Way to go Kia!!

I just flipped the Toronto Maple Leafs game on a few minutes ago. They were going to commerial and I couldn't help but have my attention drawn to the first commercial: TSN aired an ad with a woman and a man making out in a red Kia. It took only microseconds for me to ask myself how it was possible that the ad once deemed so controversial it had to be pulled was airing again... until it stopped.

On the screen came the words "and now for an ending more suitable for all audiences" or something to that effect.

The next scene saw viewers taken to a non-descript field or pasture where a rather odd looking cow was standing, appearing to wag its tail in a manner similar to the way a dog might. I can't remember if there was any discernable expression on its face but the "body language" I seemed to catch was that the cow was laughing.

Laughing at everyone who can't take a cotton picking joke. Laughing at people who apparently cannot ever laugh or get through a day without taking absolutely everything seriously.

Kia had tongues wagging from coast to coast when the spot first aired. I'm sure that locker room discussions were had about the commercial in precincts in every city in Canada! Then one politically correct person stood up days or weeks after the ad had been airing to make their proclamation that the ad was sexist and demeaning towards women and female police officers. Even our deputy chief here in Ottawa jumped on the "I can't take a joke" bandwagon.

I'm not a chauvinist. I don't condone people demeaning women. I also don't take myself and everything around me seriously 100% of the time. I have worked with women almost exclusively since 1990. Anybody would know that if I had ever been inappropriate or made off-coloured jokes I'd have been thrown out on my ear long before seventeen years would go by.

Kudos to Kia - not only did that publicity campaign generate more interest and press than any other commercial I can think about at this time, it now has the corporate intestinal fortitude to change/renew it and get even more mileage out of it by trying to "stick it to the man". The man, of course, is a fictional and figurative representation (created by myself at this moment) of the Broadcast Standards Council and all those people who caused the stir to begin with.

I can't help but say it again - way to go Kia - this latest commercial is positively hilarious!

And come on, Canada, lighten up! I'm sure there'll be complaints and those contacted media outlets the first time around will do so again... but how many of those naysayers can deny that this latest shot from Kia is not only hilarious, but positively brilliant?!

Monday morning edit: The commercial came on later on Sunday night when I was watching television with my wife. She looked at me as if I had three eyes when the part with the "rather odd looking cow" came on. Why does the cow look odd to me? Because it's a goat. I don't drink - I don't know what I was thinking. Now this Kia commercial will be funny to me for yet another reason!