In a previous post that apparently established the proprietor of Ethics Alarms as a “fuddy-duddy,” I discussed the disturbing series of stereotype-bashing Direct TV commercials that sets out to show how amusing irrational hatred and gratuitously cruel behavior can be. The commercials seem to be escalating, and why not? Ethics Alarms isn’t their only, or most prominent, critic, and ethics be damned—the ads are being watched and talked about! Victory! And besides, they’re aimed at football fans, a demographic that is rather less likely to find the encouragement of random violence upsetting in any way.
The latest “hurt your rival” drama from Direct TV shows two police casually tasering a man who “cheats” in the Fantasy Football league by using his Direct TV NFL feed to get an upper hand on the competition. (He is seen twitching on the floor. LOL!). As a commenter on the previous post has pointed out, police nationwide are fighting a perception and public relations battle over alleged incidents of excessive force, many involving tasers. This commercial encourages distrust of the police, and reinforces a false and unfair perception that misuse of their power and authority is the norm. Is it worth the laughs, if indeed there are any?
I think the standards for comedians and commercials should be different, with comics having the broadest possible discretion to do or say whatever they feel is necessary to promote mirth from their audiences. TV commercials are more than entertainment: the audiences don’t choose the content of ads or know when they will see them, and their visibility and repetition gives the commercials enough influence over cultural attitudes to warrant a higher level of responsibility on the part of the company and the ad agency.
Mainstream media ads both reflect public attitudes and mold them. The Direct TV ads either show we have a callous society, or are helping to make us one.
Ethics Alarms 
“police nationwide are fighting a perception and public relations battle over alleged incidents of excessive force, many involving tasers. This commercial encourages distrust of the police, and reinforces a false and unfair perception that misuse of their power and authority is the norm.”
No the police using tasers improperly encourages this impression whether it be wide spread or not. If cops don’t want to perceived as using Tasers improperly don’t taze old women on the side of the road.
And the adds reflect that people in this country like physical slapstick crude humor. Not that that’s a good thing buts how it is. When a movie like The Hangover makes the money it does the country’s taste in humor and film is already gone.like
The Hangover was hilarious, but when I saw it 1) I knew what I was getting 2) I knew it was pure fantasy. Because commercials are aiming at real people, they are fantasy PLUS—they have to assume an identification by the viewer.
99 out a hundred taser uses are appropriate and often save lives, including those of the individuals tased. YouTube only shows the questionable incidents, and even most of them are correct (like that jerk running onto the baseball field.) See? You’ve bought into the misinformation!
You’re right, can’t argue with you. Even though every bone in my body wants to argue with you.
I loved roadrunner and coyote cartoons growing up, and these commercials seemingly bring that back.
About the only thing that would have made these commercials more funny would be if they had used roadrunner and coyote as the characters in the acts.
Of course, some things that are funny with coyotes are not so funny with real people and animals. I was always bothered by the dog killings in “A Fish Called Wanda, ” for example. For violence to a human being to be as funny, it has to be cartoonish, as with Monty Python’s 2000 lb. weight squashing people.
I didn’t think that scene in the Hangover was funny. I’ve seen Rob Riggle in six movies and he hasn’t been funny in any of them.
Jeff, which scene are you referring to?
The TASERing scene, where the kids get to shock Bradley Cooper and Zack Galifinackis. It just didn’t strike me funny.
Agree. Actually, I generally don’t find tasers funny.
Not funny.
PLUS I had to explain it to a 4yo; 12 yo; 13 yo (imagine that).
There is nothing more dangerous than an ad agency with a budget and no control.
Jack, I agree with you. Cops have it hard enough without this type of nonsense making it to the airwaves…
Jack,
After watching the ad were you more inclined to distrust the police? Did it make you want to re-watch the video in which the old woman was tasered so you could laugh at her misery? Or join a fantasy football leauge? The answer is (most likely) no, and is likely the case with the majority of people who saw it. Most of the viewing oublics knows and understands this is a fictional situation designed to sell a real product. So, while it’s one thing argue satirizing a serious issue like police brutality is controversial and even offensive, but it isn’t unethical. Fictional depictions of real problems and events have been the backbone of plays, movies, literature, and yes, even television ads since the very beginning.
In fact, these kinds of portrayals are funny BECAUSE they translate real situations into a fictional realm without any rules or consequences. Of course it’s not funny to taser innocent people, or assault people with whom you disagree, but the people in the commercial aren’t real, nor is anyone actually hurt. These are pure flights of fancy and the viewers understand this.
Yes, there are cases of those who have taken things they’ve seen in film and literature too far, but that’s a symptom of a sick mind at work, and can’t be the fault of the creator. Was Salinger responsible for the murder of John Lennon? Was Manson at fault for Columbine because his Dylan and Klebold liked his music?
It’s like I said with the Tide commercial, when is the portrayal “too real” to be ethical?
-Neil
I laughed at the commercial, but then again, I’ve never been:
1. Abused by a police officer
2. Hit by a taser
The part that’s funniest to me is not the tasing (or is it tasering?), but the nonchalant way in which the two officers talk as they walk up to the house and ring the bell, taser the occupant and keep talking. I thought there was good comedic timing and acting. Real violence, on the other hand, I find repulsive.
Is it possible to think this commercial is funny and still be ethical?
Sure. The spot is well done. No doubt about it. All of them are.
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