19 years later I am happy to report that they haven't failed in safeguarding me from that world, it is as a mystery to me, as clothes are to Miley Cyrus.
Now while being completely oblivious to reality television, this means that any trip to the hairdressers is incredibly awkward with no topic of conversation other than the weather, boys or holidays, I feel that my soul is just that little bit clearer for it.
At the beginning of September there was yet another series of such reality TV (I don't have the first clue which series or franchise) and as usual this would completely pass me by like football or yodelling. However a friend of mine rang my mobile that evening to inform there was an advert that I would find interesting. The dialogue between Jess and I, is as continues...
Tom: Jess what is it? I'm running over the moors.
Jess: Tom there's an advert on TV, it's got a gay couple on it.
Tom: You rang to tell me that? Gay couples are portrayed everyday in the media in such a bad way.
Jess: No Tommy, this is completely different. You'll like it.
Tom: Sure sure, I'll check it when I've done my training. Oh yeah, are you getting the vodka in for tomorrow?
It's safe to say the thought of completing my hill reps was more interesting at that moment. However when I got home I decided to check out this advert that I was apparently going to like. Like was an understatement.
The advert in question is the current 'NatWest CashBack Plus'. It depicts two sisters who look rather similar but lead rather contrasting lives. One heterosexual and one homosexual. The first sister kisses her husband Geoff goodbye at the train station and loves swimming. The second has her hair tucked behind her ear by her girlfriend Kate and loathes swimming. They then meet up as a double date in a coffee shop to have a chat with each other. End of advert. *Tom smiles*.
Last month in my post about Gay Employment, I talked about how there had been such a different portrayal of gay IT workers compared to what we had seen in recent months and years, almost a new direction in the media. A few weeks later there has been a national television advert that was shown at peak time, showing a same sex couple. Now I feel that before I carry on, I must offer my profuse thanks and admiration to NatWest's marketing department.
This is why:
It could have been so much easier to develop an advert that would show a trampolining poodle that would suddenly become an YouTube hit, with a nation of 12 year old's trying to get their dogs onto the family trampoline to re-enact it. But they chose not to. They chose to show something so strong and amazing, yet subtle and, in my mind, tasteful. I had to watch the advert a total of 7 times before I could really appreciate it fully. It's not patronising or stereotypically clichéd and awkward like it could so easily have been with a gay couple, but it's just...normal. No big song and dance made towards two women embracing in public, it re-enforces the fact that we're all different, and THAT'S COOL!
You do worry that whilst I, and a great number of other LGBT people, have seen this as a giant step forward in the mass media portrayal and start to eradicate the social homophobic stigma, there may be others that are ignorant in their views and object to such an piece of television. But I do hope that other companies see this breakthrough, as just that. They can now follow a completely new line and style of adverts that can completely target new audiences without the worry of being the first to do so, with having the safety and security of knowing this gay advert works and also that LGBT people are pleased they have done so.
The "NatWest CashBack Plus" advert.
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