Panasonic commercial?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Viki59
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
V

Viki59

Guest
Anyone see the Panasonic HDTV ad? “What’s the color of innocence, what’s the color of bravado? What’s the color of passion?” So far, so good. “What’s the color of Defiance?” and we see a solemn funeral procession, led by a priest, who glances back at a woman behind him with a sexy red dress on, and looks away quickly as if dismayed.
The writers obviously don’t have a clue as to the meaning of a Christian funeral. I wonder if it’s worth writing a letter about. I dislike their making a priest look as if he can’t handle seeing a red dress. I suppose the message is that flaunting your sexuality is a celebration of life in the face of death, and in the face of the rule-bound Catholic rituals.
 
I haven’t seen the commercial, but based on your description I cannot yet judge.

Are they presenting “defiance” as if it is a good and noble thing for the woman to wear the dress? If so, then I think it’s a very unfortunate commercial.

When the priest looks away, is it clear that the priest was actually unable to handle seeing the woman’s charms, or just that the priest was not pleased with seeing such defiance? If he was not pleased, was he presented as being judgmental, or rightly disturbed?

I assume the implication is that the TV has high quality color, and can properly render a red dress – but then playing on the abstractions to indicate that you will get a full range of emotional experience in addition to visual, because the picture is so realistic.

Alan
 
You can always change the channel if it offends you. Some writers just have no taste.
~ Kathy ~
 
40.png
Katie1723:
You can always change the channel if it offends you. Some writers just have no taste.
Code: 
                     ~ Kathy ~
Click to expand...
They can always throw the complaint away, too, but atleast you have something to them saying you don’t like it. I don’t think it’s really that bad, though unfortunate could sum it up. I didn’t like it when I first saw it, more along the lines of bad taste.
 
40.png
jman507:
I didn’t like it when I first saw it, more along the lines of bad taste.
Click to expand...
I have to agree with you, it’s the bad taste that offends. In addition to the portrayal of the priest. His expression is hard to describe, but he appears to be someone who can’t handle anything outside his notions of propriety, and is fighting temptation. (I happened to tape it so I got to watch it more than once.)
Clearly, a good actor, nothing like a real priest. My priest would probably take the woman aside and say, don’t you think another outfit would be more suitable? Either that or shrug. Real priests are not so easily shocked.
 
Here’s the email I sent Panasonic:

Dear Sirs:
Referring to your HDTV commercial playing recently (What’s the color of innocence? etc) I see that you are aiming at alienating the Catholics in the US. Or probably you’re not even thinking about it, since Catholics are one of the last groups it’s politically correct to trash. However there are quite a few of us, and some of my friends have found this commercial as offensive as I did, since you portray a priest in a negative manner. Granted, priests are human, but I don’t see commercials putting down rabbis or protestant pastors.
I will cross Panasonic off my list of products to purchase.
Sincerely,
End email

Granted, this seems like overkill. But I get tired of the media’s presentation of Catholics as dumb and hidebound by ritual.
 
I saw that one, and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It can be interpreted several ways. It could be that the priest is disapproving of the woman’s breach of propriety, or it could mean that he’s thinking of what he cannot have. So the defiance could on one hand be on her part or on the other hand on his part. I believe that it’s purposely left ambiguous. I hope that Panasonic is not trying to hop on the “let’s bash the priest” campaign, and I hope that they’re not trying to take a stand against priestly celibacy.Either one would be inappropriate, but then again most companies are only concerned about the bottom line. Quite frankly, when I saw it, my mouth flew open, and I was left pondering Panasonic’s intention. The woman was definitely the Sophia Loren type in the commercial or maybe more of a Sadie Thompson, which brings to mind Sommerset Maughm’s “Rain,” and we all know that story of the fallen woman, the minister, and his futile battle against lust. But then again I could be reading too much into the commericial, but in this day and age you can’t be too lax in your vigilance regarding representations of the faith, so it bears watching and discerning. It does make you uncomfortable, but I do have to see it again before deciding what action to take.
 
More and more am I thankful that I do not have television anymore. For visuals I can play DVDs or watch things over the internet through my computer. I know there are good television shows and the radio and internet have their share of trash too.
 
Viki,

Great email 🙂 I’m glad you sent it. Maybe it will make them think twice next time if they get several complaints?

And you are sooooooo right? Why are Catholics always fair game?
 
I’ve seen the commercial several times, and I took it to mean that the lady is thinking, “To heck with it, I’m wearing red to a funeral” and the priest is looking at her like, “Sheesh!! What an idiot!”
 
I saw the commercial and wasn’t quite sure what the defiance was. If I recall correctly, the woman had a smirk on her face. My first thought was that she killed her husband and was unrepentant, even proud of what she did. I took the priest’s look to mean that he knew what happened (perhaps from an insincere confession) and when he looked back he was shocked at the expression on her face, but helpless to do anything.

If believe this aired during a recent episode of Desperate Housewives. I catch bits and pieces while my wife watches it, so perhaps something I saw shaded my interpretation of the commercial.
 
My grand father died about 2 years ago. His request was that we were red to his funeral. He did not like funerals, although very religious and a devout Cahtolic. I laughed when I saw the commerical. It reminded me of the look on the other families at the funeral home all in black and here we were a bunch of crazy people in red!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top