30 Votes

GM Under Fire: Super Bowl Ad Deemed Unsuitable

Agent009 submitted on 2/8/2007 Official Bell & Ross Timestamp: 10:46:09 AM

41 user comments | Category: Spy Shots | Source: | SOURCE: www.detnews.com

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention isn't amused by General Motors Corp.

's Super Bowl ad depicting a despondent robot leaping off a bridge in a dream sequence, and demanded Wednesday that the automaker pull it off the air.

Calling the ad insensitive, the organization also wants GM to remove it from its Web site.

The "ad is insensitive to the tens of millions of people who have lost loved ones to suicide," said Robert Gebbia, executive director of the foundation. "The ad also suggests a troubling and potentially dangerous message that suicide is a logical and rational decision should one experience failure or lose their job."

GM officials said they won't pull or change the ad. It's "a story of GM's commitment to quality It is not intended to offend anyone," spokeswoman Ryndee Carney said.

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GM Under Fire: Super Bowl Ad Deemed Unsuitable

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User Comments

America needs to grow up!!! This whole politically correct thing is getting really old.
— drew630 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 10:54:28 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3

agreed

i thought the commercial was funny....not as funny as the careerbuilders.com ones, but funny
— carfan3 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 11:06:16 AM | | Votes: 2

I agree - totally stupid - get over it.
— ellives (View Profile)

Posted on 2/15/2007 6:19:37 PM | | Votes: 1

omg please...

bunch of morons
— Greenlight (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 11:09:42 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2

We can bring war to innocent nations but we can't "possibly" offend someone with a robot joke.
— neutral (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 11:15:30 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1

During WWII, when President Truman gave the order to drop two Atomic bombs there was no ads like what we see today in print or on radio.

Not many owned a TV then.
— EL34 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 12:04:25 PM | | Votes: -19

"War to innocent nations".... Wow you leftist bloggers can never keep it in your pants can you.
— Autophile (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 12:20:54 PM | | Votes: -6

EL34,

once again with some completely un-related WWII comment. Shut up you moron.
— neutral (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 4:45:44 PM | | Votes: 8

News for you, Autophile,
I'm a TRUE conservative, not these messed up republicans we see today. A classic, true conservative sees what we are doing in afghanistan and is upset because we arent doing enough. A true conservative sees what we are doing in Iraq and gets pissed because we opened a pandora's box we should never have even looked at. So spare me your BS.
— neutral (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 4:50:24 PM | | Votes: 8

Lol...okay Hillary...
— Autophile (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 9:32:50 PM | | Votes: -5

neutral, I'M a liberal, and i'm 100% with you on this!

autofile is a neanderthal. you're probably ASHAMED of him making ALL conservatives seem like ignorant ashholes.
— XYZZ (View Profile)

Posted on 2/9/2007 6:39:54 AM | | Votes: 2

Yikes... there is A LOT of hatred floating around here. I was just asking "neutral" to keep it relevant to the post rather than using it as an opportunity to blow off steam for his hatred of our administration. The attacks I've received certainly don't seem proportional to the nature of my comment. Seriously, what is all this "real conservative" defense and calling me a "neanderthal." Call me whatever names make you feel superior, the fact remains that "Iraq" has nothing to do with GM's advertising department in this case.
— Autophile (View Profile)

Posted on 2/9/2007 4:41:02 PM | | Votes: 1

My wife and I thought the ad was fine. We took it as an ad for Quality being a priority for GM and nothing more.
— horta (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 11:24:31 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 4

I agree - the political correctness has hit new heights. In Canada, we had a similar Kia ad last week that has provoked such an outcry from police organizations it is ridiculous.

The ad starts with a couple doing some heavy making-out in the front seat. They’re interrupted by the crackle of a police radio, and as the camera pans back, we discover the female in the liplock session is a police officer. She climbs out of the Kia, walks back to the cruiser and drives away, with a little toot of the siren as her final goodbye.

I thought the ad was brilliant - and it shows you don’t have to drive a $100,000 car to be sexy. It wouldn’t have lost its message if the woman involved had been a nurse, a student or a CEO.

For some strange reason, though, police organizations in Canada have reacted with outrage, insisting that the depiction of a female police officer is offensive.

The Kia ad was amuzing and I loved it! I hope GM sticks to their guns too!

— Loki123 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 11:31:19 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 5

Mod me down for this, but this S*P quote nails it perfectly for me:

"Do you consider what kind of suicide rate we'd have if people killed themselves just because they're stupid?" "Yes. An acceptable one."
— jeffy210 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 11:36:48 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2

I don't like any of these commercials that have violence and there are more and more.

I think it started with the Capital One TV ads and now we have to indure this crap with GM and Snickers.

I don't buy any products that market that way.

They can go straight to hell.
— EL34 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 12:00:49 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -5

When did football become a sport for the weak-hearted? The annual, post game "I’m Offended Gripe Fest" gets more attention than the game itself now. Apparently, the wardrobe malfunction debacle was merely a catalyst for creating the mother of all slippery slopes... Since Prince didn’t reveal any noteworthy body parts, we’re now reduced to discussing homophobia-phobia over a cheesy Lady and the Tramp attention grab, and a suicidal robot.

If you’re so offended by a robot commercial you should probably kill yourself. Get it over with now, the world is too rough for you... or maybe its my turn; I just can’t take this anymore.
— webguy (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 12:09:34 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3

FYI, those commercials are replayed for weeks after the Superbowl is over.

How about a commercial that shows Union bosses shooting themselves in the head with all the bloody special effects after all the UAW workers are laid off from GM?

lol
— EL34 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 12:16:35 PM | | Votes: -5

Another thing webguy, didn't Prince suck and screw up a perfectly great football game with all of his outdated and antiquated pop rock tunes from the 80's?
— EL34 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 12:18:52 PM | | Votes: -4

EL34,

you just whined about how you hate violence in TV ads and then you promote violence in your next post.

Are you "special" in any sort of way? Did your mom have to pin notes for the teacher on your jacket every morning before you got on the short bus?
— neutral (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 4:48:10 PM | | Votes: 6

neutral, I think it's important for young children to be able to watch TV without seeing robots committing suicide.

I mean what's next?...a commercial where a husband comes home and finds a man raping his wife and he grabs his baseball bat and beats the guy over the head?

It would be a good baseball bat commercial, right??

I'm tired of seeing these schlubs on
— EL34 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 10:43:41 PM | | Votes: -3

on TV.
— EL34 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 10:44:08 PM | | Votes: -3

A certain level of censorship is necessary...only a certain level though. You go to Europe and theres no drinking age and much less censorship. What do they have, oh yea. Less drinking problems and less naive kids who have the pent-up urges to do crazy things once they get the chance. Like when I turned 16 and got a liscence, all we did was try to get beer and find parties. My cousins in Europe never did that crap because there's no thrill in doing something thats not restricted.
— neutral (View Profile)

Posted on 2/9/2007 12:14:05 AM | | Votes: 5

You guys apparently didn't see the car wash on the street GM Commercial where guys couldn't keep there hands off of the GM Wagon thing???? It was so wrong.... There was this old guy rubbin' his wrinkly old chest on the side window....... I am vomiting right now..... That commercial was just wrong!!!! Not to mention the car... Does anyone really uy that color.....
— jasongoudie (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 2:59:14 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3

They would do anything make you buy their car, how pity.

— Lexus (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 3:17:53 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -4

wow people just grow, its a machine and its a comercial.
— trd1 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 5:38:50 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 4

I thought the robot ad was funny. But after reading this article, I can understand that some people can be offended. Think about it for a moment. GM is obssessed with quality that they will fire anyone who screw up his or her job? That seems a bit harsh to me. Especially this robot just dropped a nut then escorted out the door?

By the way, I agree with jasonqoudie, the car wash on the street ad was just done in poor taste.
— sracekili (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 6:29:41 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2

Some organizations have nothing better to do than stir up issues that are nonexistent, not intended and not worth arguing about. Pretty sad scenario. I am sure GM had no intention of offending anyone. Get a life guys.
— bgagliano (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 7:12:09 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1

The uaw should learn from this ad, if a robot would feel that bad about it's work, then uaw humans should follow suit.
— adoptgreyhounds (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 7:35:16 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0

Your typical American Union worker doesn't care if they're building cars or swingsets.

Their only 3 concerns are, who's in charge, when is lunch and when do we get paid.
— EL34 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 10:52:05 PM | | Votes: 4

WOW! How low can they go?

GM produces one creative advertisement, of dozens of dull ones- and WHAM!
— S4cabriofoxone (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 9:38:24 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2

The Superbowl is for kids and not just a bunch of goons.

Kids don't need to see Janet Jackson at the halftime show.

You know sports have changed. I used to watch the LA Lakers win, when Magic, Kareem, Worthy, Scott and Cooper used to entertain us night after night playing great BBall, and now everytime a game is on a huge fights breaks out, and I don't watch anymore.
— EL34 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 10:49:20 PM | | Votes: -2

What does any of that have anything to do with my post?
— S4cabriofoxone (View Profile)

Posted on 2/8/2007 11:58:42 PM | | Votes: 2

This is great publicity for GM. The commerical did exaclty what they intended it to do, make people talk.
— no1listensanyway (View Profile)

Posted on 2/9/2007 12:08:31 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1

Good point no1listensanyway

Publicity is publicity.
— neutral (View Profile)

Posted on 2/9/2007 12:18:32 AM | | Votes: 2

this is a complicated issue.

on principal, i'm generally against any and ALL censorship. and while i haven't seen it, just the plot of the commercial made me laff too.

on the other hand, EL34 does make valid points. there IS way too much violence on the tube. companies DO have to give more thot to impressions they make on kids. of ALL ages.
— XYZZ (View Profile)

Posted on 2/9/2007 6:51:12 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1

I thought it was funny, personally speaking. But nowadays, everyone gets butt-hurt over the smallest things. It's a joke. It's funny. We should laugh at it. Not curl up in our security blanket and scream becaue it's 'offensive' in some infinitesimal way.
— KoruKinshi (View Profile)

Posted on 2/9/2007 7:27:48 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2

Story UPDATE: GM in fact has announced that it HAS pulled this ad for the reasons presented by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness, and a ground swell of friends & families of people affected by mental illness. Judging from the inane comments of so many, we still have a long way to go before people relize that suicide is largely the end result of mental illness....that 1 in 5 people are effected (directly or indirectly) by mental illness...and that the mental illness is a brain disorder cause by chemical imbalances - much like heart disease, diabetes and certain forms of high blood pressure.

In all likelihood, at least 20% of the authors of the above messages will some day experience the pain, stigma and lack of sympathy for those affected by mental illness. I wonder how amused and uncercerned they will be then?
— wrh3208 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/15/2007 5:33:28 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1

GM is under fire - for lying about there being no batteries to power its Chevy Volt concept car, unveiled last month in Detroit.
1. GM's chief vehicle engineer, Nick Zelensky, was quoted (a few days after GM's "No batteries" press release) in MIT's Tech Review saying that Volt-ready large-format lithium batteries are ready now.
2. GM could get 40 miles electric range using nickel metal-hydride batteries, if it hadn't sold the right to make them to Chevron-owned CobaSys, which won't allow large NiMH packs to be sold in America. Poor GM!
3. Lead-acid batteries power most home-converted electric vehicles (EVs) in the US farther than the Volt's 40 miles on battery propulsion.
The GM commercials that I find offensive feature Hummers, but I don't wet myself in public over them.
— EVangel (View Profile)

Posted on 2/16/2007 1:23:40 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1

To wrh3208. Nothing will ever make you happy and you like everybody else as depressed as you are.

To EVangel. What does your comment have to do with the post?

It was just an ad. I am getting so tired of these bitching people!
— SteveL (View Profile)

Posted on 2/16/2007 2:51:35 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1

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GM Under Fire: Super Bowl Ad Deemed Unsuitable

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