by Rachelle LeBlanc

Sigh. Who knew that an advertisement without pictures, featuring only some not-so-ambiguous text would elicit such a vehement response from the public?

I did. As soon as I saw the Coors Light/Maxim ad in question, which ran on the back page of the Martlet Oct. 7 and 14, I knew it was going to ruffle some feathers. Or at least, this is what I thought after I stopped laughing at it because of how dumb it was. Dumb, but catchy.

One ad read “Democracy in its finest, purest, firmest, roundest, smoothest form,” and the other, “Feel like a kid in a Candy, Mandy, Brandy and Sandy store.”

For such a terrible ad, seen by thousands, only a couple of those who saw it felt compelled to rail against the heinous moral dilemma it presented.

Objectifying women? Dear heavens, no! I feel the need to point out we have thrice run an ad for a ladies’ night at a local bar, featuring, dare I say it, not just words—nay—but photos of half-naked male dancers. Why did these campus crusaders not object to the blatant objectification of men? Or, what about the most recent Martlet cover, featuring a lovely lady of the roaring ’20s, holding up a drink in an old ad for an absinth company? Forget words—I spy a nearly naked nipple!

Let’s face it, college and university campuses are places of learning and partying. Why would a beer company run an ad about a contest for a very popular (for both guys and gals) magazine in campus papers? Because college-age girls are most likely the demographic that would try out for something like the Coors Maxim Girl Contest, and college-age boys are the target audience. I bet there is more than one girl at UVic who’s thought about trying out.

Maybe the objectification of women is horrible and wrong, but if it is, then the objectification of men should be given equal concern. I agree that the ad is pretty shallow, but that’s all I agree with. As for the letter printed in the Oct. 21 issue of the Martlet that accuses the Coors Light/Maxim ads of perpetuating rape and violence against women—I really don’t think this ad is to blame. In fact, probably the closest thing to violence it produced was the verbal aggression in the letters to the Martlet regarding the ad. Hmm . . . makes you think, I hope.