When you're a GUY

I have to say I was surprised by this Dish Network Commercial:



I was more surprised by this Twitter exchange:
dan4th: Oh Dish Network, good job pissing me off: "are you tired of paying for ... shopping channels, when you're a guy." #wtf
dishnetwork: @dan4th Official DISH Feed here,caught your Tweet. Is there something we can be of assistance with? *JB
dan4th: @dishnetwork the ad suggesting that there's something wrong with guys watching shopping channels is fairly offensive, not funny.
dishnetwork: @dan4th We have forwarded your concerns to our programming department. Thanks for the feedback. *JB

Slightly concerned that this makes me one of those people sitting around waiting for things to be offended by, but also, nice job reinforcing gender stereotypes.

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My partner points out that I got a response from Dishnetwork through twitter in less time than he got a response from Comcast while he was on hold with their customer service. I pointed out that he should tweet at them.

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update 12:42pm:

dishnetwork @dan4th DISH twitter team here. Shopping channels are provided at no cost. They may lower your bill as they can make DISH money. *M
dan4th: @dishnetwork The issue is that the ad implies that there's something wrong with guys being interested in shopping. it's sexist.
dan4th @dishnetwork additionally, that explanation basically means that the premise of your ad is a lie ("paying for shopping channels").
dan4th @dishnetwork which makes it both sexist and insulting. It's a terrible ad with a cheap punchline, and you should pull it.

So, I realize that by posting on DifferenceBlog, the context of the blog makes my position clear, but in case it's not clear, let me spell it out as unambiguously as I can:

I am a big fan of offensive humor. I have no problem with poking at stereotypes when it's funny, or to make a point. This ad does neither. It simply has Charlie Ergen, the founder of DISH network, implying that no guy would be interested in shopping channels, that it's intuitively obvious that guys wouldn't want shopping channels.

That's a load of crap, and not something I particularly want old white guys telling me over the commercial break. I find it particularly threatening to have an old, rich, white man telling me that it's not OK for men to like shopping during my leisure time, that I'm somehow less of a man if I watch QVC. Reinforcing those stereotypes isn't necessary to the point they're trying to make, and I find it doubly insulting when I complain about it, and then they tell me that the premise of the commercial is untrue, because the shopping channels are free anyway, and a moneymaker for DISH network.

I was mildly offended by the ad when I made the initial tweet. Now I'm legitimately angry.