Meteor – they are a mobile telecommunications provider in Ireland – is not feeling a whole lotta love with the transgender community.
At issue, is this ad Meteor which started running in August on numerous satellite and terrestrial channels and movie theatres promoting their Pay As You Go service:
The Transgender Equality Network, an advocacy org located in Ireland, is protesting this ad. They say the ad mocks transgenders.
There’s just one problem, however; The ad doesn’t feature transgender people.
The actors in the bar segment are all drag queens from the Dublin area.
If there is a problem, or concern, it probably would be with the voice over narration.
In the ad, the voiceover, who warns against chasing and stealing to get free Wi-fi says, “And do not go to the first bar with free Wi-fi.”
There was a report elsewhere of YouTube users accusing Meteor of casual homophobia, however when I visited Meteor’s YouTube channel to get the embed code, comments had been disabled.
Personally, I think the commercial is funny and unrealistic.
First off, drag queens don’t perform unshaven and besides, that other actor, the male dancing with the drag queen doesn’t look all that uncomfortable dancing with the drag artist, does he?
Rather than accusing a mobile phone network of trans phobia, maybe those trans activists ought to concern themselves with more important matters, such as doing something about those scapegoat Paul Ryder, a drag queen entertainer from Dublin who appears in the commercial for less than 2 seconds.
One trans blogger is accusing Mr. Ryder of being an accomplice to murder.
http://twitter.com/kellibusey/status/258592228782526464
Um, Kelli, have you looked in the mirror lately?
You’re inner ugly is showing.
The pancake makeup is not working and you look like the scary girl from The Ring.
If you have someone to go after, it’s Meteor Mobile.
