"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

[JurgenKloppsCat]

How much money do corporations make out of bad publicity? These things happen fairly frequently in advertising. Sow accidental is the outrage they cause, and how profitable in the long term?

Re the black humour aspect. Mel Brooks said he was the first Jew to make a buck out of Hitler when he had a hit with The Producers. So when is humour off-limits?

[Oxytocindeficient]

It’s not about what topics are off-limits at all. The issue is who or what is the target of the joke?

[ErrolTheDragon]

Yup. The Producers is funny because it's subversive- I can't imagine many neo-Nazis like it. The subtitled 'Downfall' clips likewise.

[JurgenKloppsCat]

And in some cases, it can seem outrageous. As in my example, a musical written by a Jew about the Nazis, apparently for laughs. On the face of it, I struggle to imagine anything more preposterous and offensive. So all I was asking is, where is the line that people should not cross?

[ErrolTheDragon]

I struggle to imagine anything more preposterous and offensive.

Uh, how about imagining a musical written by the Nazis about Jewish people, for laughs?
Yes, of course everyone (I hope!) can surely see that would be completely unfunny, and why.

Jokes work when the butt is an equal or someone in a stronger position.

I still can't think of any examples of humour (black or otherwise) which really work in which the butt is weak and/or innocent.

[TinselAngel]

And his wife Catherine Howard was only 19 (or maybe 18) when she was executed on his orders. Ha fucking ha. Hilarious.

It's also thought she was a victim of sexual abuse, as she went to a boarding school where some men were given free range to roam the dormitories.

[FloralBuntingIsObnoxious]

Sometimes I think companies do this to garner controversy and extra publicity.

But this one just read "Hur hur, dead women, hur hur..." Beavis and Butthead style dick humour that was just trying to set an edgelord brand image. And even more contemptible for that, tbh.

It's one thing to say something you know is outrageous and unacceptable to generate clicks that you know you will pull eventually having raised your profile. It's quite another to just casually contribute to the general "Dead women, who gives a fuck?" culture.

[StrangeLookingParasite]

Henry Viii would be judged a serial killer, as well as the murderer of his wives, by today's standards.

I seriously doubt that, given that it ignores a huge amount of information about every single aspect of the society of the time. Honestly, that's a real reach.
No, he wasn't remotely a nice person. Absolute monarchy plus monarch with an acquired brain injury isn't a good recipe. Knowledge of the politics of the time, and the absolute chaos of a realm without a clear leader would have been hanging over the entire society.
It's much, much too complex a situation to call H8 (for whom I have no particular love) a serial killer.

[OlennasWimple]

Aw, how hysterical, discussing whether someone looks hot enough to shag or marry or whether she is so ugly you should cut off her head! Ha ha ha ha ha!

[zippey]

I guess with Borat, you have a Jew playing a Muslim who hates Jews.

[SonicVersusGynaephobia]

Three's response and "apology" was predictably shit.

This tweet was removed earlier today. The ad was intended to be light hearted fun on Valentine's day. We don't believe it promotes violence against women - which we don't condone in any form. However, we're sorry for any offence caused.

[lizzzyyliveson]

How can referencing a real although historical woman being beheaded be lighthearted fun? I feel like I am being gaslighted. The bit of the advert that I saw that I reacted to was a huge sword slicing down through what must have been a melon or something. It was shocking to see while scrolling through my Twitter feed. It just proves that men have no understanding of the level of threat that women feel.

[Ereshkigal]

They are gaslighting you. And all women, falling back on the "it's just bantz, can't you take a joke?". Never fails.

[Jeanhatchet]

Turns out the Advertising Standards Agency cared about the ad and our complaints. Well done to those who reported.

[Oxytocindeficient]

That is brilliant. Well done everyone and thanks to you Jean for informing us all.

[ErrolTheDragon]

Very good! You've marked their card, hopefully they will be less stupidly crass in future.