Ikea Ad Angers Thai TG Group

[Carolyn Marie]

I guess I can see the humor in this, but I also see the point of the activist group. What do you think?

http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-ikea-ad-transgender-thai-20130124,0,7221580.story

Carolyn Marie

[Guest Wendy F]

I thought it was funny honestly. The name of the ad is more offensive than the actual content. I believe that might be the woman who sang a male/female duet on Thailand's got Talent. She is very pretty.

[Guest (Lightsider)]

Some times the community can be over sensitive.... sigh.

[Carolyn Marie]

No one can know for sure, but I really don't think Ikea was trying to be offensive with this ad. I agree with you, Nicole, that if we never learn to laugh at ourselves, even just a little, we'll just get a reputation for being uptight, humorless bores. I've been doing this stuff long enough to know that, sometimes, we and the situations we get into, are just downright funny.

Carolyn Marie

[Guest (Lightsider)]

No one can know for sure, but I really don't think Ikea was trying to be offensive with this ad. I agree with you, Nicole, that if we never learn to laugh at ourselves, even just a little, we'll just get a reputation for being uptight, humorless bores. I've been doing this stuff long enough to know that, sometimes, we and the situations we get into, are just downright funny.

Carolyn Marie

Oh yeah. SOme of it is funny. Like when I walked out of the mens room with a guy right behind me to be seconds later Ma'amed by the store clerk. The gentleman who walked out of the bathroom behind me was right there at the counter when I got Ma'amed too. LOL I can only imagine what was going through his mind the entire time.

[Carolyn Marie]

Yup, or the time I walked into a Subway shop in London, tossed back the hood on my sweatsuit jacket, with my wig still inside the hood. No one in the shop even noticed as I fished out the wig and plastered it back on my head.

I still laugh to myself thinking about that.

HUGS

Carolyn Marie

[Guest (Lightsider)]

Yup, or the time I walked into a Subway shop in London, tossed back the hood on my sweatsuit jacket, with my wig still inside the hood. No one in the shop even noticed as I fished out the wig and plastered it back on my head.

I still laugh to myself thinking about that.

HUGS

Carolyn Marie

LOL! I am not sure what I would have done if I saw that.

[Guest Jaques]

i can see why they found it offensive but as has been said, sometimes we can take things too seriously,i thought it was hillarious - and of course we make jokes about all kinds of people, whether about their nationality, sexuality, religion, etc. sometimes they can be offensive but thats life.............i didnt see it as any kind of threat or damaging in any way - its steriotyping people thats all - they do it to men, women - arent all women obsessed with handbags and fluffy kittens? lol!

[Guest Delphinus]

we make jokes about all kinds of people, whether about their nationality, sexuality, religion, etc. sometimes they can be offensive but thats life.... its steriotyping people thats all - they do it to men, women - arent all women obsessed with handbags and fluffy kittens? lol!

I didn't have a problem with the ad from a TG perspective, particularly because it said "family" on the side. The real problem with the video is that it sterotypes women in general as raging shopaholics - along the handbag and fluffy kitten vein... I mean, I tend to like women who fall into these stereotypes but that's my own preference/ gendered upbringing, which does not follow the broader, more accurate range of feminine identity patterns.

Jacques, while I understand your comment, I don't think we should ever accept that "that's life." It isn't OK to joke about someones identity, and in that regard, gender is no more sacred than anything else. Stereotyping or mocking someones ethnicity or religion is just as harmful as disrespecting their gender identity, at least in my book. If someone really wants to challenge me for being and androgyne, Mediterranean, or self-described "multi-credo spiritual humanist," they'll get the same level of verbal thrashing. It just isn't right. Do we all do it? Yes. But just because it happens doesn't mean we should accept it within ourselves or from other people. My dad always said "just because it works, doesn't make it right." No one may complain about fluffy kittens but it still isn't right.

[Guest (Lightsider)]

I am spanish/mexican with Irish. If I were get a dime for every racist remark or a joke, I would be rich by now. Does it make it right? No. But I choose to let it go and in some cases laugh about it. There was a european commercial made some years ago.

There sat a Beautiful woman on an exam bed at a Doctors office. The doctor comes in and says something like "What can I help you with today?" and the woman says something like "Can you reverse the sex change?" and the Doctor said, "no...but you are beautiful!" Then the commercial ends with a car ad saying that you can return a car if you don't like it.

On the outside as I described it might sound like an very ugly commercail. But you know what? I laughed because I did not take is serious and saw it for what it was. Some can take the stand and condemn the commercial and get upset.

To each their own. I think how we react is a product of our environment and what we choose to do.

If some one walked up and called me dirty mexican (which has happened before) I would just walk away and laugh.

The bottom line is, the community needs to pick it's battles carefully and not complain about every percieved unjust act other wise we will have people walking on glass around us.

[Guest Jaques]

we make jokes about all kinds of people, whether about their nationality, sexuality, religion, etc. sometimes they can be offensive but thats life.... its steriotyping people thats all - they do it to men, women - arent all women obsessed with handbags and fluffy kittens? lol!

I didn't have a problem with the ad from a TG perspective, particularly because it said "family" on the side. The real problem with the video is that it sterotypes women in general as raging shopaholics - along the handbag and fluffy kitten vein... I mean, I tend to like women who fall into these stereotypes but that's my own preference/ gendered upbringing, which does not follow the broader, more accurate range of feminine identity patterns.

Jacques, while I understand your comment, I don't think we should ever accept that "that's life." It isn't OK to joke about someones identity, and in that regard, gender is no more sacred than anything else. Stereotyping or mocking someones ethnicity or religion is just as harmful as disrespecting their gender identity, at least in my book. If someone really wants to challenge me for being and androgyne, Mediterranean, or self-described "multi-credo spiritual humanist," they'll get the same level of verbal thrashing. It just isn't right. Do we all do it? Yes. But just because it happens doesn't mean we should accept it within ourselves or from other people. My dad always said "just because it works, doesn't make it right." No one may complain about fluffy kittens but it still isn't right.

i said "thats life", i didnt say it was ok

[Carolyn Marie]

Here's a follow up, with Ikea's apology.

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/ikea-thailand-apologize-offensive-ad-featuring-transgender-person260113

Carolyn Marie

[Guest Jaques]

oh and Delphinus - just to let you know - I LIKE FLUFFY KITTENS TOO - (but the missus wont let me have one) - and i have a man bag which she bought me because i always put my stuff in her handbag when we go out lol!