If you told us that two frat bros crawled out of FiDi, punched each other in their North Face vests, and slammed a Natty Light on each other's foreheads before miraculously being hit with the inspiration for Snickers' controversial 2007 Super Bowl commercial, we'd have to believe you. This advertisement, which depicts two auto mechanics nearly kissing in a "Lady and the Tramp" moment over a Snickers bar, has deep undertones of homophobia that did not go ignored. Even worse, it came with an accompanying website that showed the game's teams reacting to the male-on-male kiss, which shouldn't merit any reaction, much less an entire website's worth.
According to AdAge, the company fielded criticism from a number of organizations, including the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and the Human Rights Campaign, the latter of which slammed the advertisement in a statement. "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," said Joe Solmonese, the organization's president.
Weirdly enough, the advertising team behind the ad told AdAge that they asked GLAAD to review a commercial prior to the game. GLAAD didn't know if it was specifically the Snickers commercial, but regardless, the company ended up changing their minds the following day. Clearly, if it was for Snickers, they could have used the help. According to CBS News, the candy company ultimately pulled the ad.
