Recently a couple of close friends of mine created a television commercial for AussieMite, a sandwich spread that tastes like Vegemite but unlike Vegemite is made in Australia. The Ad in question has caused a bit of a global sensation. In fact the guys that wrote it are receiving death threats and bomb threats from… no not an extremest Gehad group, but from Catholics. That’s right Christians are threatening to kill people over what I consider a funny piece of TV.
So here’s where I’d love your feedback. I’m not Catholic so I cannot possibly understand why someone would want to kill someone over a joke; a funny joke at that. Most of my closest friends are Catholics and they don’t seem to have a problem with the ad but I have lots of blogging friends that are either Catholics or Christians and I’d really appreciate hearing your opinion on the ad.
The Ad was originally written for New Zealand cheese and was supposed to have Rowan Atkinson in it placing a piece of cheese on his cracker before eating it. (I dare say that if Mister Bean had done it nobody would have a problem with it.) Now twenty years later and with a small budget these guys finally got their ad to air.
I don’t know, but I’m thinking that the Christians making bomb threats didn’t read the same bible as I did.
I checked this out on YouTube and for the life of me can’t figure out what could possibly be offensive. Even if it had been so what the fuss? Christians have been offending all non-christians since the dawn of the St Paul era (read his shtick in the New Testament). In any case the Bible is a violent piece of propagandist bullshit (Old Testament, Revelations, St Paul). The only good thing in the Bible is Jesus (some of the stories are made up of course, a man walking on water? gimme a break!) and maybe some of Proverbs. Given the ultra violent nature of the God of the Bible (while proclaiming to love us all) it should be no surprise I guess that his worshipers are equally hypocritical.
I think many Christians would consider the ad in bad taste (no pun intended) but that is no reason to react with either threats or abuse. Jesus was non-violent and his followers should be non-violent too.
Thanks Neil, great response. Thanks for getting back to me so fast. I still sort of consider myself a Christian, but the cracker plays no part in that.
seriously I goggle it up and i am not the type who judge people’s opinion but i think the people reacting negatively over it have the right to but i see no reason why you should wanna kill anybody over this . well i wouldn’t use the word “Christians making bomb threat’ that you use tho! cos from my opinion it’s just a group of certain people not all Christians are catholic and not all Catholics were seriously hurt by this ads
Hi Kimberlyakinola, you’re so right, It’s just a couple of nutters out there and they don’t by any means reflect the values of most Catholics. I wasn’t trying to have a go at Christians or Catholics, I guess I wanted to see what other peoples views on the subject were.
In the catholic holy communion, the wafer represents the body of Christ, so, y’know dipping the body of Christ in something before eating it would be a sacrilege.
Although, trust me, those wafers could do with at least a little butter or something. (Raised catholic, but no longer.)
Thanks Luddy’s. I promise to never talk religion on my blog again. I get that lots of people believe in this faith and the second testament is a pretty excellent philosophical document to base your life on. It’s the hypocrisy involved in the death threats that gets me, if they don’t like the ad just don’t buy the product.
Soooooo………… let’s take an idea that’s 20 years old and rehash it for a bit of dosh. Perhaps 20 years ago we were more tolerant of such things as the Jihadists (not Gehad) have taken over people’s sensibilities. However, your two good friends also neglected to think about the impact of instant media that we now have and the sh1tstorm of opprobrium they now face via twitter, Facebook, et al. I’d like to think that I had something to do with this dilemma they face as I found the ad offensive in the extreme and posted about it on twitter to relevant Catholic twitter sites. While not condoning death threats in any shape or form, both the agency and the client need to face up to it, make a full apology and let it blow over. Twittering about “kick us when we’re down” just adds grist to the mill.
It was a poor choice all round and the ensuing social media suicide they’ve undergone shows how little some agencies fully understand this medium.
Never ceases to amaze me how quick religious people are to offend and how quickly they are offended. Then they tell you “It’s faith” and they have a right to believe what they want even if its injurious to others. Then when you proclaim your own rights (pro-gay, pro abortion, pro tolerance) oooh they get all upset. There comes a time when one realises that arguing with religion is like playing with snakes. Those of us who seek truth founded on sound footing must act like Perseus against this Medusa. Reason and the scientific method will be our adamantine sword to cut off the Gorgon’s head.
I accept the point about Science which is why I talk about scientific method. Ben Goldacre’s book Bad Science gives good examples how science can be abused.BUT at least Science is open to debate and challenge and more importantly open to change. Religion on the other hand is “my way” or the high way even if “my way” is blidingly obviously nuts.
i spider 
I checked this out on YouTube and for the life of me can’t figure out what could possibly be offensive. Even if it had been so what the fuss? Christians have been offending all non-christians since the dawn of the St Paul era (read his shtick in the New Testament). In any case the Bible is a violent piece of propagandist bullshit (Old Testament, Revelations, St Paul). The only good thing in the Bible is Jesus (some of the stories are made up of course, a man walking on water? gimme a break!) and maybe some of Proverbs. Given the ultra violent nature of the God of the Bible (while proclaiming to love us all) it should be no surprise I guess that his worshipers are equally hypocritical.
I think many Christians would consider the ad in bad taste (no pun intended) but that is no reason to react with either threats or abuse. Jesus was non-violent and his followers should be non-violent too.
Thanks Neil, great response. Thanks for getting back to me so fast. I still sort of consider myself a Christian, but the cracker plays no part in that.
seriously I goggle it up and i am not the type who judge people’s opinion but i think the people reacting negatively over it have the right to but i see no reason why you should wanna kill anybody over this . well i wouldn’t use the word “Christians making bomb threat’ that you use tho! cos from my opinion it’s just a group of certain people not all Christians are catholic and not all Catholics were seriously hurt by this ads
Hi Kimberlyakinola, you’re so right, It’s just a couple of nutters out there and they don’t by any means reflect the values of most Catholics. I wasn’t trying to have a go at Christians or Catholics, I guess I wanted to see what other peoples views on the subject were.
In the catholic holy communion, the wafer represents the body of Christ, so, y’know dipping the body of Christ in something before eating it would be a sacrilege.
Although, trust me, those wafers could do with at least a little butter or something. (Raised catholic, but no longer.)
Thanks Luddy’s. I promise to never talk religion on my blog again. I get that lots of people believe in this faith and the second testament is a pretty excellent philosophical document to base your life on. It’s the hypocrisy involved in the death threats that gets me, if they don’t like the ad just don’t buy the product.
Oh, I agree completely. Unfortunately, hypocrisy is rampant in the catholic church.
Soooooo………… let’s take an idea that’s 20 years old and rehash it for a bit of dosh. Perhaps 20 years ago we were more tolerant of such things as the Jihadists (not Gehad) have taken over people’s sensibilities. However, your two good friends also neglected to think about the impact of instant media that we now have and the sh1tstorm of opprobrium they now face via twitter, Facebook, et al. I’d like to think that I had something to do with this dilemma they face as I found the ad offensive in the extreme and posted about it on twitter to relevant Catholic twitter sites. While not condoning death threats in any shape or form, both the agency and the client need to face up to it, make a full apology and let it blow over. Twittering about “kick us when we’re down” just adds grist to the mill.
It was a poor choice all round and the ensuing social media suicide they’ve undergone shows how little some agencies fully understand this medium.
Thanks Frankie! Or should I just call you Frank. The ad has clearly got up your nose. I believe that they have apologized.
Never ceases to amaze me how quick religious people are to offend and how quickly they are offended. Then they tell you “It’s faith” and they have a right to believe what they want even if its injurious to others. Then when you proclaim your own rights (pro-gay, pro abortion, pro tolerance) oooh they get all upset. There comes a time when one realises that arguing with religion is like playing with snakes. Those of us who seek truth founded on sound footing must act like Perseus against this Medusa. Reason and the scientific method will be our adamantine sword to cut off the Gorgon’s head.
I dare say that Science is susceptible to interpretation and abuse as is any other form of power.
Sorry about my comment the other night, I was a bit pissed. It was meant to be funny, but it didn’t read that way in the cold light of day.
I accept the point about Science which is why I talk about scientific method. Ben Goldacre’s book Bad Science gives good examples how science can be abused.BUT at least Science is open to debate and challenge and more importantly open to change. Religion on the other hand is “my way” or the high way even if “my way” is blidingly obviously nuts.
On second point, no offence taken.
enjoyed this, very funny.
Thanks Glynis. I think so too.