Verizon has to change its ad on account of people not having a sense of humor

[dixiehack]

http://adage.com/bigtent/post?article_id=134133

The line about "he's not my real uncle, but he doesn't owe me money so he's a keeper." has been snipped out of the most recent airings.

 

[JayFarrar]

how is that line offensive?

 

[spnited]

That's the best line in the entire commercial.

 

[The Big Ragu]

It's actually the reason I sort of consider you like an uncle, Spnited!

 

[kokane_muthashed]

a lot of deadbeat uncles out there.

 

[Ben_Hecht]

Gave Horizon points for non-PC chuzpah.

Time to deduct.

 

[Angola!]

It's actually the reason I sort of consider you like an uncle, Spnited!

That made me laugh.

 

[DirtyDeeds]

how is that line offensive?

Seriously. What is the deal with that? I don't see the problem.
EDIT: OK, I read the link, and it seems it stereotypes Italians. Really? I didn't see that at all. Just took it that the guy has a large family with a lot of hangers-on.

 

[schiezainc]

I thought this thread was going to be about deaf people rallying against the "Can you hear me now?" phrase.

 

[CitizenTino]

Anybody else notice how the Verizon guy has quietly disappeared from the pack of dorks on the Alltel commercials since Verizon bought them out?

 

[Rumpleforeskin]

Re: Verizon has to change its ad on account of people not having a sense of humo

Better than a molester uncle [/Chris Rock].

 

[mike311gd]

how is that line offensive?

Seriously. What is the deal with that? I don't see the problem.
EDIT: OK, I read the link, and it seems it stereotypes Italians. Really? I didn't see that at all. Just took it that the guy has a large family with a lot of hangers-on.

I'm Italian, and I thought it was harmless. I didn't even think about it as a nationality thing. I figured, "Gee, this guy has a lot of friends."

How silly of me.

 

[Oz]

Loved that line. I'm Italian and didn't think anything of it.

 

[shotglass]

I couldn't sit down and have a beer with most of the people who commented below that article.

 

[Smasher_Sloan]

I actually noticed the line was missing from the commercial. Is a silly cliched stereotype more offensive than some of the crude jokes in "Two and a Half Men," which runs in syndicated reruns in the early evening?

 

[MartinEnigmatica]

I couldn't sit down and have a beer with most of the people who commented below that article.

Isn't that the case for 75% of people who comment on every story?

 

[shotglass]

Yes, Martin. Yes, it is.

 

[Twoback]

how is that line offensive?

The whole commercial is offensive. Full of the worst Italian stereotypes. Snipping out that "doesn't owe me money" doesn't fix it.

 

[mustangj17]

how is that line offensive?

Seriously. What is the deal with that? I don't see the problem.
EDIT: OK, I read the link, and it seems it stereotypes Italians. Really? I didn't see that at all. Just took it that the guy has a large family with a lot of hangers-on.

If it is stereotyping the Italians they are worried about maybe they should snip out the accent and the hair coming out of the unbuttoned shirt.

 

[Diabeetus]

I couldn't sit down and have a beer with most of the people who commented below that article.

Isn't that the case for 95% of people who comment on every story?

Fixed.