Why The NOM Ad is a Massive Piece of FAIL

[furrbear]

From the lovely Pam at Pam's House Blend:

Why the National Organization for Marriage ad failed

by: The Author
Fri Apr 10, 2009 at 08:32:33 AM EDT

crossposted on Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

It was a million dollar ad complete with technical effects. It featured people telling seemingly compelling stories. It presented the issue in a clear and concise manner.

It wasn’t supposed to fail.

But it did, big time.

How did it happen?

When it’s all said and done, the National Organization for Marriage’s commercial will be remembered as a huge debacle. Years from now, it will probably be looked at in the same vein of an Ed Wood movie- at college dorm parties complete with drinking games.

But for a while, I couldn’t figure out just why this ad resonated the way it did (and certainly not the way that the NOM had hoped).

Then the reason came to me.

The ad came across as a low budget Youtube version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

NOM head Maggie Gallagher consistently makes the same evasive argument in almost every talk show appearance - “if you believe in traditional marriage, then you are unfairly labeled a bigot.”

She does everything but hint about re-education camps for those who don’t agree with same sex marriage. Maybe she should have consulted with Rep. Michele Bachman and Janet Porter.

While this argument can be effective in the hit/miss world of talk shows and soundbites, it becomes less effective when people have time to assess it.

It’s nothing more than a scare tactic, really. And when given time, people tend to recognize scare tactics.

Especially when they are ensconced in a background of phony dark clouds and artificial thunder and lightning with actors talking about “the enemy” that threatens America.

It’s just too intense to be taken seriously.

Lgbts and our allies laughed with good reason at the silliness of the ad. But I venture to say that some people who viewed the ad came away feeling pretty stupid about opposing same-sex marriage.

I also think that some did not come away from viewing the ad with the notion of “My God, we have to stop this from happening.”

Instead there was a lot of “Who the hell are these crazy people who put out this dumb ad?”

NOM is facing a brave new world where people are slowly but surely beginning to realize that gay marriage is not so threatening. While we have a long way to go, the victories in Vermont and Iowa prove that gay marriage is no longer a consistently winning issue for the right.

They can no longer rely on dark clouds, talk of secret empires, and inscrutable enemies to get their point across.

But when that’s all you have, what can you do?

Comments

[joebehrsandiego.livejournal.com]

Pam is a dyke goddess on par with Rachel, if not quite as well-known. She lives in Durham, NC ... which is also a way-cool place.

[furrbear.livejournal.com]

*chuckle* I almost used 'luscious' instead of 'lovely'.

[musicbearmn.livejournal.com]

Brilliant. The world is changing. 2 of the churches I serve, as we head towards the merger vote, have moved inclusivity discussions to the front of the line. I haven't done a thing to encourage it (nor can I, really).