We heard enough nonsense about conservatives supposedly “defending” rape during last year’s campaign season to last several lifetimes. So now what’s this about conservatives defending a “rapey” TV spot? The Philly Post’s Joel Mathis saw the following ad from Audi and wondered, “Why are conservatives defending Audi’s rapey Super Bowl ad?” Maybe because they didn’t consider it to be “rapey” in the first place?
Game's over. So. Re-upping my quickie column about AUDI'S RAPEY SUPER BOWL AD. http://t.co/bMEUYMOe Why do some cons defend this stuff?
— Joel Mathis (@joelmmathis) February 4, 2013
Not sure why some cons need to defend the Audi commercial against liberal feminists. I don't think rape-iness on TV is a conservative value.
— Joel Mathis (@joelmmathis) February 4, 2013
It turns out that “conservatives” is shorthand for, essentially, Transom editor Ben Domenech, who retweeted this observation.
https://twitter.com/SonnyBunch/status/298215297477918720
Just like they did against Dodge. http://t.co/gv7imz8q RT @SonnyBunch: Prediction: The feminists will wage jihad against Audi for that ad.
— Ben Domenech (@bdomenech) February 3, 2013
So, if the ad is so offensive, why wouldn’t the question be, “Why did Audi produce such a rapey ad?” What do conservatives have to do with it?
@snerber The breakdown may not be politically neat, actually. When I wrote, some prominent conservatives had started the defense…
— Joel Mathis (@joelmmathis) February 4, 2013
@snerber …in the absence of, but expectation of, a critique by liberals. I was responding to their framing.
— Joel Mathis (@joelmmathis) February 4, 2013
You prominent conservatives and your framing. It turns out the expectation of a critique by liberals was dead on.
https://twitter.com/AmandaMarcotte/status/298430432133910528
https://twitter.com/AmandaMarcotte/status/298589360582979585
@AmandaMarcotte That would have been a daring and awesome commercial to broadcast during the Super Bowl.
— Patrick Levin (@patricklevin) February 5, 2013
https://twitter.com/AmandaMarcotte/status/298590450992955393
@mirandachale So the term wasn't "rape" but "rapey." And I'll contend that in this context, it's accurate.
— Joel Mathis (@joelmmathis) February 4, 2013
Why I'm lucky to be a dude: No death threats or rape threats made to me for my column about the Audi car commercial.
— Joel Mathis (@joelmmathis) February 4, 2013
Well, according to Lil Miss Rightie up there, maybe you’re not quite the dude you think you are. Once word of its supposed “rapiness” got around, it seems not everyone felt the ad was such a threat.
It's an anti-frat boy ad! With confidence infused by an Audi, nerd wins the prom queen's heart from violent prom king! http://t.co/oRI6sRsw
— Ben Domenech (@bdomenech) February 4, 2013
@bdomenech Apparently half the romantic movies ever made are "rapey." @joelmmathis
— jon gabriel (@exjon) February 4, 2013
Wow this preening moralist –> @joelmmathis must really hate John Hughes movies. http://t.co/nYthAccU #NerdWinsGirlEqualsRape
— Burn, Democrat-Run Cities, Burn! (@NolteNC) February 4, 2013
@joelmmathis That ad doesn’t feel “rapey” to me. More like the ending of a coming-of-age movie from the Eighties.
— Marco Tabini (@mtabini) February 4, 2013
A kid kisses the prom queen. People call it rape. You know why? Because they're mental patients.
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) February 4, 2013
https://twitter.com/EWErickson/status/298567844461940737
http://twitter.com/EWErickson/statuses/298612585178230784
https://twitter.com/Heminator/statuses/298554078961754112
https://twitter.com/Heminator/status/298560469600464898
https://twitter.com/jstrevino/status/298554497683296257
https://twitter.com/mario_sl/status/298585153444392961
You dudes just don’t get it. At least women will have the sense to thank Mathis for his red-flagging of this spot promoting violence against women, right?
https://twitter.com/LilMissRightie/status/298573033902325760
https://twitter.com/LilMissRightie/status/298574474159202305
https://twitter.com/LilMissRightie/status/298593171363987456
https://twitter.com/LilMissRightie/status/298592263095861248
Men, women … even closet conservative Touré liked the ad.
https://twitter.com/Toure/status/298215005768261632
https://twitter.com/Toure/status/298226287540072449
Why, Touré, why do you condone rape?
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