Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Intellectual Insurgent asks what's the product? Cuz it aint jeans. What is being sold here?

A 50-foot billboard from Calvin Klein is coming under scrutiny for its racy depiction of two young men and a young woman entwined in a semi-nude threesome.

8 comments:

DMG said...

II,

I'm going to have to agree with you. But why is everyone calling this a threesome, when clearly #4 there on the floor looks like he doesn't want to be left out.

Intellectual Insurgent said...

What are you agreeing with? :-)

DMG said...

I don't agree or disagree with you because of who you are. It's about the issue. What kind of person do you think I am? Ask CNu about how we had a knock down drag out a few years ago. Caught us both by surprise.

Intellectual Insurgent said...

Dude, it was a serious question. Look at that billboard and tell me what product you think they are selling. And then ask yourself why.

You'll come to find DMG that around these parts, agreement and disagreement are trite. Cliche. Only herd mentality seek people who "agree" and "disagree".

DMG said...

II,

Maybe I misread you. Let's try again.

"Intellectual Insurgent asks what's the product? Cuz it aint jeans. What is being sold here?"

I agree with your statement "Cuz it (the product) ain't jeans". It seems that jeans are not prominently enough shown in the photo as to be the primary product of advertisement.

What "they" are advertising could be anything from full body waxing to anorexia. Apparently, it's provocative enough to get people to talk about it on the news non-stop, and will probably prod aroused teens and adults run out to buy anything with Calvin Klein on it.

Intellectual Insurgent said...

Does it really matter how prominently the jeans are displayed Doc?

If the tag line "Calvin Klein Jeans" wasn't on the billboard, there would be no question that the image is pornography.

But call it an ad, and faux hipsters act as if it were some brilliant marketing move.

Calvin Klein isn't going to sell more jeans or purses.

But pornography will have made further advances into the mainstream, until we see these images at every bus stop and subway station.

lawegohard said...

Product: A Good Time

Product: Group Sex

Product: Protection

If these people where standing up they would all look ridiculous.

If you changed the race on those men, would this still be Calvin or Benetton?

DMG said...

I suppose you could try to make the case for pornography. But what do we have:

1. Man sitting kissing girl.
2. Woman laying atop man #2 while kissing man #1.
3. Man #2 has head in lap of man #1, while holding woman
4. Man #3 laying on back on floor adjusting trousers.

Is this porn? Depends on how you define it. A topless man or woman isn't porn. Kissing and hugging isn't necessarily porn.

We have to take the leap in our minds as to what they are up to.

Do I want it taken down. I have to say that I'm not bothered by it, so I don't care either way. But, I suppose somebody will eventually exclaim, "But what about the CHILDREN!!" and it will come tumbling down, and the self-righteous can pat themselves on the back.

The only thing I like from Calvin Klein are certain colognes, and the occasional dress shirt. I'm not really into designer clothes, but I sometimes am required to dress up.

I suppose we shall see if they sell more items because of this advert. If it hadn't been in the news, I don't think this advert would have come to my attention. Now it's got me thinking that I need to update my dress shirts.