You probably don’t know this, but milk is supposed to help ease the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. But you probably do know that PMS is a female-only health issue. If you don’t, you probably work for the California Milk Processor Board.
On July 11, they launched a new ad campaign designed to raise the awareness, they say, of PMS and the ways in which milk can help with the symptoms. The ads (see above) picture frightened men saying things like, “I apologize for not reading between the right lines” and “I’m sorry I listened to what you said and not what you meant.” They also launched a website with the URL everythingidoiswrong.com as “your home for PMS management.”
These ads probably would’ve been a huge hit if we lived in the 1800s, but we don’t. We live in a time where it’s apparently not completely weird to have ads about milk and where sexism is actually not a good thing. Soon after the campaign began, criticism exploded and Funny or Die put up a few great parodies of the ridiculous ads. Scheduled to go through August, the campaign was shut down on Thursday, and the website was changed to gotdiscussion.org. The new site plans to be a discussion of the campaign’s premise and will also link to both positive and negative commentary of the campaign.
According to The New York Times, the California milk board offered up the standard non-apologies:
“It certainly wasn’t our intention to offend people,” said Steve James, executive director of the California milk board, based in San Clemente, Calif. “We regret that.”
“No question, with some people we have stepped over the line,” he added. “We certainly misjudged the heat generated by the people who thought we stepped over the line.”
Text on the home page of the new microsite acknowledges that “regrettably, some people found our campaign about milk and PMS to be outrageous and misguided,” adding that others “thought it funny and educational.”
“And we apologize to those we offended,” the text states.
They’re only sorry if their stale, antiquated, blatantly sexist ads actually offended you. They’re not actually sorry about the ads being blatantly sexist.
Sigh. I’d tell you to boycott, but, um, you can’t really not drink milk.
Or … wait. That’s just part of their plan. They’re tricking women into boycotting and not drinking milk, so they can really prove how much worse premenstrual syndrome is without it. Genius! That’s why they’re the ad directors, and I’m not.
It shouldn`t offend anyone because its completely true. I guess the truth just hurts
Women are not sacred cows. They can be panned like any other stereotype.
“Sigh. I’d tell you to boycott, but, um, you can’t really not drink milk.”
On the contrary, the “got milk?” campaigns are specifically targeting the consumption of /cow/ milk, as opposed to soy, rice, or almond drinks, or even goat milk. So in fact, if you refuse to buy cow milk, you can boycott it.
As for those who say cow milk is pervasively used in enough products, I would like to point out that the “got milk?” campaign is specifically targeting the /drinking/ of cow milk, or usage of it by personal consumers.
So yeah, you can.
I’ll be the first to admit the PMS is a real B-ing pain in the ….well,you know. but what are we if we can’t laugh at our own misgivings. People need to stop being so serious about themselves and their precious little ego’s and start living real lives..outside their little ego boxes. I think the little rhyme would have been different had Lizzy Borden had bought a cow instead of that ax… I don’t think the ads should have been pulled!
I don’t see the big deal here. Actually it was kind of brilliant. After all, would you have ever heard of the California Milk Processor Board otherwise? And frankly it’s somewhat hysterical that an ad poking fun at how irritable women get during PMS was met with—wait for it—irate anger from mostly women. Finally, let’s not forget ads like the Target one two years ago (sorry, the YouTube links were all dead) in which the wife buys a new TV, the husband reminds her they’re in a financial bind and she responds with “Maybe Santa doesn’t need any help doing… Read more »
It’s only offensive if it gets a dig at women. If it is men being ripped up one side and down the other and being negatively stereotyped/typecast/demeaned/degraded/etc it is perfectly acceptable.
sorry CJ– but not offended by the artivle at all. It’snot even hilarious really..it’s just tongue in cheek funny~ Ithought they were good..no put downs or sarcasm.. just a little healthy groveling… : )
The subject raises an interesting point: We are a desensitized people in many ways, e.g. Victoria Secret ad campaigns don’t really offend us anymore, so companies are responding by creating edgier ad campaigns, such as this one, with the hopes of getting folks attention once again; however, those same desensitized people are quick to “be offended!” Apparently, it is okay to have your cake now AND eat it, too! I, for one, do not see the great offense to posed by this article, but rather, I got a healthy chuckle from the ad. Men have been made to look like… Read more »
“Men have been made to look like idiots in beer commercials for years, and we continue to laugh at ourselves” That’s the thing though. Beer commercials poking fun at men are targeting men. These ads are poking fun at women, but instead targeting men. Or maybe more accurately, these ads are poking fun at wives, and targeting husbands. Though this, they are also implying that men have some control over their rationality that women lack, and that it’s up to men to go out and buy this product which will restore order. It’s a shame because they could actually have… Read more »
Or … wait. That’s just part of their plan. They’re tricking women into boycotting and not drinking milk, so they can really prove how much worse premenstrual syndrome is without it.
And getting men to buy their milking by telling us that not buying their milk is wrong.
Isn’t it lovely how tv ads manage to offend men and women so easlily these days? Its like they don’t want either to buy their products.