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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think the Malteaser advert is in really poor taste

560 replies

Bearbehind · 04/10/2016 21:55

Just seen a Malteaser advert where a woman in a wheelchair is talking to 2 friend in the park about her date.

The jist is she had a spasm, he enjoyed the repercussions, and whilst demonstrating her hand actions the malteasers shoot out of the bag and go every where.

Is it me or is that really bad taste?

OP posts:
PanGalaticGargleBlaster · 04/10/2016 21:57

All Malteaser adverts make me cringe

littleshirleybeans · 04/10/2016 21:58

Not seen it. What were the repercussions? Sounds a bit off!

lightgreenglass · 04/10/2016 21:59

It's about normalising disability. So the idea that embarrassing and stupid shit happens to disabled people too.

ikeawrappingpaper · 04/10/2016 21:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ssd · 04/10/2016 22:00

I've found the maltezer adverts really off and they seem to have started since the Paralympics? They just seem so patronizing.

bluebellsparklypants · 04/10/2016 22:00

Not seen that one but sounds awful! The one where she holds up the cakes with malteasers on the top to her boobs thought was bad enough

Scarydinosaurs · 04/10/2016 22:01

They must be doing a series. It would be better IMHO to just use disabled actors without making the joke about their disability...but hey! It's a start.

ssd · 04/10/2016 22:01

oh yes, that boob one was cringy

Original poster
Bearbehind · 04/10/2016 22:03

It's not the brides foot one.

I don't see the connection between normalising disability and advertising chocolate Hmm

OP posts:
RazWaz · 04/10/2016 22:04

I have multiple disabilities and think the advert is hilarious and exactly what we need. People are so quick to be offended on someone else's behalf and it's not needed honestly.

There are times when my joints seize up and my heels won't touch the floor so I have to walk on my tip toes and flail my seized arms around for balance. OH cracks up laughing every time and I usually join him. We have a nickname for it that I won't repeat as its in very poor taste, but people need to realise that disability is all around us and we are not all fragile, sexless, delicate people who you need to be serious around 100% of the time.

HunterHearstHelmsley · 04/10/2016 22:06

Jeez. There's nothing wrong with the adverts. Slightly cringy but nothing else.

I despair.

Original poster
Bearbehind · 04/10/2016 22:07

I still don't get why it needs to be so crude.

An able bodied person talking about jacking their date off until he shoots everywhere, ie the Malteasers spurt out, wouldn't be appropriate as an advert so why is it ok when it's a disabled person?

OP posts:
clumsyduck · 04/10/2016 22:10

I think they are doing a few different ones at the moment
I agre about the people being offended on other peoples behalf to some extent but why can't the advert just be featuring disabled people rather than being about it as a pp has said

ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe · 04/10/2016 22:11

Meh.

It's an advert for chocolates, not the national Theatre.

sparechange · 04/10/2016 22:12

You've never seen ads with double entendres before? Hmm

You must watch very different TV to me...

Original poster
Bearbehind · 04/10/2016 22:15

This isn't a double entrendre, its not even that subtle, it's about wanking some bloke off demonstrated by Malteasers shooting out of a bag?

OP posts:
Fascinate · 04/10/2016 22:15

YABU

Disabled people have lives, loves and problems just like "normal" people, please dont claim its "cringe-worthy" on our behalf until you've walked a mile in our shoes.

MarklahMarklah · 04/10/2016 22:16

I can see both sides but ultimately it's an advert for chocolate. So it shouldn't matter whether the person/s have disabilities or not - they're just eating chocolate.
Presumably the one that OP is referring to is on later in the evening, so it's not going to be viewed by children.
Maltesers adverts are crap though.

anonymice · 04/10/2016 22:17

I have multiple disabilities and I experience spasms. I think that advert is funny not patronizing. We have sex lives you know....

Original poster
Bearbehind · 04/10/2016 22:17

I'm not claiming to be offended on behalf of disabled people.

I think it's in poor taste whoever is demonstrating it.

OP posts:
Flisspaps · 04/10/2016 22:20

Given that sex is used to sell pretty much everything from yoghurt to cars, what's the issue with using a disabled person discussing sex to sell something?

Is it the disability which makes it poor taste?

Or is it the sex (in which case that's about 90% of adverts which are poor taste)

Eeyore86 · 04/10/2016 22:21

It was originally launched to tie in with the Paralympic opening ceremony; there are 3 adverts highlighting disability including this one.

As a disabled woman who does have spasms at times I think it's hilarious and does help to "normalise" people with a disability. Yes, it's risqué, but I thought it was brilliant, I've had similar conversations with friends.

There have been many Malteasers adverts that have very little to do with selling chocolate, the woman dumping her cheating boyfriend springs to mind, their tag line is the lighter side of life and that can definitely be discribed about the spasm advert

StillMedusa · 04/10/2016 22:22

I loved it.. and the crushed foot one..and the deaf friends where the dog has eaten the hearing aid... I think they are great because they are pointing out that disability has it's amusing moments too (parent of a disabled adult here)
It's no more cringe worthy than some of those dreadful perfume adverts, which are always implying sex.. and a lot funnier!

Klkl · 04/10/2016 22:22

I think it's awful. It's irrelevant that the advert features someone with disabilities it the subject matter that's inappropriate for an advert. I don't mind smutty jokes in the right setting but not when I'm expecting to watch an ad for sweets.

MycatsaPirate · 04/10/2016 22:23

I must be in a minority as I find them hugely amusing.

One of our friends has an arm that doesn't work properly. There are always lots of jokes about him using it for wanking off so he thinks someone else is doing it.

I'm disabled. I also have sex.

Don't get too shocked about that.