Mr. Wow Blog
Mr. Wow Ponders Pepsi and Fake Outrage
6:19 pm | April 6, 2017

Author: Mr. Wow | Category: Point of View | Comments: 39

Really?  Honestly?  Kidding me? 

These are the only things that have come to mind in the wake of the ridiculous over-reaction, and over-analysis of Kendall Jenner’s Pepsi ad.  I caught it—with dramatic buildup from CNN’s drama-queen deluxe, Don Lemon, Tuesday night.

    I was braced for the worst.  What did I see?  Miss Jenner—who I wouldn’t recognize walking down the street, unless somebody was holding a sign over her head with her name on it. 

    She is seen drifting through a bunch of pristine, model-worthy protesters made up of various genders, colors, religions (a smiling woman in traditional Muslim garb is issue-placed, photographing the event.)

   Kendall appears to be having some sort of internal activist struggle involving a blonde wig and her commitment to the cause—whatever the cause is.  Finally, holding a can of Pepsi, Miss Jenner approaches a stern-looking policeman, and hands him her soft drink. Happy protesters dance and cheer. The End.

   The CNN panel was, of course, horror-struck. OMG—it was trivializing Black Lives Matter and other important protest groups.  Miss Kendall was not fit to place herself in such an ad.  A pox on her, and Pepsi.     

   Well, I didn’t even think of Black Lives Matter, or any other particular group.  It seemed very amorphous, insipid, hippie-ish, and it was an ad for soda!   Since when is it new to trivialize, capitalize, sentimentalize or make money out of serious real life situations?   Coke urged the world to sing and everybody join hands.  Was that an insult to those to wanted peace on earth and general civility?

    Was Natalie Portman ever the wife of a slain president? Was Bradley Cooper a military sniper?  Was “Flying Nun” and “Gidget” actress Sally Field ever a poor, gritty factory worker for heaven’s sake?!

   This is an absurd reaction to the perceived (not incorrect) superficiality of Miss Jenner’s image and her flamboyant family. It is also fake outrage and hyper-sensitivity at its most annoying—like college students wanting “safe places” from opinions they don’t share.

    We live in a world where innocent women and children are the ho-hum collateral damage of battle in the Middle East; a world where hundreds of gay men are arrested, tortured and killed in Russia.  But Kendall Jenner and Pepsi are monsters.  The ad has been pulled. Apocalypse avoided.

    Now, a commercial that does annoy me is the new Volkswagen spot. Here, a young couple are shown having sex in a variety of cars (we see the vehicle shaking, with fogged-up windows).  Each time they do it, they have another baby and get a bigger car.  I think it ends with five children.

    Not only is it a bit tasteless (can’t these people get a room?) But it totally ignores the very real issue of earth’s overpopulation as well as cash-poor American states such as Louisiana, New Mexico, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, etc. (Are the down-and-out residents of these states thinking, yeah, let’s get a brand new car, every time we make a brand new baby—no problem.)   I’d love to know who—other than Volkswagen–is sponsoring this paean  to endless, cheery, childbearing?  This, in a U.S. where middle-class families struggle to prosper, even with both parents working full-time.

   And the ad was surely conceived by a man. After multiple back-to-back births the woman still looks trim and energetic.  The husband has grown some stylish facial hair.

     Let’s see Don Lemon and CNN do a six-panel 45-minute segment on that.

 

Comments:
  • Claudia Parker

    Yay! And wow, Mr. Wow. Thanks for this. CP

    6:24 pm | April 6, 2017
    • Mr. Wow
      Thank you, Claudia.  Very few people I know agree with me.  Although to get them to say why exactly why the ad is terrible–that’s the hard part.  It’s stupid, silly, but not offensive or worthy of outrage. 
      6:54 pm | April 6, 2017
  • Mimi

    Am very glad that my antenna is broken and I do not have cable. I haven’t seen either of these ads. Read about the Pepsi one. The VW one sounds horrible. I’m fairly content to get my news from various newspapers. 
    I’ve missed you. I hope you and B are both well. 

    6:32 pm | April 6, 2017
    • Mr. Wow

      Thank you, honey.  We are.  You?

      6:47 pm | April 6, 2017
  • Mimi

    Old and sassy as the grandies say. 

    6:53 pm | April 6, 2017
  • Deirdre Cerasa

    I didn’t see the Pepsi commercial but I did see the VW one and I agree it is monumentally tone deaf. As far as the Kardashian Kashmir machine, perhaps if more of us ignore them they will fade away. Let’s hope so. As always, good to hear from you. Hugs to you and B. xo

    6:56 pm | April 6, 2017
  • Jean

    I agree. I think we have more important things to worry about, like REAL war and REAL discrimination. Who cares about an insipid young girl hawking Pepsi? “You know, I really thought she had more depth than that, I’m so disappointed.” Geeze.

    9:05 am | April 7, 2017
  • Rho

    I agree too.

    10:48 am | April 7, 2017
  • TheRudeDog

    Not to hi-jack the thread (as I proceed to hi-jack the thread), but this is relative to your comment about “cash-poor Tennessee:”The hubby and I were in Nashville last September (for him to accept a music-writing award, proud me) and, on our way back to the hotel from the Schermerhorn in a Uber, I asked the driver a pretty stupid but liquor-induced question.  All we had seen for the 3-4 days we’d been in that city were beautifully-landscaped homes, gorgeous rolling hills…just a stunning city.  So I, like an idiot, asked, “Where do the poor people in Nashville live?”  And the driver sensibly replied, “Oh, they’re all over.  They just don’t call on Uber much.”  I guess we all see what we want to see and go where we want to go and continue to not think of much but ourselves.  We can do so much better and, Mr. W, you help me think in that direction with wise and good words.  Thank you!

    12:20 pm | April 7, 2017
    • Mr. Wow
      Dear Jean, Rho and Rude–

      Thanks so much.  My liberal friends (I have only one conservative friend–he’s gay, a great guy and kinda lonely!)  hate this opinion of mine and I have had a number of frustrating arguments.   I keep saying, “We LOST.  Don’t you ever think about why?  And I don’t just mean Russia.” 

      This was a nice change from getting beat up.      xxxxMrW
      1:28 pm | April 7, 2017
      • Jean

        You’re welcome. Sometimes it IS them LOLOL

        2:39 pm | April 7, 2017
  • Rho

    You are very welcome.

    4:09 pm | April 7, 2017
  • lulu

    The best way to get companies to change idiotic ads is to stop buying the product they are promoting – I still remember, from eons ago, the wonderful continuing ad about a man and woman who are neighbors in an apartment building. He knocks on her door asking if he can borrow some coffee.  It was such a classy ad!!  I love European ads and tend to watch them on youtube when I can’t sleep in the middle of the night.We all must, conservatives, liberals, in-betweeners, start to take care of those around us. If we build ‘villages’ among ourselves to help, listen and understand one another, the ‘idiots’ will discover that mankind is not inhumane or ignorant.It is always better to discuss than to put blinders on and ignore!!So glad Mr. W has resurfaced!!

    2:13 pm | April 8, 2017
    • TheRudeDog

      And our years-ago Virtual Road Trip in Search of Mr. W proved that exact thing!  The 6-7-8 of us were our own little band of rowdies who looked out for one another, took one another into consideration always, actually waited for one another in a virtual world…!  It was all very bonding and silly and fun and adventurous and I don’t know about anyone else, but it made a huge impression on me relative to what a handful of complete strangers out there in the ether somewhere might be capable of.

      3:37 pm | April 8, 2017
      • Mr. Wow
        Dear Rude—after all this time, tho we’ve whittled down to a precious few, I am still connected and bonded and worry and feel guilty if I’m away too long.   I’m a better person for having become Mr. Wow. (as insanely over-reaching as that moniker is.  I remember years ago, somebody who wasn’t much of a fan, reacted negatively to a posting and referred to me as Mr. Not-So-Wow.  I laughed my ass off, and couldn’t have agreed more. )
        5:29 pm | April 8, 2017
        • lulu

          Somehow my answer to you got posted in wrong place – Yes we do need to take a road trip!!!Where???? When can end up at Mr W and B’s for Memorial Day

          10:14 pm | April 9, 2017
      • Deirdre Cerasa

        Exactly Rude Dog and we would do it all again if necessary! xo

        6:32 pm | April 8, 2017
      • lulu

        We all need to take a virtual tour again.  Let’s come up with where we want to go and end at Mr. W and B’s in time for Memorial Day.  Or any other ideas the gang can come up with .

        10:08 pm | April 9, 2017
    • Mr. Wow

      Lulu!  European ads are the greatest.  Just about a week ago I did the same thing–I am insomniac, and often turn to YouTube. I watched ads from abroad. I did not get to sleep until 5:30. (Then up at 7:30 to prepare the remnants of my mind for work.)

      5:23 pm | April 8, 2017
  • Rho

    Just wanted to wish a good holy week, and Passover, to those who celebrate.

    2:17 pm | April 9, 2017
    • Deirdre Cerasa

      Thank you Rho. Sitting here weaving palm fronds which reminds me of my mother. I add my good wishes to your’s.

      3:33 pm | April 9, 2017
      • Rho

        Good. I will be back tomorrow, they are picking me up soon, where our Seder will be.

        1:01 pm | April 10, 2017
    • Mr. Wow

      Thank you, Rho.  B. thanks you, too.

      2:56 pm | April 12, 2017
  • rick gould

    Hi, Mr. W!
    Thanks for the shout out in the Liz Smith column today.
    Here’s my latest piece, an appreciation for a gal who has been championed for years by Liz and Denis : )
    Cheers on a ‘snow day’ in Upper MI! Rick

    http://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2017/04/a-latter-day-doris-day-fan-fesses-up.html

    7:47 pm | April 11, 2017
    • Rho

      Thanks Rick. Wonderful.

      2:15 pm | April 12, 2017
      • rick gould

        People really LOVE Doris Day. I got all kinds of comments and over 1,100 hits in 24 hours…Crazy!
        Cheers, Rick

        7:12 pm | April 12, 2017
        • Deirdre Cerasa

          I love Doris too. For several years, Jonathon Schwartz interviewed her on his New York radio show. It was always fun. Your blog is terrific. How do I subscribe? I have looked at the page several times and do not see a place to subscribe. 

          8:43 pm | April 12, 2017
          • rick gould

            It seems to have disappeared…but you can follow me, which I would love! That’s just to the write of the blog body…thanks, Rick

            7:31 am | April 13, 2017
          • Deirdre Cerasa

            Will do! xo

            9:32 am | April 13, 2017
    • Mr. Wow

      you’re welcome, sweetie.

      2:57 pm | April 12, 2017
  • Lady

    Mr. Wow, I have always followed you since the beginning. I replied one time before. I wanted to share a story. My daughter brought home a plastic swan, she just adored it. So I had to look up the picture of your Easter Swan to show her.  Hope it is ready to bring you joy again this weekend. I am about as opposite as you can get from most on this site.  A conservative from Oklahoma, I believe that “All Americans Are Great.”   I get so much from reading about your life in New York and seeing all sides of life.  Let’s have a Pepsi and dance in the streets.

    2:28 pm | April 12, 2017
    • Mr. Wow
      Dear Lady (I am now tempted to do my Jerry Lewis impression–“Hey Laaaidy!”)

      What a lovely note. Thank you.  The swan is ever-ready. Although it always arrives by night, and leaves just as quietly.   I think sometimes we underestimate how alike we all basically are.  I hate the divisiveness, I don’t want to judge people for what they believe–just as I don’t wish to be judged in that way.  The very fact that you check in here now and then, shows that there is always room for considering–or at least not violently objecting to–some other view.  And, if you keep track, I’ve been pretty hard on my liberal friends as well, so–I do attempt to break my “bubble.” 

      My best to you and your daughter.    XXXMr.W
      2:55 pm | April 12, 2017
  • Rho

    Happy Easter, to all who celebrate.

    3:51 pm | April 14, 2017
    • Deirdre

      Happy Easter! 

      8:24 pm | April 14, 2017
  • lulu

    In honor of Mr. W’s swan – I prefer to rename the day – Happy Swan Day. That way we can all celebrate with each other and enjoy our vast differences. I bet we could all become friendly and settle for the center of the road so all Americans can live in peace and happiness
    Here’s to the glorious swan who lives at Mr. W and B’s home. May she live in all of our hearts forever!!!  Popping the cork on a bottle of champagne to share with everyone!!

    4:23 pm | April 16, 2017
    • Deirdre Cerasa

      Happy Swan Day! The champagne is delightful. I dropped a strawberry in mine. Slainte!!

      9:07 pm | April 16, 2017
    • Mr. Wow

      Lulu–lovely and sweet and hopeful! 

      12:49 pm | April 17, 2017
  • rick gould

    Happy Swan Day, nice, Lulu!Cheers, Rick

    8:31 pm | April 16, 2017
  • Deirdre Cerasa

    HI Mr WoW! Just checking in to say hello to you B and the wowettes. I thought of you this afternoon as the #unfit demented current resident of the White House doubled down on his “fire and Fury” against North Korea. In my more optimistic moments I believe it is a pissing contest and we all know how much he loves pee. At other times I remember the duck and cover drills from school (how absurd) and worry about family and friends. Sure hope the dude who carries the nuclear football is brave enough to hide it and the pentagon peeps will stand up for the country. 25th amendment please?  anyhoo if we are going to turn to ash, it’s been fun knowing you, B and the Wowettes and if we survive start writing yo us again!Hugs!!!

    10:04 pm | August 10, 2017
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