Katherine Heigl Hates Balls

[persephone]

urk.

[Guest lavendergirl]

That's just weird. I find it disturbing that a dog is disgusting because it has what nature gave it. If it's meant to be funny or informative then it misses on both counts.

+1

[raz]

That's just weird. I find it disturbing that a dog is disgusting because it has what nature gave it. If it's meant to be funny or informative then it misses on both counts.

She's not making the point that dogs with balls are disgusting. She's making the point that irresponsible owners are disgusting...and they're usually the owners with balls who are obsessed with their dog's balls and wont have them chopped off before they go and service the neighbourhood bitches, creating lots of little dogs with balls that end up in pounds and getting slaughtered.

If you dont get this ad, I feel sorry for you.

[Alkhe]

I thought it was great. It was just a joke with a message as the undertone - though as I was watching it, I was actually thinking 'god, I wonder how long it's going to take for someone to complain about it on DOL' ;)

[raz]

though as I was watching it, I was actually thinking 'god, I wonder how long it's going to take for someone to complain about it on DOL' ;)

I thought exactly the same thing, Alkhe

[jacqui835]

That's just weird. I find it disturbing that a dog is disgusting because it has what nature gave it. If it's meant to be funny or informative then it misses on both counts.

She's not making the point that dogs with balls are disgusting. She's making the point that irresponsible owners are disgusting...and they're usually the owners with balls who are obsessed with their dog's balls and wont have them chopped off before they go and service the neighbourhood bitches, creating lots of little dogs with balls that end up in pounds and getting slaughtered.

If you dont get this ad, I feel sorry for you.

I think we get it so you don't need to feel sorry for us (though I'm not sure that's the actual intention behind those words). I just feel that there are lots of ways to talk about an issue, and I don't know that I love this particular approach. I find the undertones too distracting and I think there are a couple of mixed messages (the whole, chop off body parts to make your dog 100% adorable etc).

Yes there are those people out there, but having a woman tell them she thinks balls are gross? I'm not sure that's the way through to them so if that's the target market I think it misses completely. Anyway, just my 2c, still love Katherine Heigl and admire her for what she's trying to do.

[sas]

I guess I'm the only one then who found the whole thing slightly disturbing - especially the part at the end where she hands him his 'parts' in a jar... I love Katherine Heigl and am pro most people desexing their dogs, but this commercial doesn't do it for me, I just found it weird and yeah, disturbing.

I'm also not sure that I agree with the line of argument. Everyone knows there are too many animals bred, but they still breed. So lets make them feel like balls are ugly, and then they'll desex to make their dogs more attractive to society. Well, what about all the people who think a long tail on a dog is ugly? If you find a part ugly on a dog or human or anything really, you don't just cut it off...

I get that it's meant to be a joke. Hopefully it works I guess. Or better yet, hopefully next time a big name movie star will spend 2 minutes talking about responsible pet selection, maintenance, training, care and the responsibility, time, money and effort associated and we can focus on treating the cause of the problem rather than the symptoms.

You over thought this one....it's simply a piss take....it's great marketing to get people to have a laugh about a serious issue.

[jacqui835]

I guess I'm the only one then who found the whole thing slightly disturbing - especially the part at the end where she hands him his 'parts' in a jar... I love Katherine Heigl and am pro most people desexing their dogs, but this commercial doesn't do it for me, I just found it weird and yeah, disturbing.

I'm also not sure that I agree with the line of argument. Everyone knows there are too many animals bred, but they still breed. So lets make them feel like balls are ugly, and then they'll desex to make their dogs more attractive to society. Well, what about all the people who think a long tail on a dog is ugly? If you find a part ugly on a dog or human or anything really, you don't just cut it off...

I get that it's meant to be a joke. Hopefully it works I guess. Or better yet, hopefully next time a big name movie star will spend 2 minutes talking about responsible pet selection, maintenance, training, care and the responsibility, time, money and effort associated and we can focus on treating the cause of the problem rather than the symptoms.

You over thought this one....it's simply a piss take....it's great marketing to get people to have a laugh about a serious issue.

Ok. Just didn't personally find it funny is all and I thought they could have done more with the actress/money/time etc.

[Guest donatella]

Excellent!!

I think this angle is worth a shot, clearly the serious tones/messages about the subject isn't sinking through to owners, i'll be interested to see if people respond to this ad.

[sandgrubber]

The OP was like it? hate it? Surprise. Some people liked it, others didn't. I don't see why people who liked it need to put down people who didn't. Tastes differ.

[Guest lavendergirl]

That's just weird. I find it disturbing that a dog is disgusting because it has what nature gave it. If it's meant to be funny or informative then it misses on both counts.

She's not making the point that dogs with balls are disgusting. She's making the point that irresponsible owners are disgusting...and they're usually the owners with balls who are obsessed with their dog's balls and wont have them chopped off before they go and service the neighbourhood bitches, creating lots of little dogs with balls that end up in pounds and getting slaughtered.

If you dont get this ad, I feel sorry for you.

You don't have to feel sorry for people just because they have a different viewpoint :rolleyes: - its not that they don't "get it" - just that they think its lame.

[raz]

I find the undertones too distracting and I think there are a couple of mixed messages (the whole, chop off body parts to make your dog 100% adorable etc).

I found her gorgeous boobs distracting but then she started with the death stares and I laughed.

Oh and by the way - my dogs bar one dont have tails. They were chopped off at birth so dont bother bringing waggy tails into the argument, jacqui. Doesnt work. Tails dont make hundreds of thousands of puppies that end up with a needle sticking into them and chucked in a council waste depot. Dogs with balls do.

Great ad and the target demographic is obviously the average Joe Blow down the street who buys a dog and should have it's balls removed.

[raineth]

I guess I'm the only one then who found the whole thing slightly disturbing - especially the part at the end where she hands him his 'parts' in a jar... I love Katherine Heigl and am pro most people desexing their dogs, but this commercial doesn't do it for me, I just found it weird and yeah, disturbing.

I'm also not sure that I agree with the line of argument. Everyone knows there are too many animals bred, but they still breed. So lets make them feel like balls are ugly, and then they'll desex to make their dogs more attractive to society. Well, what about all the people who think a long tail on a dog is ugly? If you find a part ugly on a dog or human or anything really, you don't just cut it off...

I get that it's meant to be a joke. Hopefully it works I guess. Or better yet, hopefully next time a big name movie star will spend 2 minutes talking about responsible pet selection, maintenance, training, care and the responsibility, time, money and effort associated and we can focus on treating the cause of the problem rather than the symptoms.

I agree, whilst it was funny, and it was entertaining - it didn't seem to address the real issues as to why desexing your dog is important. It did appear to just focus on the unattractiveness of the 'balls'.

This angle has the potential to work - the amount of people who hang on to the words of celebrities because it's 'fashionable'. However the repercussions may indeed be that people stupidly thinking it's ok to 'chop off' any other perceivable 'ugly' part.

Katherine Heigl cracks me up though. She's great a keeping a straight face throughout! I wonder how many takes it took to shoot this piece perfectly

But I think its target audience would just switch off if you told them those things.

I think it works at the level of the average pet owner

[minimiss]

I guess I'm the only one then who found the whole thing slightly disturbing - especially the part at the end where she hands him his 'parts' in a jar... I love Katherine Heigl and am pro most people desexing their dogs, but this commercial doesn't do it for me, I just found it weird and yeah, disturbing.

I'm also not sure that I agree with the line of argument. Everyone knows there are too many animals bred, but they still breed. So lets make them feel like balls are ugly, and then they'll desex to make their dogs more attractive to society. Well, what about all the people who think a long tail on a dog is ugly? If you find a part ugly on a dog or human or anything really, you don't just cut it off...

I get that it's meant to be a joke. Hopefully it works I guess. Or better yet, hopefully next time a big name movie star will spend 2 minutes talking about responsible pet selection, maintenance, training, care and the responsibility, time, money and effort associated and we can focus on treating the cause of the problem rather than the symptoms.

I agree, whilst it was funny, and it was entertaining - it didn't seem to address the real issues as to why desexing your dog is important. It did appear to just focus on the unattractiveness of the 'balls'.

This angle has the potential to work - the amount of people who hang on to the words of celebrities because it's 'fashionable'. However the repercussions may indeed be that people stupidly thinking it's ok to 'chop off' any other perceivable 'ugly' part.

Katherine Heigl cracks me up though. She's great a keeping a straight face throughout! I wonder how many takes it took to shoot this piece perfectly

But I think its target audience would just switch off if you told them those things.

I think it works at the level of the average pet owner

Yep, agreed. That's why it does have the potential to work. They have tried other angles, and have been unsuccessful so they're trying some light humour. Definitely not against any method that is successful

I guess we're more critical because we do have that knowledge behind us, whereas the average pet owner may not.

[jacqui835]

I find the undertones too distracting and I think there are a couple of mixed messages (the whole, chop off body parts to make your dog 100% adorable etc).

I found her gorgeous boobs distracting but then she started with the death stares and I laughed.

Oh and by the way - my dogs bar one dont have tails. They were chopped off at birth so dont bother bringing waggy tails into the argument, jacqui. Doesnt work. Tails dont make hundreds of thousands of puppies that end up with a needle sticking into them and chucked in a council waste depot. Dogs with balls do.

Great ad and the target demographic is obviously the average Joe Blow down the street who buys a dog and should have it's balls removed.

Gosh Raz that's a tad aggressive don't you think? OP asked for opinions - obviously yours is different from mine - not sure that it needs to go any further than that? I personally have no issue with tail docking - I've seen it done, I've seen pigs desexed at a few months old with no aneasthetic - had no issue with any of it. I was merely trying to make the point that focusing on the aethestic angle seemed a little odd to me given that we have spent years and lots of marketing money on telling people to feel bad about wanting to modify their dogs for looks - to make them "100% adorable".

I agreed with you about the target demographic. My concern is that perhaps they're going to be the sort of people (many men have issues with removing their dog's balls) who aren't going to want to hear from a woman that she hates balls? You guys think it's funny, but you're not the ones keeping your dog's balls because you're worried about their manhood.

I just personally didn't enjoy watching the ad to top it all off - the balls in the jar scene made me cringe. But if it works it will be worth it.

[raz]

I just personally didn't enjoy watching the ad to top it all off - the balls in the jar scene made me cringe. But if it works it will be worth it.

Look I know what you're saying and yes, the balls in the jar thingy was a bit How ya goin, but it's in keeping with the sort of movies she makes, Jacqui. If it gets some dork to have his dog castrated before he makes lots of little Rovers, that's a good thing, isnt it? It's toilet humour by a gorgeous looking hollywood starlet with her boobs on show so should grab a lot of male attention. As minimiss said, it's not being directed at people like you and her and me who work at being responsible dog owners. It's directed at Joe Blow who doesnt know any better.

There should be another one for cat owners.

[jacqui835]

I just personally didn't enjoy watching the ad to top it all off - the balls in the jar scene made me cringe. But if it works it will be worth it.

Look I know what you're saying and yes, the balls in the jar thingy was a bit How ya goin, but it's in keeping with the sort of movies she makes, Jacqui. If it gets some dork to have his dog castrated before he makes lots of little Rovers, that's a good thing, isnt it? It's toilet humour by a gorgeous looking hollywood starlet with her boobs on show so should grab a lot of male attention. As minimiss said, it's not being directed at people like you and her and me who work at being responsible dog owners. It's directed at Joe Blow who doesnt know any better.

There should be another one for cat owners.

Totally agreed with you that if it works it will be great. Just didn't like it myself and I had some concerns about how it would sit with the target market (guys who compensate for their own lack of manhood through big out of control entire male dogs).

[Cavstar]

I've seen better ads.. seen alot worse.. at the end of the day its JUST AN AD. Hopefully the message gets through to some people!

[Alkhe]

This conversation is reminding me of a segment I once saw on Bondi Vet. A girl took her bulldog to get desexed, and at the same time to have prosthetic testicles inserted to please her boyfriend. Apparently he couldn't bear the thought of having a male dog without balls, so they got fake ones. Unbelievable.

I'm at work so am not going to see if I can find a clip on youtube (not sure whether that kind of thing would make it to youtube, but I've seen far stranger and more pointless crap on there!). But if you're interested in seeing a real douchebag, perhaps have a google!

[jacqui835]

This conversation is reminding me of a segment I once saw on Bondi Vet. A girl took her bulldog to get desexed, and at the same time to have prosthetic testicles inserted to please her boyfriend. Apparently he couldn't bear the thought of having a male dog without balls, so they got fake ones. Unbelievable.

I'm at work so am not going to see if I can find a clip on youtube (not sure whether that kind of thing would make it to youtube, but I've seen far stranger and more pointless crap on there!). But if you're interested in seeing a real douchebag, perhaps have a google!

Lol I saw that episode, exactly the sort of guy I'm thinking of...