A Telstra Next G ad featuring men camping in tents, created by BWM, has caused a furor of media commentary over whether the ad is homophobic.
Sydney-based gay activist Andrew James was featured in a Daily Telegraph article, which he claimed he was discriminated against by the Australian Human Rights Commission, which failed to find the ad offensive.
In the ad, two men on a camping trip become suspicious of their companions who are in one tent, not engaging in anything rude but instead secretly watching the cricket on their Next G phone.
James said on his blog engayment.org: “We are only led to believe that the two men in the tent are gay because they are afraid when they get caught by their other buddies. The look of fear on their face is the reason we assume they are gay, not that we saw shadowy sex through the tent. What’s worse, the characters in the ad are redeemed in the end, much to the audiences’ relief, when we find out that they are in fact not gay, but rather, watching sport on their cell phone.”
He adds: “I encountered a discrepancy when I attempted to make a complaint about a homophobic Telstra Commercial.”
When James contacted the Australian Human Rights Commission about the advertisement, they advised they can only assist with sexual preference discrimination if it is to do with employment.
“This is unacceptable. Sexual preference discrimination should be treated the same as any other kind of discrimination, including gender, age, and ethnicity discrimination,” he wrote.
A Telstra spokesman, told B&T Today Telstra “was not in a position to get into a discussion about the ads.” “Andrew James' blog has been updated as saying that they are not angry at Telstra, but rather the Human Rights Commission. Ads are up for people’s own personal interpretations. The ads were not intended to be offensive to any one and were meant to be humourous.”
Since the article aired, news outlets across the country have been flooded in comments about the ads and the commercial.
To view the TV click here http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=8mWtkwAFw9I
