Microsoft Accused of Advocating Sexting
The latest ad for Microsoft new Kin phones has creeped out Consumer Reports.
Consumer Reports is calling Microsoft's latest promotional ad for the new Kin phones "downright creepy," accusing the Redmond-based company of advocating texting... or at least, it comes "uncomfortably close" to the actual act.
The allegations refer to a young man in the video who places the device under his shirt and seemingly takes a picture of his bare chest. After a quick glance at the man-boob snapshot on the phone, the video turns back to the young man who then proceeds to send it on to someone else. Granted there's nothing illegal regarding images of the male anatomy from the waist up, Consumer Reports felt a little awkward by the end of the segment.
"The entire sequence comprises about 10 seconds of a 60-second video (embedded after the jump), and the music-video-style cinematography makes it a little difficult to tell what you're looking at, including the sex of the person shooting the picture," Consumer Reports said.
Check out the video and see if Consumer Reports was dead on... the clip is definitely a little weird and busy.
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that's pretty creepy...wonder what dimbulb at MS thought this ad up? :-P
its not all there making it out to be. i see nothing wrong with this commercial.
it's microsoft way of support gay rights.
accusing the Redmond-based company of advocating texting... or at least, it comes "uncomfortably close" to the actual act.
What's wrong with advocating texting?
Sigh at the overreaction of this ad
It just seems as though people are chasing ambulances whether they are there or not, why does everything have to be made into such a freaking big deal.
It's not nothing I haven't seen people actually do with there phone. I mean, really, they show murders, rape, and, i wouldn't say porn, but I would say pretty damn much pushing the boundaries and all kind of things on regular tv. So what, microsoft made a commercial of some dude taking a picture of his chest. Not like you don't see people walking down the street with there shirts off. So, I think people who are complaining just have nothing better to do. I mean, cmon, it's 2010, not 1940.
'Sexting'? Nah, didn't see it. However, what was with the people in the weird animal heads...its like cosplay Hell.
This ads is kinda boring.
Look like a "peace and love" ads period.
Old style and boring.
And...
This ad kinda boring!
Look like a "peace and love" ad period.
Old style and boring.
And
must have been putting in for the monthly "rate my nipples" contest at work, or trying to get onto whose boobs on liquidgeneration.com
but definite overreactions over something this silly, it isn't like he went south with the camera
I think the reaction to this add is a bit overdramatic.
BUT...
I think this is a drunken hippie looking commercial. I don't care for it at all. SURELY they could have come up with something better than that. I don't care for the look of the phone either.
Wow, just imagine if he showed his nipples.
At 0:50 is he kissin his granny!!
Anybody want pics of my bare chest?
Only people turned on by this would complain about it.
Dumb commercial. Dumb reaction. Aren't there worse things to worry about than some stupid commercial portraying stupid things that stupid people do?
Why do we live in a world where if you don't oppose everything the majority opposes then you are somehow a bad guy? EVEN IF they condone sexting... they condone a practice that millions do.
On the other hand, it would have been perfectly acceptable to see some violence ensue.
Get of yourselves Consumer Reports.... most people on planet earth have nipples.
WTF is wrong with you, there's nothing "sexting" about this ad. God.
Oh my god that girl isn't wearing a shawl how perverse!
See where i'm going with this?
Last time i checked we were born with clothes on everyone has a naked body. big deal.
PS feel free to text me nudes at **********
It's inappropriate. No debate. There could be other ways to interpret it, but that's not the issue. It suggests sexting, even if only a little, and is therefore not appropriate for its intended audience (or any audience realy). It would like trying to justify soft-core child pornagraphy, because it is a milder form, or could be seen as 'artistic' It's simple. Fire the ad agency and pull the commercial.
If I had been doing push-ups religiously for the past month and a bit, which this guy probably has done before the ad, i'd take photos of my chest too.
Did I miss something? It not like one of the girls put the phone under her shirt, that would be sexting. I would NOT call this a great commercial, but there is far worse running on tv anyway.
Aside from the mass of 20+ year old hipsters, nothing wrong with this ad, lol. Unbelievable. The context of the vid makes it seem like good friends doing goofy stuff. You know...like we all do.
It's not nothing I haven't seen people actually do with there phone. I mean, really, they show murders, rape, and, i wouldn't say porn, but I would say pretty damn much pushing the boundaries and all kind of things on regular tv. So what, microsoft made a commercial of some dude taking a picture of his chest. Not like you don't see people walking down the street with there shirts off. So, I think people who are complaining just have nothing better to do. I mean, cmon, it's 2010, not 1940.
I'm rather sure by 1940 Clark Gable and other Hollywood leading men were featured shirtless in movies. From the movies I have seen from the 30's and 40's they were getting more liberal with peoples bodies. Then in the late 40's they cracked down on everything. Even further back movies were even more liberal. Given that Ben Hur: A Tale of Christ in 1925 had some topless women.
But the writer's at consumer reports are being far too sensitive. They must pass out watching UFC or Boxing with all the topless men.
Eh the ad didn't make any damn sense
I am OK with sexting. Good for MS even if that wasn't their goal. Forced censorship=bad
I personally don't find anything wrong with sexting. Never done it myself, but if others want to, feel free. No kiddie porn of course.
Lolz! They straight up said they couldn't tell if it was a guy or a girl.
its not all there making it out to be. i see nothing wrong with this commercial.
You obviously missed the furries half way in.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furry_fandom
My god that commercial sucks.