A new Clearisil commercial has raised a few hackles for featuring what appears to be a flamboyant gay teen as a pimple that must be eliminated before the prom.
In the ad, “Pimples Makes Terrible Prom Dates,” two high school girls are in a bathroom discussing the upcoming prom.
“If this turns into a pimple,” one of them says, motioning to her forehead, “I will literally die.”
The camera zooms in on her pore, where the pimple turns out to be a mincing young queen in a hot pink suit who says:
“Who wouldn’t want to go to prom with this?”
POW! The effeminate dancing zit is then destroyed by Clearasil’s Daily Clean Wash. The girl goes on to dance the night away with her handsome date at the prom.
Commenters were quick to point out the implied homophobia.
Why are you using an anti-gay stereotype to sell your product? This looks like something that was written in the 1960s. Shameful. I think many young people are offended by this kind of thing these days.
An offensive stereotype of a gay man as a pimple? All decked out in pink and whining like a big queen? Really? Why not cast a black man as a blackhead? Are you getting the point?
This is so offensive. Such a terrible anti-gay message using a typical stereotype, I wonder if people would object if they cast an African American man dressed in a black suit to play the role of a blackhead?
Watch below.
Imagine the marketing department brainstorming this @Clearasil commercial. ‘Let’s make the pimple an extremely gay guy in a pink suit and then we’ll kill it so the girls can go to the prom!’ hahaha. https://t.co/HBMQg3YrzJ
— Darren Hayes (@darrenhayes) April 10, 2018
#SpottySkinTip: Don’t use offensive gay stereotypes to sell beauty products to girls, @clearasil, because #LETSBECLEAR – their GBF’s will have them switching to @Neutrogena or @Clinique and the next thing you’ll be selling is your @ss on the street. https://t.co/ai0cS4yBfh pic.twitter.com/e6HInODguh
— Michael Williams (@MyLifeInPlastic) April 13, 2018
Interesting how the annoying, irritating pimple in the new @clearasil commercial is portrayed as an effeminate gay man who no one wants to take to the prom. Is it funny or homophobic? Food for thought. #LGBTQ https://t.co/d2K6wiwX9V
— Darren Stewart-Jones (@D_S_J_) April 13, 2018