOLOGICAL pain. There are some who might feel some pain, but there are some who don't. Trust me. And generally, the majority of parents who object to their children being g@y are worried that they will be harmed...hence the 'shooting fa@@ots' comments being inappropriate. There are exceptions to every "stereotype."

[three-o-six]

Homosexuality inflicts phycological pain!! Just ask a parent of one some time. So try again!!

[anopinion1]

Golden Rule (do unto others as you would have them do unto you)

The golden rule is fundamentally flawed. What about people that just love to get into fist fights. Everyone has seen these people around town or went to school with them. They love nothing more then to get into a fight and try to show how much of a bad-asss they are. So according to the golden rule this person wants other to pick fights with them so they should just go around and start throwing punches at people trying to get into fights.
Where i went to high school all be it a small town i can think of 4-5 people that easily fall into this category......