A commercial in Argentina aimed at both promoting the World Cup and taking aim at Vladimir Putin’s anti-gay laws in Russia has some people talking, and for once the criticism isn’t aimed at Putin and Russia.
As you probably know, Putin’s Russia has laws on the books barring the “promotion” of homosexuality to minors. What “promotion” looks like could be lots of things — Two men holding hands on the street could possibly qualify, if a child saw them.
The Argentinian commercial in question, which you can watch below, turns that on its head, claiming that soccer itself is promoting homosexuality. Why? Because soccer showcases grown men crying, streaking, showering with one another and more.
Humor is a funny thing. When it hits the mark, everything is game. World-class comedians like Joan Rivers have made names for themselves by getting away with the darnedest jokes.
When it doesn’t hit the mark, like in this commercial, humor opens itself up to accusations of homophobia and more. In the case of this commercial, the playing on stereotypes of gay man landed the company, TyC Sports, which broadcasts the World Cup in Argentina, in some social-media hot water.
TyC Sports has officially pulled the commercial from being aired, but in this day of social media and YouTube, the cat’s already out of the proverbial bag.
Far be it from me to criticize someone for taking a swipe at Putin’s anti-LGBTQ policies, but in the case of this commercial, I’m not sure they quite hit the mark.
