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Sexist and dangerous Samaritans ad

590 replies

Meadowbird · 25/02/2024 09:19

https://twitter.com/samaritans/status/1760599123923722266

A really bizarre ad - encouraging lone women to approach disturbed men on deserted train station platforms and ask them out for a coffee. What could possibly go wrong? They also will become sexier if they do apparently.

https://twitter.com/samaritans/status/1760599123923722266

OP posts:
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IfIwasrude · 25/02/2024 09:47

I hate to agree because why shouldn't one person help another, but I think this was a poor choice for the reason you've given. They probably thought it was better than a random man approaching a vulnerable woman and decided on this as the only way to represent both genders.

Fenlandia · 25/02/2024 09:47

If you felt safe in approaching someone you were concerned about, why would you not just ask if they were OK? Genuinely don't know the psychology or best practice in this.

RufustheFactualReindeer · 25/02/2024 09:44

And there might not be anyone else on the train or tube station in a lot of situations

i get meadows point, but ihink the advert premise is good, just could have been done a different way

AlisonDonut · 25/02/2024 09:44

YouJustDoYou · 25/02/2024 09:37

They're not alone, there's a man standing behind him?

Because two men, one of whom is pitentially mentally distrubed, is so much better than one? On deserted train platforms?

It's like some sort of weird mind worm is in play that disabuses people of natural instincts to keep themselves safe.

OneOfThoseOldFashionedWomen · 25/02/2024 09:43

Support human, that is all we are.

I agree with the stark difference in outfit between the cautious woman and the go speak to him woman.

It also shows no understanding about woman's safety.

Better to have shown her letting someone in authority know- but anyone with any knowledge of MH problems knows that no one in authority wants to help.

RufustheFactualReindeer · 25/02/2024 09:43

There is definitely a difference between ‘caring woman’ and ‘nervous’ woman, its very clear

Original poster
Meadowbird · 25/02/2024 09:40

A blurry man doing nothing - why couldn’t he be the one helping?

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Original poster
Meadowbird · 25/02/2024 09:40

Cynthia, really? You really think it’s ok to encourage young women to put themselves at risk, to tell them to ignore their gut instincts and that they are doing something wrong and will be less cool if they decide not to stand on the edge of railway platform in front of a disturbed man and ask him for a coffee? You can’t see anything wrong with this? You don’t think it would be better if she went to get help instead? You think it was her personal responsibility to intervene?

OP posts:
YouJustDoYou · 25/02/2024 09:37

They're not alone, there's a man standing behind him?

Original poster
Meadowbird · 25/02/2024 09:36

Shelia, many people would interpret being asked where you can get a coffee as a chat up line. It’s not a wise thing for a woman to say to an unknown, disturbed man.
When she split in two the ‘unkind’ version was shown as hair up, no makeup, uncool and uptight whereas the ‘kind’ version was hair down, makeup, cool and attractive. Watch it again.
Why not have the woman reporting the man’s concerning behaviour to station staff. Why not have a man being ‘kind’.

OP posts:
HermioneWeasley · 25/02/2024 09:35

I saw this and couldn’t believe it. Encouraging lone women to strike up conversations with strange men in deserted locations seems criminally irresponsible

OhItsOnlyCynthia · 25/02/2024 09:35

I can't see any hint of sexism or sexiness in it. It's a woman acting like a human.

SheilaFentiman · 25/02/2024 09:28

She didn’t ask him for a coffee, she asked where she could get a coffee.

Where are you getting the “sexier” thing done?

FlippinFumin · 25/02/2024 09:25

They could have used a man. But it seems it is the responsibility of women to keep men from harming themselves. Even if women are more likely to be the victim of the man in this scenario. It could have been such a good message, with just a little thought.