Sexist and dangerous Samaritans ad

[Meadowbird]

https://twitter.com/samaritans/status/1760599123923722266

A really bizarre ad - encouraging lone women to approach disturbed men on deserted train station platforms and ask them out for a coffee. What could possibly go wrong? They also will become sexier if they do apparently.

Yes but the woman can choose to do that. It can be as simple as distracting someone whilst talking about the weather - that’s all that’s needed to get someone to think about something else. It’s not about a woman being ‘sexy’ to get a man out of depression - it’s about helping others. You can, of course, also get a member of staff as well - but what do you think about a female staff member being able to help?

To me, the problem doesn't arise from having a "frumpy" woman in an ad (I'm a proudly frumpy woman myself! I welcome less sexualised images of women in the media) It's the fact that they're equating that image with anxious, uptight, unkind, and ultimately making Wrong Descisions.

I will look that up this evening when I get home.

I feel really sorry for any young and inexperienced woman, who watches that ad and takes it as a good social script. She won't necessarily know that asking about coffee is a popular chat-up line and liable to be interpreted as such!

willWillSmithsmith

But why are there two visually different versions of this woman in the first place?”

It’s a simply a method often employed in drama, etc. to represent internal dialogue because otherwise, some people simply wouldn’t understand.

There are various different versions of all of us.

She's wearing pearl earrings

Exactly. Why doesn't she mention her concerns to the staff member instead of approaching the man herself?

VitoCorleoneOfMNMafia

Thanks, would be interested to search the psychology behind that.

MrsSkylar, you are being disingenuous. I have not created the stereotype that no make up + cardigan = frumpy or red lipstick + leather jacket = sexy & cool and you know that. It is an existing stereotype that everyone is aware of and the advert producers have deliberately employed as a lazy way of showing the ‘kind’ woman as somehow better. If you can’t see that then and don’t understand how adverts work you must be very easily manipulated.

I'm just getting so fucked off with this shit overall.

All these campaigns are "oooh if only someone had asked if they were ok". Like that stupid guilt trippy one at the football ground. It's always someone else's responsibility is the underlying message of these campaigns.

But that campaign by the Samaritans is another level. What on earth were they thinking?

This has actually enraged me like I've never felt before.

I can't believe I missed that!!

Quite! It could have been the other way round - quiet and frumpy woman intervenes, but who would want to be like her? (For the benefit of Skylark, that is what the producers thought not me, I am a complete slob btw).

Megifer · Today 14:07
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I'm just getting so fucked off with this shit overall.
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All these campaigns are "oooh if only someone had asked if they were ok". Like that stupid guilt trippy one at the football ground. It's always someone else's responsibility is the underlying message of these campaigns.
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But that campaign by the Samaritans is another level. What on earth were they thinking?
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This has actually enraged me like I've never felt before.”

Simple interventions can make a big difference, though. Of course it’s everyone’s right to take that decision based on their instincts, experience, the circumstances, location, etc.

really don’t see the problem though with publicising how effective a few words can be when someone is in crisis. It would be a much worse world if no-one helped anyone else if they felt able to.

Whilst I understand the importance of interventions, I think the Samaritans have got this advert wrong. There's no thought to the safeguarding of women on the railway network plus there's another guy in the picture, why couldn't he have stepped up? What bothers me, as another poster has said, is the message this is sending out to younger inexperienced women who want to do the right thing and end up putting themselves at risk.

No, I am neither disingenuous or easily manipulated. Generally take advertising with a pinch of salt.

Why are they wearing different clothes?

I do like Skylark, though. May name change . Perhaps I am easily manipulated after all 😁

Sorry MrsS - autocorrect!

If only real life could be autocorrected.

I have no problem with campaigns that suggest checking in on FRIENDS or FAMILY could help. But they should run alongside campaigns that focus on the individual recognising shit ain't right with themselves and where they can get professional help. There's an underlying tone of "if only someone else had helped them they might not have jumped" or whatever, when, if that situation happens, friends and family are told it wasn't their fault (I should know). So which is it?

This Samaritans campaign is as dangerous as it is stupid as it is guilt trippy.

@MrsSkylerWhite the problem isn't in showing ways to help, per se. The problem is in actively encouraging women to ignore every fibre of their being which is screaming out "this isn't safe".

There are lots of safer ways to intervene. It would have been safer in this instance to alert station staff (much safer, in fact, because they could have alerted signallers/drivers that there was a risk). If someone falls into open water, the advice is to never put yourself at risk trying to save them. This ad seems to be saying exactly the opposite.

Yes the advert is a great idea, we should all be more thoughtful.
Just don't use a lone woman approaching a man.

Perhaps the woman should just forget about catching the train, and give up her job and spend all her time and money on opening mental health support groups for men. Or just shag him to pop a smile on his face.

Actually some of the suggestions people are making here - get a member of staff if you are worried about someone but don't feel safe approaching them/phone police in an emergency/use a different topic of conversation than getting coffee are probably much better than the actual Samaritan's advert - because they give people a way to help that is actually actionable in real life.

Megifer

But they should run alongside campaigns that focus on the individual recognising shit ain't right with themselves and where they can get professional help.”

Absolutely agree, the two aren’t mutually exclusive and people should try to take responsibility. Unfortunately in some situations, they’re just not able to which is when intervention can be needed.

I just don’t see what others are seeing. To me, it’s just a woman having a dramatically portrayed internal dialogue about whether she should intervene.