Oily bikini lady in rebreather ad

[Geoff_H]

And that, regardless of result, will prove what?

It could give some credence to your "broad range of society" agreeing with you

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=199100

 

[Geoff_H]

from Keep It Simple Stupid

By the way, it quite clearly shows Keep It Super Simple in the advert. If you clicked through to the website, you would find more about this (someone else already posted the text in this thread)

First page of the website (nothing else at ALL on the page)

REBREATHERS AND BOOSTERS

<logo>

SAFETY IN SIMPLICITY

 

[Thalassamania]

It could give some credence to your "broad range of society" agreeing with you

No, because this is a question not of what the majority sees, but what the individual perceives. I would neither claim victory or defeat from a poll. As Lewis Mumford wrote in The Conduct of Life, "What was once called the objective world is a sort of Rorschach ink blot, into which each culture, each system of science and religion, each type of personality, reads a meaning only remotely derived from the shape and color of the blot itself."

If you clicked through to the website, you would find more about this (someone else already posted the text in this thread)

And why one earth would I do that rather than adding the offensive item to my ad blocker?

 

[Kim]

Actually - I think the red lip image across her butt in the second picture is pretty funny too!

(I'm sure it was an accident! )

 

[Geoff_H]

No, because this is a question not of what the majority sees, but what the individual perceives. I

I made that point several posts ago - your reaction to the advert says more about you than it does the advert. Scroll back if you missed it !

However, you invoked the broad majority of people in your argument, so it will be interesting to see whether the broad majority of Scubaboard denizens agree with you or not.

 

[Geoff_H]

And why one earth would I do that rather than adding the offensive item to my ad blocker?

Maybe to find out of your prejudices were correct?

You already changed the wording of the advert from "Keep it Super Simple" to "Keep It Simple Stupid" so maybe challenging your prejudices is not an attractive option?

Often when people read something they will substitute the words they expect to see for the actual words on the page/screen. This is why an author proof-reading their own work will miss many simple mistakes - their mind knows what they wanted to say and they can easily miss what actually is on the page.

 

[tonka97]

attitudes to sex and body parts seems to be very much alive and kicking!

Without sex and body parts, there would be nothing alive.... understand???

Yes, your father and mother had carnal desires for one another, and Little Kimmy was the product.

Welcome to this great big sexy milieu called LIFE!

 

[Thalassamania]

However, you invoked the broad majority of people in your argument, so it will be interesting to see whether the broad majority of Scubaboard denizens agree with you or not.

You misquote me, what I said was, “… displays in the add a woman who appears to fit to a tee a broad range of society's stereotypes of a 'simple' woman.”

Maybe to find out of your prejudices were correct?

No, I’d find it meaningless in all cases.

You already changed the wording of the advert from "Keep it Super Simple" to "Keep It Simple Stupid" so maybe challenging your prejudices is not an attractive option?

I did not "change" wording of the ad, I noted that "KISS" is an acronym (known by one and all) that stands for "Keep It Simple Stupid." The ad makers are playing cute and skating on the edge to maintain plausible deniability.

 

[Blox]

You;re missing the point. If the product being advertised were say a Megalodon it'd just be another diving ad that showed a bit of skin ... hardly a new concept. But do you think that it is purely accidental that what this add does is take a product that is touted to "simple," and that is named for an [SIZE=-1]achronym that stands for "Keep It Simple Stupid," and that displays in the add a woman who appears to fit to a tee a broad range of society's stereotypes of a "simple" woman. If you do then you have less respect for the ad makers craft than I do. The crafted message that comes across to me is loud and clear and objectionable, "So simple that even a bimbo could do it." If you get a different message from the ad, that's fine, but to deny that the one I see in it exists is blind and self serving. And to call me a "sexist" because I recognize the message being pushing, well ... that's beyond the pale, but is exactly the kind of disembulation and inuendo that I have come to expect from Pete, who seems to think that honest disagreement is cause for personal animis. [/SIZE]

I'm not sure whether the above refers to my, NetDoc's or somebody else's post. I doubt it's mine, because I can not recall having called you a sexist

Nevertheless:

Well, first of all, as far as I am concerned, I'm merely expressing my point of view, as you express yours. As a European, I have been brought up in the belief that debate is healthy, disagreement is natural, and that one can disagree but still stay friends. Controversial debate has a long history in Europe. Disagreement over one issue should not result in opponents turning into personal enemies, as long as the debate stays respectful and reasoned.

I respect your point of view, but IMHO you are over-reacting, as far as the ad is concerned, and you are interpreting things into it, that I don't see the same way (and that NetDoc may not see that way either).

I understand your train of thoughts, but I disagree, because of the following reasons:
- On the first slide of the ad, showing the woman, the KISS brand is primarily associated with the kiss logo
- On the second slide, it says "Keeping It Super Simple", but it doesn't show the woman really (unless you count a bit of the back of her head, and a little scrap of her legs), but the clean rebreather setup.
- 3rd slide shows the guy and it says "keeping it super easy"
- 4th slide shows the woman and it says "keeping it super fun"
- 5th slide shows the couple with the "bringing excitement back into diving" slogan.

I am familiar with the KISS acronym, ofcourse, but it did not even cross my mind, because the ad offers the kiss logo to associated KISS with just that - a kiss - and also provides an alternative interpretation of the KISS acronym - Keeping It Super Simple.
I don't associate "simple" (or "stupid" for that matter) with the depicted woman, because they're not even on the same slide, and because I don't associate beautiful/sexy woman with intellectually challenged.
What sticks in my head is the repeated "Keeping It Super Simple/Easy/Fun and the image of a woman that appears like a recreational diver, who has a beaming smile on her face after a dive with the KISS rebreather, and the message I get is not "KISS rebreathers are so simple that even a bimbo could do it", but "KISS rebreathers are fun and can be used by ordinary mortals, and aren't only for hardcore tech divers".

The difference between you and I is, that your brain clicks differently from mine, and makes different associations and creates different links between images and words. There's nothing wrong with it. I can agree to disagree

What bothers me with your point of view (as it does bother me with others' points of view expressed here), is that that you assume the sublime message that the ad makers wanted the viewer to receive is "KISS rebreathers are So simple that even a bimbo could do it", which assumes (on you part) that
a) the manufacturer of this gear, who has certainly spent a great deal of thought and money on the advertising for his product, is willing to appeal to primitive instincts and presumably deep-seated prejudices towards beautiful/well-endowed women (considered as less intelligent than less attractive ones) to draw attention to his product and to drive the message home, thus trying to sell a 5000 Dollar piece of gear to people who are willing to identify themselves with a "Bimbo". And all of that while the manufacturer knows that rebreathers, even if the KISS may be relatively simple to operate, require extensive training to dive safely.
b) you assume the same of the advertising people who created the ad
c) you assume that the target group is consisting of people who see the ad and think "look at that Bimbo - she must be really stupid, because she's just too pretty to be smart, and if she can use that gear, even I can" and walk into the next shop to drop 5 Grand for a rebreather?

Sorry, but I just don't think that's the game plan by the manufacturer, and in my opinion it is objectionable to suggest that it is, because basically it paints the manufacturer and the advertising people as ruthless primitives, and the potential buyers/target audience as primitive, hormone driven and easily manipulated idiots.

If you look away from the ad, and look at it again trying to see it the way the manufacturer and his/her ad people may have wanted you to see it - KISS rebreathers are super simple/easy/fun - aiming at recreational divers (and don't forget, you are talking relatively wealthy rec divers who can afford the money to buy the gear, who are unlikely to have made enough money because they are dumb). If you do that, the ad may not appear sexist anymore, and all you see is a pretty woman who had fun diving a KISS rebreather.

Just my 2 Cents - agree or agree to disagree

 

[Kim]

Without sex and body parts, there would be nothing alive.... understand???

You can't wish them away...yes, your father and mother had carnal desires for oneanother, and Little Kimmy was the product. Welcome to this great big sexy milieu! Watch out, it is catching!!

So why is anyone trying to deny that that is the thrust of this advert?

I don't wish anything away - or live in a state of denial that it's THAT part of me someone is seeking to grab the attention of.

Those who are claiming some kind of innocent - "oh it's just for fun, and if you see it another way you're the perv" - stuff are the people who amaze me. If it would be true I find it naive in the extreme, but surely it can't still be true in 2007!!!!

And anyway....how do you know how my Mum and Dad felt. It was TRUE love I tell you!!! TRUE love! :blinking:

Carnal desires!!! .....yetch!!!