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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

...to dislike the Thomson 'Simon the Ogre' ad?

90 replies

iammrsnesbitt · 15/01/2014 19:57

I keep seeing it on TV and it's annoying me.

Dad of the family is an ogre except when he gets an expensive Thomson holiday. Just seems so wrong in so many different ways.

Gorgeously beautiful mum with her perfect peachy backside isn't an ogre. Is that because she doesn't 'work as hard' as Simon? Or because she's a mum and just has to suck it up?

Is Simon the ogre really just an abusive ogery arse when he's not on holiday? Poor Simon's wife and daughter. Does Mrs Simon need to LTB? Sad

It would make more sense if the whole family were ogres who needed to de-stress on a expensive Thomson holiday. As it is it just leaves me wondering what hell their ordinary lives must be.

DH thinks the ad is aimed at the men who book their family holidays - it gives out the message to them that 'yes I do work very hard and need a holiday'. Which is fair enough.

But what about ogre mums? And ogre children?

OP posts:
YouAreMyRain · 15/01/2014 20:31

Exactly what I thought, they should all be ogres!

I felt really sorry for the mother actually, imagining the father turning back into an ogre as the plane lands and staying that way for the next 50 weeks Sad

I hate it too.

And it takes ages for him to de-ogre.

shewhowines · 15/01/2014 20:35

I think it's quite funny, but agree it would be better for mum to be an ogre too. She could even be an ogre with a fab figure if they want.

MissBetseyTrotwood · 15/01/2014 20:36

It's awful, sexist and goes on far too long. It's just not... nice to look at for all that time.

Reinforces the stereotype that it's OK for men to be grumpy and short tempered but not women.

Hate it.

MissBetseyTrotwood · 15/01/2014 20:36

And it doesn't make me want to buy a Thomson holiday either. I don't want to share the pool with some stinky great tidal wave making frigging ogre.

Only1scoop · 15/01/2014 20:37

Hate that ridiculous advert Confused

HRHwheezing · 15/01/2014 20:37

Yanbu
Like a 70's throwback

NewtRipley · 15/01/2014 20:39

I think it must have cost shed loads of money. It has the feel of one of those "event" adverts. Shame.

MuttonCadet · 15/01/2014 20:39

I agree its ridiculous, but I thought it was assuming that women tend to book holidays.

Is your DP a nasty ogre who is mean to you and the kids? Buy our holiday and he'll be nice for a couple of weeks

Only1scoop · 15/01/2014 20:42

70's throwback Grin

icclemunchy · 15/01/2014 20:43

sublimecorpse me too, clearly we have good taste Wink

its far too long an advert!! plus if your a man and not an ogre do you go on one of their hols and turn into one?

RedToothBrush · 15/01/2014 20:46

Why would I want to go on holiday to a place full of ogres? Or ogres who have just had amazing plastic surgery?

3bunnies · 15/01/2014 20:48

I saw it and felt he looked as if he had a facial deformity and then was miraculously transformed into a handsome man. I felt it was inappropriate to be honest. I realise that most people are lucky enough not to know what this feels like but I thought what if I was self conscious about how I looked and then saw that advert saying that if you look like that you are grumpy and a holiday will cure you.

missymarmite · 15/01/2014 21:06

I know deep down I should really object to it, OP, and I totally get where you are coming from, but I can't help loving it. I will just remain an ogre mum and ogre step mum till all the kids have left home and we can afford and expensive Thompson holiday(which will probably be never the way house prices are still going - most of out kids will never be I dependant!)

akachan · 15/01/2014 21:21

I hate the advert because I feel so sorry for the dad. He finishes his holiday and has another 50 weeks of misery. It's stupid and shit.

moppymarker · 15/01/2014 21:26

I hate it because if i were married to an ogre, then i would be leaving him not taking him on a lovely holiday

the message it gave my dd is that holidays make you a nice person, i said they dont, nice people make nice holidays

but then she is lucky that shes surrounded by the most un-ogre-y people in the world

shebird · 15/01/2014 21:33

YANBU it is sexist and assumes that it is the Dad that benefits most from the holiday as he is the most stressed from daily life. Is he supposed to be some sort of hunter gatherer cave man thing? The mum is stereotyped 'oblivious to the pressures of the working world' housewife. Really, really irritating and totally out of touch with modern life.

Thetallesttower · 15/01/2014 21:50

I also watched this advert and didn't even get it to start with, I thought it was something to do with accepting everyone even those with disabilities or who look different, I was quite surprised when he morphed, surprise surprise, into a regular slim young guy at the end.

Once I'd got it (duh) I hated it even more. Who wants a nice dad only two weeks a year?

WhatAFeline · 15/01/2014 21:58

I hate it and I think his horns are sinister.

MomsStiffler · 15/01/2014 21:59

I hate it, it's a long, boring, shit advert. All it means to me is I've got time to make a brew....

ReluctantBeing · 15/01/2014 22:00

It's an awful advert. But I am jealous because we can't afford to go somewhere sunny! Envy

WallyBantersJunkBox · 15/01/2014 22:00

Another one who hated it. I also felt that they could have been a family of ogres.

It was completely lazy stereotyping, and as has been said, seemed to make the point that it was normal for men to be ogres, but not women.

BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability · 15/01/2014 22:00

(Shitverts) Grin

lovelychops · 15/01/2014 22:01

Hate it!!

itstoohot · 15/01/2014 22:02

Y.A. so totally N.B.U.

WallyBantersJunkBox · 15/01/2014 22:15

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