"Shag, Marry or Behead" - 3 mobile

[Jeanhatchet]

The 3 mobile network are laughing at domestic homicide in this tweet. In many of the women killed as a result of intimate partner violence blunt force trauma to or being stabbed in the head is a feature.

The most worrying thing is .... how did this marketing meeting go? What views were expressed about killing women? How that was funny and would sell more contracts and phones? Imagine those men who sanctioned this and how common their views are that it never registered as a marketing disaster?

twitter.com/threeuk/status/1095740892919541761?s=21

Looking at some of Three's replies to tweets, they have knobheads running their twitter account.

Honestly, isn't it just a joke?

Emphatically, NO!

No, it's not "just a joke". It's making a light about a man causing a partner a violent death, at a time when too many men are actually doing this for real, every week.

If you do find this ad an unacceptable contribution to the social landscape that leads to the murder of women being considered "funny" you can report it here - it takes 2 mins tops but take a quick screenshot to upload as evidence of the ad.

www.asa.org.uk/make-a-complaint.html

So I guess people are totally against teaching the Tudors in school in anything but the most serious of ways and against the Horrible Histories books and TV show? Because it's basically a similar tone to this ad, just aimed at children.

I don't find it funny.

How can it be a joke when this kind of violence and misogyny still happens every day?

Too soon - not even 500 years has passed.

I know of no child who sets up a mobile contract. Most have their parents do it. 'Horrible Histories' is aimed at the primary school child and, quite frankly, I think making fun of violence at that age is shocking.

Whenever I see talk of Horrible Histories, I'm reminded of this:

www.theguardian.com/books/2013/feb/13/libraries-horrible-histories-terry-deary

Basically he's not a fan of libraries because it cuts into the cash he'd get. When he's already very wealthy.

Hi Jean,

I take it you were also offended when Emilia Clarke played “shag, marry, kill” based on the male characters of Game of Thrones.

SnowflakePatrol

Oh please bore off.

I don’t care if it’s intended as a ‘joke’. Women get killed every week and it is not remotely funny. Comedy is meant to be clever. Who is the target of this ‘joke’ exactly? It’s not funny, it’s not clever, and it’s not ok.

Double standards as usual, so I’ve to “bore off”. Typical come back.

Nope, standards are always the same for all. Make dumb comments unrelated to the thread, and you’ll be responded to in exactly the way you deserve. It’s not my problem you’re incapable of discussing the actual topic. Your lack of intelligence is your problem, not mine.

I take it you were also offended when Emilia Clarke played “shag, marry, kill” based on the male characters of Game of Thrones

I don't know what this is referring to but why would you assume anyone would be happy with it just because the sexes are reversed?

But we are talking about Henry VIII here, one of the most famous historical figures of the UK, famous for having loads of wives and treating them appallingly, including chopping their heads off, which was a standard method for a monarch at that time to deal with anyone they didn't like. Kids grow up knowing that Henry had two of his wives 'beheaded', it's part of British historical culture, and it was 500 years ago.

Also, not sure what Terry Deary having controversial views about libraries has to do with the fact that lots of kids love Horrible Histories and it provides a really fun way of children engaging with all sorts of history. I shall wait for the boycott of the books and TV show on the grounds that it 'promotes violence against women'.

By the way, my reference to kids and Henry VIII has nothing to do with kids taking out phone contracts, I was just pointing out that the stories about Henry and his wives are pretty ingrained in British historical culture, starting with when kids learn about it at school, usually in a lighthearted way.

3mobile that is disgraceful. Wrong on so many levels.

I take it you were also offended when Emilia Clarke played “shag, marry, kill” based on the male characters of Game of Thrones

I find that horrible. Yes. Doesn't change the fact that women are murdered every week by their partners and men aren't.

I don't think the issue is that there are some subjects one can't explore with humour. I think the problem is who is the butt of the joke.

In this ad the butt of the joke is the women, I think. It does nothing to subvert the aeons old structural power imbalance between men and women that existed in the Tudor times, that exists now, and that is partly responsible for males killing females.

Added to that is the fact its not a stand up comedian, grafting away, who made the joke. Its a wealthy powerful company who are using women as the butt of a joke about violence in order to sell phones.

I couldn't stomach GoT because of the rape and violence. It no longer entertains me. I am still fun at parties honest.

The idiots on that thread who think the problem is with the word 'shag'. Are they being disingenuous or are they really on that strange page of thinking sex is more of a moral issue than violence?

I think the problem is who is the butt of the joke.

Absolutely that’s the issue, any actual decent comedian will tell you that. The butt of the joke here is women, that’s the problem.

I'm a 3 customer currently out of contract. I've just complained to 3 and said I'm considering moving back to EE.

I think the joke is more the absurdity of

1. what happened with the wives with king Henry
2. putting it into a modern setting with a modern twist

It’s not laughing at violence against women.

But we are talking about Henry VIII here, one of the most famous historical figures of the UK, famous for having loads of wives and treating them appallingly, including chopping their heads off, which was a standard method for a monarch at that time to deal with anyone they didn't like.

Henry was famous for breaking the connection with the Pope and declaring himself head of a new religion in England. Henry was baptised a Catholic and still continued Catholic traditions which eventually ended with Anglicanism.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Church_of_England

Elizabeth Taylor had more husbands than Henry, but she didn't behead any of them.

Queens had status even in the 16th century. Saying the phrase 'Beheading anyone you didn't like' misrepresents history and clearly demonstrates a lack of understanding of the historical context.

Also, not sure what Terry Deary having controversial views about libraries has to do with the fact that lots of kids love Horrible Histories and it provides a really fun way of children engaging with all sorts of history. I shall wait for the boycott of the books and TV show on the grounds that it 'promotes violence against women'.

Lots of children loved Jimmy Savile. I don't watch Game of Thrones. I boycott books already.

By the way, my reference to kids and Henry VIII has nothing to do with kids taking out phone contracts, I was just pointing out that the stories about Henry and his wives are pretty ingrained in British historical culture, starting with when kids learn about it at school, usually in a lighthearted way.

My daughter, who got a first in history, was happy to get rid of her Horrible Histories - can we burn these mum? No I said, better to let it rot. Her father, who abandoned her, kept up the subscription, despite me and her asking him several times to stop it. There is nothing lighthearted about WW1 or WW2.

2) putting it into a modern setting with a modern twist

Yes, imagined violence against women in a modern setting is that "modern twist", right?

No snog marry avoid and tinder is the twist and is obviously not literal.

But obviously the outraged are going to imply it’s all a sinister ploy to condone the acts of a horrible man 400+ years ago by a phone company.