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JCPenney launches Father's Day ad with two dads, presumably to spite One Million Moms
By Samantha SimonMay 31st, 2012, 12:30 pmComments (22)
JCPenney recently launched a very special Father's Day ad featuring a real live gay couple and their adorable children. Dads Todd Koch and Cooper Smith and their kids, Claire and Mason, are so damn cute, it's hard to imagine anyone who would want to tear it all apart. Or actually, maybe it's not that hard.
I want you to do something for me. Picture one million conservative soccer moms opening up their mailboxes and seeing that ad at the top of the pile. What do you think their reaction will be? (Quick thought for a viral video: can we put video cameras in mailboxes? That's still legal, right?)
A couple months ago, the professionally uptight offshoot of the American Family Assocation, One Million Moms, attacked JCPenney for hiring Ellen DeGeneres as the company's new spokesperson. It is speculated, and most likely true, that this new campaign is a direct response to criticism from One Million Moms With Something Up Their Butt. JCPenney refused to cave in to the pressure, DeGeneres remains spokesperson, and this ad simply does not give a fuck.
Here's the text: "First Pals: What makes Dad so cool? He's the swim coach, tent maker, best friend, bike fixer and hug giver - all rolled into one. Or two." You see that? Nothing about attacking traditional marriage or eroding the social mores that bind this country together. Just a family of people who love each other. And one million uptight moms won't change that.
Commentarium (22 Comments)
Go JC Penney!
Well this makes me regret my recent bitching somewhere else about the recent changes to the shopping experience at JCP. I too would love to see the faces of these "Million" women (I believe there are about 40 of them in actuality) when they get that ad.
JCP still sucks and is circling the drain.
One Million Moms need One Million Stiff Cocks to bukkake on them and maybe then they would lighten up.
Jesus, dude. How is hateful, misogynistic crap an appropriate response to homophobia?
Thank you, Dean Peters. Exactly right.
JC Penneys is a for profit company, not a social activist organization.
The TINY percentage of the population who are gay may cheer this but the vast majority are indifferent or negative. If I was a shareholder I would be pissed at the management. How many gays shop at JC Penneys?
How many people will be annoyed at this and not shop there? That's the simple equation.
How many people who never think to shop at JCPenny will get excited about their stance on homosexuality and decide to give the store a shot? I haven't been in a JCPenney for probably 10 years, but I'm certainly tempted to give them my money now!
Wow, so that's sure to turn them around!
Once agains, Gays, TINY PERCENTAGE of the population.
That management is focused on this sort of gimmick doesn't bode well for the company.
Actually, Greg, those of us who aren't white, heterosexual males have been having a few tough weeks at the office thanks to the GOP and their constant attacks on our civil rights. It doesn't matter that a minority being featured is a "tiny percentage of the population," they're still a PART OF THE POPULATION and there's nothing wrong with a company presenting this part of the population as a friendly life experience, any more than any other.
When companies like JC Penney make statements like this, they're helping to put the fundamentalist fringe in its proper place.
Yes to AlexT's response. And the naysayers can make fun of it all they want, the fact is, as Ron said, that many people who didn't shop there before are now looking into it.
greg is a homophobe people like him are responsible for the holocaust. people like him are the reason al queda attacked on 9/11
If you think this sort of campaign is meant to ONLY appeal to homosexuals -- who have a disproportionate amount of disposable income, and higher-than-average brand loyalty BTW -- you have no idea how advertising works.
Looks like it targets Homo's to me.
Do the math 2 percent of the population effectively negates any spending advantage.
Plus I seriously doubt that JC Pennies is a store frequently by gays.
And finally ... Advertising doesn't work period.
I think you're both full of it. When I saw the picture I thought I was looking at two dads playing with their kids. How do you possibly get the two men are homosexual? They look normal to me.
Regular Guy. Normal. Exactly. I think that's the idea.
Exactly, Point. They don't look homosexual to me.
There's some serious clashing going on with those shirts.
I think it is disgusting, but I don't agree with denying them their rights as equal members of humans.
I am not sure what that makes me.
An awesome human being for being respectful of others even if their lifestyle is not agreeable to you.
Personally, I don't like their new marketing with the Fair and Square deals. Mainly because I want damn coupons because I'm poor. XD
As for this ad, I've never met anyone from the gay male demographic that shops there for himself but with if he shops for his son or daughter here? The ad is really cute. I like it.
People need to not be so nieve and accept the fact that homosexuals have rights too. It's not all about the straight people. Truth of the matter is those two dads are probably better parents than a majority of the population and straight people are pissed that they are getting shown up