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Original poster

The John Lewis advert for home insurance

221 replies

DartmoorChef · 13/10/2021 19:33

Surely I can't be the only person to find this advert absolutely terrible. Yay let's put a boy in a dress and make up and be so woke... and let him completely trash the house while mummy looks on indulgently because apparently home insurance covers wilful damage these days...

If I had gone on the rampage around the house like that... my backside would have been so sore I wouldn't have say down for a week, nor would I have been allowed out or given spending money until I was 35 Grin

Seriously though, this has to be one of the most absurd adverts I've ever seen and yes I know by posting about it, that is probably the desired effect but it actually puts me off shopping at John Lewis or using their services.

Yanbu - ridiculous advert
Yabu - it's fine and a bit of fun

OP posts:
MovedByFanciesThatAreCurled · 14/10/2021 17:40

@KittenKong

Your kids must have fun in your house then.
If that’s your idea of fun then I would quite happily avoid. That’s not fun, that’s wilful, spiteful destruction.
MovedByFanciesThatAreCurled · 14/10/2021 17:42

@KittenKong

They are the snowflakes surely? To prove it - just use the wrong name or pronoun and watch the literal distruction.
Yep. That would be LITERAL violence.
whenwillthemadnessend · 14/10/2021 17:48

That kid needs a spanking of his wee bottom

Awful!!!

What are John Lewis doing

Worst part for me was the mother

symi · 14/10/2021 17:49

Who the hell came up with this? Absolutely ridiculous on do many levels. Nauseating.

“Oh hello JL insurance. Yes, I’d like to make 23 claims please. Yes my son is a free spirit you see. Wr van but marvel I. His wake. We do feel it’s so important he has the creative space to speak his truth. I’m afraid we’ll need new carpets, decor, sofas and all the vases and dishes are smashed - you know that kind of thing. But we’re sooo proud of him oh sorry .., her, “

KittenKong · 14/10/2021 17:50

You can’t skelp kids in Scotland.

Frenchfancy · 14/10/2021 17:57

I can't believe anyone thought this was a good idea. The poor sister sitting quietly painting when her bully of a brother tips her paint all over the carpet! So basically naughty bully boys can get away with anything if they are wearing a dress.

daisypond · 14/10/2021 17:58

The child looked so awkward throughout too - stiff. He looked uncomfortable and not a natural dancer. The whole thing was so forced.

AFuturisticalSound · 14/10/2021 19:48

@HowardNoir

I hope their Christmas advert features the same boy with a group of friends dressed up in drag. It's always nice to see that simple adverts still ruffle the feathers of snowflakes.
Are you responding to a different thread? No one is bothered about what the child is wearing Confused
GothicaAutistica · 14/10/2021 20:36

What a nice idea if there was a follow up ad of the same boy, now in stereotypically feminine hairnet, frilly apron and pink rubber gloves, under the watchful eye of his livid mother, cleaning up the mess he made and giving a grovelling apology to his sister. He'd still be gender non-conforming: cleaning up and putting things right whilst still in stereotypically feminine clothing.

But that wouldn't be "brave," "stunning" or "fabulous," would it?

Skysblue · 14/10/2021 21:03

Am I the only person who watched the ad and assumed it had a gender critical director? The boy is clearly portrayed as a self-centred nightmare with sexualised make-up prancing around in a grotesque parody of female stereotypes, who assumes everything is all about him while trashing the place. Meanwhile a hard-working girl has her work destroyed and is practically invisible in the scene, while the older mum just hides looking sad and worried.

At no point does the boy smile or look joyful. He looks like a dangerous mess with hideous make-up and that is not an accident, that’s a choice by the director.

I did not see this as a woke pro-trans ad at all.

KittenKong · 15/10/2021 15:24

“The new John Lewis advert is a glorious antidote to toxic ‘boys will be boys’ messaging” says the Indy (I know, I know).

I suspect they must be mistaking this with an ad where a boy doesn’t trash his mums bedroom, wrecks everything on his path, trashes his sisters paints and makes one holy mess as no one says a word to him. Oh yes, that’s definitely ‘girls will be girls’ eh?

notanother12 · 16/10/2021 17:39

Feels a bit like Viz Top Tips (showing my age)

"Solve toxic masculinity by behaving exactly the same way, but in a dress"

KittenKong · 16/10/2021 18:45

Spoiled Bastard...

BlackCountryWench2 · 21/10/2021 14:04

I totally agree with this. For me, the problem is that it’s totally misleading - JL have admitted that the insurance only covers accidental damage (see their cut and paste replies on YouTube). Throwing paint on the rug is not accident, it is wilful damage. And the other thing is that it makes me want to throttle him. Not for wearing a dress and make up, I have no problem with that at all, but for being a spiteful, wilful, destructive little shit.

brokenbiscuitsx · 21/10/2021 14:09

But why is it an issue for boys to wear girls clothes but yet girls wear ‘boys’ clothes all the time. I feel like it’s acceptable for girls to wear boys clothes because in general it’s acceptable to be a boy, to aspire to be a boy is good because boys are better. Girls are weak and do wearing girls clothes is frowned upon.

I dunno, I’m not after a bun fight here I’m generally curious and would honestly welcome responses Blush

berlinbabylon · 21/10/2021 15:04

For me, the problem is that it’s totally misleading - JL have admitted that the insurance only covers accidental damage (see their cut and paste replies on YouTube)

So if this is correct how the heck did it get past Clearcast?

(for MNers who don't know the system, if you put out a TV ad it has to be pre-cleared by Clearcast and they will check that your claims are valid - supposedly)

But not if it's only going on video on demand or cinema, which don't' have to be pre-cleared.

I have only seen the Youtube version, so while writing this, I am now not sure if it went out on TV as well?

notacooldad · 21/10/2021 17:05

Throwing paint on the rug is not accident, it is wilful damage. And the other thing is that it makes me want to throttle him. Not for wearing a dress and make up, I have no problem with that at all, but for being a spiteful, wilful, destructive little shit
This sums up my feelings.
If my kids had rummaged through my bedroom and smeared their faces in my (expensive) make up they wouldn't have made to the top of stairs to knock all the pictures out of kilter!!!

Mine never caused a 1/4 of that damage as toddlers and young kids never mind at the age of that child.
Self expression my arse!!!

GothicaAutistica · 22/10/2021 14:49

@brokenbiscuitsx

But why is it an issue for boys to wear girls clothes but yet girls wear ‘boys’ clothes all the time. I feel like it’s acceptable for girls to wear boys clothes because in general it’s acceptable to be a boy, to aspire to be a boy is good because boys are better. Girls are weak and do wearing girls clothes is frowned upon.

I dunno, I’m not after a bun fight here I’m generally curious and would honestly welcome responses Blush

I suspect it goes back to the First World War when women had to work in factories etc because the men were suffering in the trenches. Women's clothes are generally impractical (well, have you tried running up a staircase in a pencil skirt and high heels?) so women donned men's clothes to get jobs done. My guess is that it largely comes from there. That is the usually the accepted period of history when it began to be acceptable for women to wear trousers instead of dresses. That's not to say that no woman had ever worn traditionally male clothes before, of course they had. But this is when it became mainstream.
Bahhumbu · 24/10/2021 15:40

Saw this on my Facebook ads and felt the need to comment about the gender stereotypes. I actually found it uncomfortable especially the part where he sort of shows his fist to her, to show him his power, I don’t know, it wasn’t a proper fist but I don’t understand why he did that, despite everyone saying he’s just being a kid and having fun and those of us who have a problem were overreacting etc. I have never commented on fb ads and this is the first time I felt compelled to say something.

KittenKong · 24/10/2021 15:48

I see the child’s mum was in the paper complaining about all the homophobic bullying her kid had received (absolutely not on). BUT - I’ve only seen comments around what a horrible brat/nasty to his sister/why isn’t his mum stopping him/wilful little whatsit/who is going to pay for and clean up that mess (none of which was addressed by the child’s mum).

SirensofTitan · 24/10/2021 17:43

@KittenKong

I see the child’s mum was in the paper complaining about all the homophobic bullying her kid had received (absolutely not on). BUT - I’ve only seen comments around what a horrible brat/nasty to his sister/why isn’t his mum stopping him/wilful little whatsit/who is going to pay for and clean up that mess (none of which was addressed by the child’s mum).
I haven't seen the article but how is that in any way a surprise? Any parent who allows their child to be on television in any capacity is very naive if they don't think there will be negative comments online
Xenia · 24/10/2021 17:50

As the boy is presumably under 10 and in England then the criminal damage will not be a criminal offence but it may be grounds for him to be taken into care.

The ad has got people talking about it (it is a terrible ad on all kinds of levels) so it achieved its aim I suppose.

mustlovegin · 24/10/2021 23:16

The ad has got people talking about it (it is a terrible ad on all kinds of levels) so it achieved its aim I suppose

It's still being shown, so it appears J Lewis are not listening to their customers, why?

RobinRedbreasts · 24/10/2021 23:35

It's not really serving the trans community to show a 'trans' person being a dick, is it?

LittleDandelionClock · 24/10/2021 23:37

Agree @DartmoorChef I hate it.