9080: Hail To The C. Colbert, That Is.

It was only a matter of time. Stephen Colbert critiqued the Summer’s Eve “Hail to the V” campaign, and even created a male companion to the talking vajayjays. Note how the studio audience is laughing at the brand, not with the brand. The Richards Group will probably tell their client that the campaign has connected with popular culture—when it has actually connected with popular cultural cluelessness. Ultimate Fail to the V.

9079: Jetpacks Is Back And Selling Shoes.

The NASA space shuttle program may be over, but Jetpacks is relaunching Where’s My Jetpack? into the blogosphere. After a hiatus, the blog is back and selling women’s shoes on the side.

9078: Speaking French With Modern Mad Men.

Sorry for the Lobsters and beating a dead horse, but wanted to briefly re-examine Neil French and the alleged gender discrimination on Madison Avenue.

To briefly recap, French made sexist comments when asked about the lack of female creative directors during a professional engagement in 2005. French has consistently insisted that he was joking, and that anyone attending the event would have realized it (although a number of people reportedly exited in the middle of French’s presentation—and Nancy Vonk clearly was not amused). According to various sources, French said women usually leave the industry “to go suckle something,” and added, “You can’t be a great creative director and have a baby and keep spending time off every time your kids are ill … Everyone who doesn’t commit themselves fully to the job is crap at it.” French has never denied making these statements, and even defended his position in a later interview by saying, “A belligerent question deserves a belligerent answer. The answer is, They don’t work hard enough. It’s not a joke job. The future of the entire agency is in your hands as creative director.”

At the time of the incident, French was the Worldwide Creative Director for WPP, and he inevitably resigned when the proverbial shit hit the fan. But to be clear, his comments were grounds for dismissal, as one could easily argue that such declarations would create a hostile and discriminatory work environment for women. As WPP Overlord Sir Martin Sorrell recently admitted about his company, “We don’t recruit people very well, we don’t assess them very well, we don’t give them feedback very well.” It would not help the hiring efforts to also be known as a female-unfriendly enterprise.

Given the continuing controversy surrounding gender imbalance on Madison Avenue, at least in regards to creative directors, one must wonder if the people in power (i.e., White men) really think there is an issue. Why? Well, consider this. If French had made the exact same comments and replaced women with Blacks or Latinos, he would have been branded as the Michael Richards of the industry, and probably shunned and condemned by everyone. However, a number of prominent admen have come forward to praise French and his book, including Mike Hughes, David Droga, Mark Tutssel, Bob Scarpelli, Lee Clow, Jeff Goodby and Graham Fink.

So is there a problem with the “dearth of dames” leading creative teams and departments? Or deep down, do modern Mad Men support French’s viewpoint along with his book?

9077: DDB Likes KKK.

DDB, Buenos Aires, Argentina produced the ad above for Los Inrockuptibles. Guess DDB in Argentina is competing with DDB Brasil for the ignorance-masquerading-as-innovation award.

Via Ads of the World

9076: Eulogies Brought To You By Madison Avenue.

What is it about death that makes Madison Avenue types so clumsy? Like the antics that transpired after Mrs. Blankenship croaked on AMC series Mad Men, it seems impossible for adpeople to address the deceased with any amount of courtesy and dignity.

For example, Adweek managed to show its ignorance by running a piece that pointed out the “bad timing” of Elizabeth Taylor’s death in March, saying media coverage of the event would be diminished because the Hollywood icon died too late in the week. (Note: the Adweek story originally generated a comments thread filled with complaints and criticism for the reporter and publication—but the thread has mysteriously vanished.)

The death of Amy Winehouse prompted AdFreak to post “The Most Uncool Ad Ever Made Featuring Amy Winehouse”—a decidedly uncool tribute. The Huffington Post, meanwhile, let Award Winning Entrepreneur and Marketer Tricia Fox launch a perspective titled, “Amy Winehouse’s Untimely Death Is a Wake-Up Call for Small Business Owners.” Wow. Just wow.

9075: Sports Stars Splitsville.

The late-breaking-up news with a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Does anyone know why Tiger Woods’ ex-caddy—Steve Williams—is more upset about breaking up with the golfing great than Woods’ ex-wife was over the marital split?

• Chicago Bears Quarterback Jay Cutler dumped his fiancée of three months—former “Hills” star Kristin Cavallari. Looks like his Bears teammates aren’t the only ones to get abandoned by Cutler.

9074: Translating Chinese Advertising.

According to this ad, China wakes up to at least 1 new fast food outlet every day. This means at least two things: 1) There will be a lot of unhealthy Chinese people within the next decade, and 2) Chinese people can look forward to a lot of shitty commercials like this one.


According to this ad, China will open 97 new airports by 2020. But until then, the current Chinese airports will be handling traffic like the scene depicted here.

Via Ads of the World

9073: More “Hail To The V” Social Commentary.

MultiCultClassics was only semi-kidding when suggesting that Goodby, Silverstein & Partners and The Richards Group should call in Edelman when facing PR nightmares. At very least, agencies need to be extremely careful about crafting responses, as things can easily backfire on the World Wide Web. For example, an AdFreak post for the “Hail to the V” campaign generated a comments thread featuring the highlighted statements above. Stacie Barnett, a principal at
Richards Partners (the public relations division of The Richards Group), screwed up for no less than three reasons:

1. Since Michael Wolff took over Adweek, the trolls and nutcases leaving comments routinely rival the insane asylum conditions at AgencySpy. This ain’t the place for professional debate.

2. Barnett put the spotlight on The Richards Group’s “multicultural experts” again. Like it or not, RichardsLerma and Shift have been virtually under the radar for years, perhaps allowing The Richards Group to quietly create its own version of “cross-cultural” marketing. Regardless, it’s unfair to throw the minorities under the bus. As many critics have pointed out, the racial/ethnic components of the talking vajayjay spots are only one reason for the campaign’s awfulness.

3. This is also not the time to defend the diversity of The Richards Group. Especially when scrolling through the agency’s leadership tells the story quite clearly.

Here’s some free advice from MultiCultClassics to The Richards Group: End all public announcements regarding “Hail to the V” immediately. Hide under your desks until Summer’s Eve is ready to issue its apology and pull the campaign. Then say it was a great opportunity to get women to talk about a taboo topic, everyone learned a lot from the experience and you hope to continue the conversation with a fresh round of breakthrough messages.

9072: Cashing In On Economic Collapse.

Talk about playing off the paranoia generated by the debt ceiling drama. It’s a wonder the copy didn’t include, “Act Now! The End Is Near!”

9071: Levy Looking For A Few Good White Men.

Advertising Age reported Publicis Groupe Chairman-CEO Maurice Levy is eyeing multiple candidates to succeed him. The corporate website is undergoing maintenance at the time of this posting, but it once boasted, “We Are Multicultural.” MultiCultClassics bets the likelihood of a non-White successor are slim to nil; plus, Levy literally announced women are out by remarking, “I am absolutely committed to making sure we find the right person, someone who understands the culture, is aggressive, entrepreneurial, a good adman and understands the numbers.” And if the Great White Hope fails to materialize, expect Levy to simply extend his own reign again.

Levy on Succession: ‘I’m Training More Than One’

Approaching 70, Publicis Groupe Chairman-CEO Says He Wants to Give Board Multiple Options

By Emma Hall

Maurice Levy appears to be opening up the race to succeed him as chairman-CEO of Publicis Groupe to new contenders, less than four months after he heaped new responsibilities on his heir apparent, Jean-Yves Naouri.

In a chatty response to an analyst’s question during a webcast about Publicis’ second-quarter results last week, Mr. Levy said he is spending time with a “few people” without their knowing he is assessing or even training them for the big role. “I’m training more than one person because I don’t want only one horse in the race. It is my responsibility to give the board many options.”

Mr. Levy turns 70 in February, and the group’s board of directors recently raised the age limit for board members to 75 to give him more time for the search, although Mr. Levy indicated he intends to retire well before that age.

Mr. Levy in late March added the title executive chairman of Publicis Worldwide to Mr. Naouri’s duties. That was seen as confirmation that he was Mr. Levy’s likely successor and a move to give him the broader experience running a global network that he lacks. A year earlier, when Publicis decided to delay Mr. Levy’s retirement, originally set for the end of 2011, Mr. Naouri was made chief operating office of Publicis Groupe.

It’s not clear what’s changed, but it looks like Mr. Naouri now faces some competition for the top job.

Mr. Levy, talking about reaching the end of his career, said, “If you read between the lines you understand that I’m not the kind of guy who would like to have a bad year and leave with people saying, “It’s about time he’s leaving.’ I am absolutely committed to making sure we find the right person, someone who understands the culture, is aggressive, entrepreneurial, a good adman and understands the numbers.”

9070: The Breast Doll Ever.

From The Chicago Tribune, here’s a companion piece of sorts to an earlier post on breastfeeding.

Is America ready for Breast Milk Baby?

Doll sparks debate ahead of debut

By Erin Meyer, Tribune reporter

Debate about a toy doll is brewing as its maker, a Spanish company called Berjuan Toys, prepares to start marketing the Breast Milk Baby in the U.S.

Designed for children 2 and older, the interactive doll simulates breast-feeding. It comes with a special halter top for the child to wear, featuring two flowers in the chest area that represent nipples. When Breast Milk Baby comes in close proximity with the flowers, it makes a suckling sound as though imitating a nursing infant. The doll also cries when it’s time to eat and burps after the meal.

The doll, known as Bebe Gloton in Europe, could be available in the U.S. soon if things go well for Berjuan Toys at a Las Vegas trade show July 31-Aug. 3.

“Acting just like ‘mommy,’ girls can learn another natural nurturing skill about taking care of a baby. Just like changing, bathing, swaddling, singing, rocking to sleep, and cuddling for a healthy baby,” company spokesman Dennis Lewis said in a news release.

In anticipation of Breast Milk Baby’s debut, supporters and opponents are weighing in.

“Children learn their adult roles through play,” said Seana Huizenga of the Lincoln Park chapter of La Leche League, a breast-feeding advocacy group. “It’s a cinch to find a toy bottle, but it’s impossible to find a breast-feeding doll.”

But Gigi Williams, owner of Gigi’s Dolls & Sherry’s Teddy Bears in Chicago, said she won’t stock the doll.

“You can put me down as a no thank you,” said Williams, who has been in business for 39 years. “I think they’ve gone too far, and I don’t think the children need that.”

Another Chicago toy store owner said she would jump at the chance to sell the doll at Galt Toys + Galt Baby.

“I will carry this one,” said Minya Oh, adding that she does not often stock interactive dolls.

“The child doesn’t attach the feelings to the interactive dolls,” she said. “But this one — I think it’s a very positive thing for the child to pretend with the mother.”

Huizenga said outcry by opponents of Breast Milk Baby is a reflection of a culture that stigmatizes breast-feeding.

“You realize how much the culture is against it still,” she said. “I am glad to hear there’s a doll like that out there.”

According to thebreastmilkbaby.com, the doll is intended to allow young girls to “express their love and affection in the most natural way possible, by simulating natural nursing.”

Dr. Larry Gartner, professor emeritus of pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Chicago, suggested that the breast-feeding doll could be an effective teaching tool for children.

“It is something that children often do themselves … to imitate the mother,” Gartner said from his California home. “It’s the adults who are making it a sexual issue. I wish some psychiatrist would delve into why some people have negative responses to breast-feeding and figure it out.”

The controversy, company officials say, is evidence that the U.S. could benefit from more breast-feeding education.

“In Europe, it provoked some surprise, but not the controversy that it has caused in the States,” Lewis said. “The attitude that breast-feeding should be hidden illustrates why (the doll) is important.”

9069: Sorry For The Lobsters—And Sexist Honesty.

MultiCultClassics just posted a perspective referencing Neil French, oblivious to the fact that he has published a new book titled, “Sorry For The Lobsters.” Additional promotion for the book may be seen here. Many prominent admen—and a few adwomen—praised French and his book, making one wonder if the old guy may inevitably become to Madison Avenue what, say, Pete Rose is to Major League Baseball. Or will French pull off a Michael Vick-like comeback? Hey, even Marv Albert rebounded from arguably worse circumstances.

It is interesting to note, however, that MultiCultClassics questioned advertising agencies’ male leaders for their lack of public support in addressing the “dearth of dames” on Madison Avenue. Yet lots of those admen are now gushing over French, who sorta symbolizes the issue of alleged gender discrimination in our industry.

The book cover subhead reads, “One man’s struggle to get out of advertising.” A quick how-to on achieving that feat may be seen here.

9068: Misadventures Of Real Mad Men.

The New York Daily News reported on a harassment suit involving a prominent adman, and went so far as to liken the alleged wrongdoings to the shenanigans displayed in AMC series Mad Men by Don Draper. Um, based on the photo above, this guy is probably closer to Lane Pryce.

Maid’s harassment suit claims ad exec Leo-Arthur Kelmenson is a madman, pervy ‘Mad Men’ wannabe

By John Marzulli, Daily News Staff Writer

An 84-year-old renowned advertising executive is accused of hitting on a housekeeper in his Southampton home — like a lustful character from “Mad Men.”

Leo-Arthur Kelmenson, who headed the firm Kenyon & Eckhardt, seemed to be channeling hunky Don Draper, according to a complaint filed in Brooklyn Federal Court.

Ex-housekeeper Kristine Mandell, 52, claims in the suit that Kelmenson sexually harassed her in 2010, including offering her $2,000 for a “sexual massage,” inappropriate touching, talking dirty and inviting her to a sex club.

“He described in vivid detail sexual acts with the specific intent of trying to excite [Mandell] and to participate in sex acts with her,” the complaint says.

Mandell’s lawyer Scott Brody said even after Kelmenson fired his client he continued calling her and soliciting sex.

Besides seeking unspecified damages for the harassment, Mandell claims she is owed about $30,000 in pay.

A woman who identified herself as Kelmenson’s wife, Gayle, told the Daily News her husband was unavailable for comment.

“There’s no merit to the claim,” she said. “It’s extortion.”

9067: 700+ Words With Cornel West.

From The New York Times…

Cornel West Flunks the President

By Andrew Goldman

What’s with the black suit, white shirt, black tie outfit you always wear? Do you have anything else in your closet?
I’ve got four black suits that I circulate, and they are my cemetery clothes — my uniform that keeps me ready for battle.

Your cemetery clothes?
It’s ready to die, brother. If I drop dead, I am coffin-ready. I got my tie, my white shirt, everything. Just fix my Afro nice in the coffin.

So let me ask you: in 2007, you introduced Barack Obama as your “brother, companion and comrade.” But in May, you referred to him as “the black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs” and the “head of the American killing machine.” What in the world happened?
It was a cry from the heart. What happened was that greed at the top has squeezed so much of the juices of the body politic. Poor people and working people have not been a fundamental focus of the Obama administration. That for me is not just a disappointment but a kind of betrayal.

But you have also acknowledged that this is more than just political — you’ve said that after campaigning for him at 65 events, you were miffed that he didn’t return your phone calls or say thank you.
I think he had to keep me at a distance. There’s no doubt that he didn’t want to be identified with a black leftist. But we’re talking about one phone call, man. That’s all. One private phone call.

He was running a successful candidacy for president. He might have been busy.
So many of the pundits assume that it’s just egoism: “Who does Cornel West think he is? The president is busy.” But there’s such a thing as decency in human relations.

O.K., but did you also have to say that Obama “feels most comfortable with upper-middle-class white and Jewish men who consider themselves very smart”?
It’s in no way an attempt to devalue white or Jewish brothers. It’s an objective fact. In his administration, he’s got a significant number of very smart white brothers and very smart Jewish brothers. You think that’s unimportant?

When Larry Summers was president of Harvard, he told you your rap album was an “embarrassment” to the university, and you quit soon after. He was one of Obama’s first appointments. Did that strike a particular feeling in your heart?
I couldn’t help it. I’m a human being, indeed. Given the disrespect he showed me? Oh, my God. Again, it’s political much more than it’s personal. Summers was in captivity to Wall Street interests. But it’s personal too.

You have 30 seconds of private time with the president — what do you say to him?
I would say: “Look at that bust of Martin Luther King Jr. in the Oval Office and recognize that tears are flowing when you let Geithner and others shape your economic policy, when you refuse to focus on poor and working people or when you drop the drone bombs that kill innocent civilians. Tim Geithner does not represent the legacy of Martin King.”

How can Obama be the president you want him to be when he’s facing this Republican Congress?
I’ll put it this way, brother: You’ve got to be a thermostat rather than a thermometer. A thermostat shapes the climate of opinion; a thermometer just reflects it. If you’re just going to reflect it and run by the polls, then you’re not going to be a transformative president. Lincoln was a thermostat. Johnson and F.D.R., too.

You lament in your book “Race Matters” that there’s a lack of black leadership. You’re smart, very charismatic — why did you never become what we would consider a black leader in the mold of Martin Luther King or Malcolm X?
Well, one, it’s because we live in an age where there are no movements. But second, and most important, I have to be true to my calling. Martin King’s calling was to be a Christian preacher. Mine is much more linked to the life of the mind and being able to move back and forth. This weekend I was with Bootsy Collins at B.B. King’s. We wrote two songs together on his new album — that’s just one context where I try to play a very important role outside the academy. But my calling is still one of being an intellectual warrior and spiritual soldier.

9066: The Best Of The Breast.

Does Tina Turner deserve compensation for this headline?


Does Tim McGraw deserve compensation for this product’s name?


Does Hooters deserve compensation for this product’s name?

9065: Talent Zoo’s Day Off.

Did Talent Zoo really secure the rights to using Ferris Bueller imagery? Somebody better search the job listings for a lawyer to handle the impending copyright infringement lawsuit.

9064: Ch-Ch-Ch-Chiat\Day This Is Not.

This Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia Omega-3 commercial is almost as annoying as the original Chia Pet commercial.


Who would have thought there might be nutritional benefits in eating your Chia Obama.

9063: Neil French’s Spirit Is Alive And Well.

The recent fiascos involving the California Milk Processor Board and Summer’s Eve put an exclamation point on the continuing debate surrounding the alleged lack of women holding power positions within the advertising industry.

In both cases, the responsible dimwits insisted the offensive campaigns were inspired by research and insight. However, they seem oblivious to the reality that research and insight are useless if adpeople don’t know how to interpret it, and turn it into relevant, relatable and breakthrough messages. Stan Richards reported that in-house multicultural experts approved his agency’s campaign. But did The Richards Group or Goodby, Silverstein & Partners ask female experts to vet the sexist and insulting bullshit?

Sure, some might argue that the Summer’s Eve “Hail to the V” campaign was co-created by an adwoman. Based on viewing The Richards Group’s leadership, however, it would be hard to argue that females are not minorities in the shop. So it can’t be easy for a woman to exert authority and credibility in such an environment—which, incidentally, is a pretty typical environment for Madison Avenue.

The challenges to addressing the “dearth of dames” issue are multifold. For starters, there is not consensus among women regarding the root problem—or that a problem even exists. Certain women say, “We need mentors.” Others insist there’s not enough qualified talent. Still others claim women make life choices that prohibit moving upward in agencies. And female leaders have actually remarked the glass ceiling is a thing of the past. Yeah, it’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind. Yet on Madison Avenue, the ladies apparently can’t make up their minds at all.

Equally troubling are the invisible men. That is, when was the last time anyone heard a male leader publicly weigh in on the matter? The Neil French debacle took place in October 2005, and the Old Boys’ Club has been relatively quiet since then. Interestingly enough, there were flashes of relevant conversation in a comment thread at AgencySpy. While blog visitors ripped the latest creative honcho to join Draftfcb, someone asked why CCO candidates “have to be balding/bald, early 40’s men who have slightly eccentric backgrounds.” The question set off a range of replies including:

I think Joyce King Thomas, Sally Hogshead, Diane Rothschild, Helayne Spivak and a whole lot of others just choked on your ignorance. Nobody is holding you down just because you are a woman. Get over yourself and do some good work.

:::

There are plenty of successful women in advertising. You do not have much of a point.

:::

Oh God. Leave gender out of it and you’ll go farther.

You do realize the highest paid person in advertising during the 1960s was a woman, right? Women have been on top, there are women on top. If you’re a woman and you’re not on top, you only have you to blame. Go make a kick-ass project that will make your client spend money they don’t have and get noticed.

:::

Because women, generally, do not have the inclination to dedicate their lives to their career like men do. As proven by many, many studies of time spent on the job in a variety of industries.

Note: this does not make one gender better than the other. It points to different priorities.

:::

But many people don’t want to hear that. A very simple investigation reveals that there is very little evidence of any gender discrimination in the workplace *all things being equal. Simply put, women are much more likely to become (who woulda thunk it) Mommies and/or experience a shift in priorities. Sure, some end up “doing it all,” but basic human gender differences explain 99% of any discrepancy in pay and position. Still, for some, correlation automatically equals causation, and we have to waste our time arguing about things that have already been successfully argued about.

:::

The vast majority of people killed in wars are males, but I don’t see women clamoring to register for the draft or fight on the front lines.

92% of people who die on the job are men, but I don’t see women clamoring to be coal miners or prison guards or whatever other dangerous job.

I guess women only want equality when it is a cushy job in the front office.

:::

You know what? The work of Kara Goodrich and Sally Hogshead alone proves women can do anything men can do creatively.

But you know what else? I would be very hesitant to hire a woman in her child-bearing years into a management position in an agency I owned. Creative? Sure. ECD? Probably not.

A woman who’s already had kids and has a stay-at-home husband? Absolutely.

And I think most other men feel the same way. For better and worse.

:::

So many women bitch and moan about this, but I wonder how many would be willing to even consider marrying a less-successful man and having him stay home as a house-husband.

The reality is, men are driven to achieve in part because it attracts the attention of women. And women seek powerful males for safety and financial resources for themselves and their babies.

50 years of feminist claptrap do not change hundreds of thousands of years of evolution. But try telling that to the dimwits who think the world was created when Betty Freidan wrote "The Feminine Mystique."

:::

It’s funny how the feminists are accusing us of being sexist, yet they’re the ones who are obsessed with counting how many penises and vaginas there are in top creative roles. But I guess that’s what it takes to dehumanize the individual and construct a false “Oppressor” and “Oppressed” mythology about corporate America.

:::

The reason why more men don’t make their opinions known on this issue is because the minute ANY man says ANYTHING public about ANYTHING regarding gender, they get ripped to pieces by the gender grievance industrial complex. But women get to say whatever damn thing they please about men, and everyone just smiles and nods. I guess that must be because we live in a patriarchy, right?

It’s impossible to guess how accurately the anonymous comments reflect the official Mad Men perspective. But it appears the spirit of Neil French is alive and well.

To complete the ambivalence, try locating a female companion for the Madison Avenue Project, BrandLab, MAIP or assorted inner-city youth outreach programs. No agency bigwig has admitted, “We have to do better,” or “We have a long way to go,” when referring to female representation in the corner offices. Don’t expect the New York City Commission on Human Rights or NAACP to step in either. And it would look odd for 4As President-CEO Nancy Hill to make a stand. ANA President-CEO Bob Liodice, on the other hand, might shoot a video that everyone would ignore.

Given the fuzzy-to-lackluster enthusiasm for promoting adwomen, it’s uncertain when and if anything will be done. In the meantime, when faced with another crisis like the ones ignited by the “Got PMS?” and “Hail to the V” campaigns, Goodby and Richards should emulate Rupert Murdoch and call in Edelman.

9062: Coors Light Chica Grabs Your Sack.

Coors Light speaks to Latinos pretty much the way it speaks to all other demographics—via gratuitous shots of chicks in bikinis peppered with sophomoric sexual innuendos. This Sexy Chica commercial depicts a hottie dealing with a large sack. Of ice. She even breaks out of her Spanish dialogue to deliver lines like, “So don’t be afraid to bang it around”—presumably for crossover appeal. And there’s an interactive component that leads to more of the same. Since being uploaded about a month ago, the spot has only generated under 3,500 views. Critique: Chica está mucho skinny. The sack dance would have generated greater jiggling with a Sofia Vergara or Salma Hayek lookalike. Hey, if Old Navy can feature a Kim Kardashian wannabe, why not?

9061: The Richards Group Responds.

AdFreak reported The Richards Group insists their “Hail to the V” spots are not racist. Here’s the official agency perspective:

Agency founder Stan Richards offers this statement to Adweek: “We have a wonderful client that recognizes no matter what they do, marketing in the feminine hygiene category is going to provoke a reaction. After listening to thousands of women say they want straight-talk and lighthearted communication on a historically-uncomfortable topic, Summer’s Eve gave us license to be bold, irreverent and celebratory across a multitude of mediums and to different audiences. We are surprised that some have found the online videos racially stereotypical. We never intended anything other than to make the videos relatable, and our in-house multi-cultural experts confirmed the approach. The more important mission is to get women talking about taboo topics and we hope these negative sentiments don’t overshadow that effort.”

Wow. Where to begin?

When will the culturally clueless of the ad world realize that no one can decide for others whether or not something is racist? To declare that something is not racist demonstrates arrogance of the highest order. In fact, it often makes the person declaring something is not racist actually look like a racist.

Richards joined Summer’s Eve Director of U.S. Marketing Angela Bryant in stating, “[T]housands of women say they want straight-talk and lighthearted communication on a historically-uncomfortable topic.” Um, has anyone shared the finished campaign with the thousands of women and asked, “Is this what you meant?”

Richards revealed “our in-house multi-cultural experts” approved the campaign. Are these the same bozos who green-lighted Chad and Ranjit for MetroPCS? Or did Richards mean he showed stuff to agency janitorial staffers? Sorry, but despite PR hype to the contrary, The Richards Group has not established expertise in the multicultural arena. So please don’t put the blame on someone other than yourself, Mr. Richards.

Finally, Richards proclaimed, “[T]he more important mission is to get women talking about taboo topics…” In the words of another prominent Texan, “Mission Accomplished.”