Monday, January 25, 2010

7474: The Pine-Sol Stink Continues.


Jim Edwards at BNET offers his counterpoint on Pepper Miller’s Pine-Sol post. There’s even another comment like one left at The Big Tent, with a probable Pine-Sol executive defending the work by offering a link to Pine-Sol’s community outreach program.

This is hardly the first time someone has questioned the insensitivity associated with the Pine-Sol character. The woman has been a source of controversy since at least 2003, and the criticism resurfaces with every ad.

It’s always bewildering to see defenders adamantly declare something is not racist, as if they’ve been handed the authority to dictate others’ responses. And technically, Miller did not state the ads were racist; rather, she noted the presence of stereotypical images. She’s not the first or only person to make the observation. She won’t be the last.

Of course, no one wants to address the consistent stereotypes and even racist imagery routinely coming from Omnicom. Guess it’s easier to focus on pooh-poohing the offended.

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