Not sure if I should be offended....

[JamieG]

On my way home from work every day, I pass by a billboard from a local car salesman: It boldy proclaims "He's coming out..." with a picture of him in a dress looking very demure. Then continues "of retirement." Part of me is angry because this seems like another crude attempt at humor of the "there's nothing funnier than a guy in a dress" variety. And although it's likely this was the motivation, I also read into this a sense of increasing tolerance in society. Would he have done this ad if drag was considered sinful or shameful by most of his potential customers? Is the "He's coming out" a nod to potential LGBT customers, with the punchline slipped in to assuage the "straight" people? I'm not sure what to think.

[Sophie86]

Maybe he really is a CD, and he's getting a kick out of having his femme pic up on a billboard.

[S. Lisa Smith]

Maybe he really is a CD, and he's getting a kick out of having his femme pic up on a billboard.

If he looks good, I would have to agree with Sophie...

[Chickhe]

There are far worse things to get offended over... go to the dealership in drag and see how they react...

[Longing2be-Trisha]

You are right Jamie it is a poor attempt at humor at the expense of others.

Hugs

[MissMarcie]

There are far worse things to get offended over...

Exactly. It's nothing. Blow it off.

[April_Ligeia]

Monty Python purposely crossdressed badly sometimes, and well other times, always to get a laugh. And it was always funny! It sounds like this car dealer was attempting the same kind of humor but just didn't pull it off.

[Sophie86]

There are far worse things to get offended over... go to the dealership in drag and see how they react...

I like that idea. Tell them you're not shopping for a car, you just wanted to make sure the boss got home all right the night before.

[eluuzion]

It got you to read the AD...mission accomplished...

[msginaadoll]

Well why cant a guy in a dress be funny? I dont believe it all has to be black and white. Heck I laughed when I saw the picture of The Rock in the Tutu for the movie Tooth Fairy. Maybe Im wrong , maybe Im not politically correct... Most likely I have a bad sense of humor. But men have been wearing dresses for comedy for im sure well over 300 plus years. I guess I refuse to let everything be taken so seriously. Heck I refuse to take myself to seriously!

[gabimartini]

There are far worse things to get offended over... go to the dealership in drag and see how they react...

Now that's a thought! Lemme know if you need company for that stunt!!!

[Cynthia Anne]

I'll consider it as an atempt at humor! But please forgive me if I forget to laugh! Hugs!

[Kate Simmons]

Pay it no mind Jamie, it's just an ad.

[Gillian Gigs]

We do not need to be thin skinned about this. Toughen up that skin, and use moisturizer to help keep it soft. Most jokes are poking fun at someone's elses expence.

[Jenniferathome]

He's probably a cross dresser himself.

[JamieG]

Maybe he really is a CD, and he's getting a kick out of having his femme pic up on a billboard.

If he looks good, I would have to agree with Sophie...

He didn't have makeup or a wig, but he didn't look particularly uncomfortable. Who knows, maybe he is a CD?

There are far worse things to get offended over... go to the dealership in drag and see how they react...

That was kind of my point, it didn't really bother me, but got me thinking. If it was a stab at us, and we let it roll off our backs, then people will continue to think its okay to belittle trans people. If he was in blackface, I (and many other people) would not find it funny at all.

Well why cant a guy in a dress be funny? I dont believe it all has to be black and white. Heck I laughed when I saw the picture of The Rock in the Tutu for the movie Tooth Fairy. Maybe Im wrong , maybe Im not politically correct... Most likely I have a bad sense of humor. But men have been wearing dresses for comedy for im sure well over 300 plus years. I guess I refuse to let everything be taken so seriously. Heck I refuse to take myself to seriously!

Don't get me wrong. A guy in a dress can be funny, but putting a guy in a dress does not automatically equal funny. Think frat guy with balloon tits, short skirt, and unshaved legs on Halloween. He thinks he's hilarious, but he's not. On the other hand, Monty Python were great. The ugly drag was part of the gag, but there was always real comedy to support it. The Kids in the Hall were another favorite troupe of mine. They frequently did drag, and often looked good. Once again, the drag supported the sketch, it wasn't what made it funny. And of course, then there's Eddie Izzard, who's a comedian who happens to be one of us.

[Kaz]

A car salesman? I would guess that he is just trying grab attention... in which case his attitude to CDs is totally up for grabs! And probably not important, other than the image it conveys to society as a whole. Can't see it changing anything?

[Dawn cd]

Hey, sometimes you just have to flow with it. Why shouldn't advertisers be able to play with the words "come out"? It wasn't hateful or demeaning, so relax.

[Kaz]

Let's see the advert. And if it is funny even to us then lets send him lots of fan emails and make his day

Nice idea! I like the thinking!

[Sometimes Steffi]

But men have been wearing dresses for comedy for im sure well over 300 plus years.

Men have been wearing dresses at least since Shakespeare's time. At that time, women couldn't be actresses, so all the female parts were played by men (or boys). And in one of the great comedic twists, the women often had to disguise themselves as men. So, you had a man playing a woman pretending to be a man.

In the 1998 movie "Shakespeare in Love", Gwyneth Paltrow played Viola who pretended to be a boy so she could act the part of Juliet in the play within a play of Romeo and Juliet, and she was one of the sexiest boys ever.

[Stephanie47]

At least the car dealership thought the ad would be perceived as humorous by the general public. If the dealership thought it would have been perceived as "disgusting" by the public, I'm sure it would not have been placed. Society has become a little more tolerant as long as it doesn't directly effect them. You'll cross dressers have been totally accepted, when you see the same image and exclamation in a Ross or TJ Maxx ad.

[SarahLynn]

i like the idea of going to the dealership dressed and then telling eveyone what a great time you and the owner had last night. If he's not a CD, or can't take a joke, then the add will be gone within hours. If he is or can it will stay up until it's run the coarse. Is this dealership known for it's crazy ads. If it is then i'm thinking it is just an ad and will be replaced in time.

SarahLynn

[sometimes_miss]

It's advertising. It's used to get people to pay attention to his product. And an old adage is, any publicity is good.

[Pamela Kay]

I felt the same way about the Miller Beer commercial where they were going to make the guy an official Miller guy. That was until he opened the door while still shaving his chest. I thought wait a minute, I do that too. I guess it's good I'm a Bud Light girl.

[Vickie_CDTV]

It was just a juvenile attempt at humor on the dealer's part (and not particularly clever at that.)

As for being offended, there are plenty of things in this world one should really be offended by (just look at the headlines in a newspaper these days.) I know some might feel this kind of thing hurts us, but really there are bigger things out there to really worry about.