Corporate Synergy At Work
Bitter irony alert! The United Church of Christ, that gay-friendly, diversity-encouraging ministry, has continually had trouble getting their gay-friendly, diversity-encouraging commercials on television, because various networks have turned down the ads as “too controversial” or overtly religious or icky because they portray happy gay couples going to church. Their latest ad, the “ejector button,” features a single, black mother, a white gay couple, an Arab-American, and a handicapped person all getting booted from a mainstreamy church. (Full disclosure: They’re advertising with us on the right, so click there to see it.) The point is, of course that the UCC by contrast, offers a home to everyone no matter who they are. Which is interesting because one of the many channels to reject the latest ad is none other than the original totally freakin’ gay channel LOGO. Their corporate daddy, Viacom, said no. (Viacom also owns Showtime, which broadcasts The L Word. We’re just saying.)
April 12th, 2006 at 1:13 pm
[…] Taking an opportunity to bitch-slap their nearest compeitor, gay channel Here! has not only agreed to run the pro-gay commercial for the United Church of Christ, but it’s running it for free as a public-service announcement. (The other gay network, LOGO, had to reject the ad because of corporate parent Viacom’s decision.) So Here! wasted no time swooping in to be the big gay savior. Says a Here! exec, “As a cable network dedicated to serving the needs of LGBT Americans, ‘here! Networks’ is proud and honored to broadcast the United Church of Christ’s kind and inclusive ad.” Unlike some other cable-network-dedicated-to-serving-the-needs-of-LGBT-Americans, who shall remain nameless. […]