From Pink News:
The leader of the Liberal Democrats has become the first party leader to comment on the decision of food manufacturer Heinz to withdraw an advert from TV because it depicted two men kissing.
Nick Clegg has written to the the Director of UK Corporate Affairs at Heinz expressing his disappointment at their decision and asking them to reconsider.
“The depiction of a same-sex kiss in this advert was innocent both in tone and content, and I am shocked that you decided to withdraw it,” he wrote.
“While I understand that some people in Britain today are uncomfortable with same-sex relationships, such prejudice should not be condoned by an organisation of your size and stature.
“The sight of two men kissing affectionately should not be considered offensive or controversial.
“This is particularly the case in an advertisement which was so rich in irony and double-meaning.
Their full story also includes the advert, whilst Andrew Reeves’s blog includes details of how to complain to Heinz:
Nigel Dickie, Director of UK Corporate and Government Affairs
Telephone: 020 8848 2726
E-mail: [email protected]
Heinz’s free phone number: 0800 528 5757
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10 Comments
HURRAH! Oh, this has cheered me up immensely!
More free advertising for Heinz. 🙁
Still, nice of Clegg to take a stance.
The party needs to get some profile on the important ‘bread and butter issues’ of the day, not mauonaise adverts. It would be good if the leader set an example.
Is this same sex kiss anything to do with the Heniz product? No, it was put in for the publicity.
He is right on the point, but is this really the big political news being talked about in the pubs etc of Britain?
Good, it’s time we stood up to these curtain-twitching bigots who have been given a free ride by Labour.
They have sucked up to Christian & Muslim “leaders”, & pandered to the religious lobby at every imaginable turn, letting them brainwash children with utter lies in schools, & treating women & homosexuals like dirt… the sort of people that obscurantists like Rowan Williams would throw to the wolves.
It is time for ordinary people within these “communities” to say no to their reactionary, backward “leaders” & assert their freedom. Clegg lost an opportunity when he appeased the religious by having his children brought up in the Church of Rome, now let’s win back of the secularist mantle & stand up to the medievalist knuckledraggers.
Um, Asquith, secular doesn’t mean anti-religious or non-religious.
Anonymous: Um, it certainly was when I was out in the pub midweek 😛
Was that gay? I thought it was just funny.
Still, all good publicity for Heinz.
Surely they ought now to donate a couple of thousand to the Lib Dems, oughtn’t they?
‘Asquith’:
Good for you! And good for Nick Clegg!
Except that I am sorry to learn that he has allowed his children to be brain washed in any church. That’s a bit of a downer.
As I have just said on the thread about Glasgow – cheering a suggestion that LibDems should campaign in Glasgow against divisive faith schools – we should teach children about all the nonsensical religious myths instead of just one of them and about the one golden rule instead of all the nonsensical moral – or immoral – prejudices.
As in France, our state supported schools should be secular – critical but tolerant of all religions and none.
“While I understand that some people in Britain today are uncomfortable with same-sex relationships, such prejudice should not be condoned by an organisation of your size and stature”.
I agree that Mr. Clegg’s intervention is welcome, but the criticism he offers seems pretty tame. If the advert had been withdrawn after complaints because it depicted a kiss between a mixed race couple, would the party have found room in its press-release to acknowledge and ‘understand’ that this left some people ‘uncomfortable’? I would have thought not, so why are homophobes getting an easier ride?