Wanna take bets on how long before Apple is forced to pull this headline and apologize?
Posted by Dr. Macenstein
“The New iMac. You Can’t Be Too Thin. Or Too Powerful.”
I’m not saying it’s right or wrong, but I am putting the Over/Under at 26 hours. What do you say?
[UPDATE: Well, they changed it]
I’ll take the over and go with 48 hours.
I say it is gone by tomorrow. So the under. I say 18 hours.
I say around 12 hours.
Depends how fast it gets picked up on Digg. Under 24 hours I’d say
I’ll take the over – I don’t think it will cause any major problems.
I say they should leave it.
Stop worry about being pc and learn to take things as they are (obviously) meant and not how you want to interpret them.
And what about the comparison to a Dell computer, showing it completely messy (I’m sure they added some extra cables…? :))
As a big guy, I hope they keep it up just because it’s a truism. Ain’t no big beige box sayin’ that is there?
You people are idiots. The tagline is perfectly fine. How is this offensive to anorexics? It’s referring to a computer. I think people afflicted with that horrible psychological disorder have worse things to worry about than a stupid slogan.
Oh man. We are talking about a computer. If they just released the iGirl (mmm that could be good), it might be offensive. Then again, steve is vegan, maybe he has a fixation on food intake… who knows. Anyway…. for 99.9% of people, you really are never going to be ‘too thin’.
As a fat guy, I sure hope they don’t. It would be the candy-ass move of the decade.
I find it rather hypocritical for Dr. Mac to complain about the iMac tagline when he’s got a “Mac Chick of the Month” banner ad right next to the article, complete with skinny model in lingerie.
Anybody else realize the hilarity in saying Apple isn’t PC? hahaha
This tag just doesn’t invoke the right kinds of ideas when I hear it. My brain involuntarily yells “Anorexic is too thin!” And lets not even get started with TOO powerful…. Someone will be completely offended and I’ll just sit back and chuckle.
I’m an overweight guy.
But I dont’ take offense. Variants on the saying have been around for a very long time, and in my experience it’s also true for the most part.
Communism fell, but the little Leninist bureaucrats multiplied and found new fertile ground in political correctness. I’d like to see the line stay because I think it’s time time for the political correctness people to grow up and get a life.
Oh shut up, honestly, grow up people
Since when have they been “PC.”
“I’m a Mac.”
“I’m a PC.”
I’ll take the over. They have no need to change it. It’s a saying. They didn’t invent it. There may be some who are thin-skinned and choose to take offense. It’s still a strong tag-line.
I don’t think it will be pulled. It’s just an amendment of ‘that’ famous quote by someone who’s name I can’t remember. As long as Nicole Richie’s lawyers don’t see it, Apple will do just fine…
Leave it!
If your fat enough to be offended, then you know YOU have a problem. Likewise, if you find it offensive because you’re anorexic, then you know YOU have a problem. So if the people who find it offensive know THEY have a problem, then they should know its THEIR PROBLEM, not Apple’s.
Apple should not feel bad because other people either eat pizza 3 meals a day, or have half a lettuce leaf every day, because that isn’t Apple’s doing.
Oh, please…
Forget political correctness…you CAN be too thin. Anyone hear of anorexia? As far as too powerful goes, I think the accomplishments of the current U.S. president, well on his way to King, speak for themselves. So they’re 0 for 2.
If people are bothered by this add and DEMANDS that it’s not PC (politically correct), then either suck it up or loose it (the weight that is. If you’re comfortable with your weight (thin I am not) move on. It’s an add about COMPUTERS. Some peoples kids…
In french: “On est jamais trop mince” has exactly the same meanings. Despite all semantic analogy, it is quite the best slogan for this lineup. This said, if you really want to force a “reflection” on the subject, I think the powerful reference is more tricky in these (wars) days, don’t you think?
Pretty much EVERYTHING is offensive to somebody these days. But I kind of think Apple should pull the tag for a different reason.
Who the hell cares if the iMac is thinner!?!? It wasn’t overly thick before, and it still takes up the exact same amount of desktop space. Thin and being light weight only matters for portables.
The only change they made worth touting is a slightly faster processor. This was a cosmetic update only, people.
How can anyone be offended– it’s true.
My vote: I don’t think they will pull it at all.
The tagline is based off the saying, “You can never be too rich or too powerful”. If anyone would get offended, it’s Apple’s customers might take offense as being seen as “too rich”. 🙂
Complaints from the readers here, a site that has semi-topless girls? C’mon.
It’s a fun ad, very clear and to the point. I hope they keep doing ads that aren’t “PC”, just fun and compelling as in the above.
Look, the slogan is positioned over a group of COMPUTERS, not a group of WOMEN. They will not pull it, no one will get offended by it, and no one truly cares.
I want them to keep it. Then we can do parody ads filled with meth-addicts and war prisoners.
Hate to say it, but I’m sure someone will complain about this. I work in a college environment and I can already here the multiple women’s centers around the USA taking Apple to the PC cleaners on this. I’m not saying they should, just saying I won’t be surprised if they do.
Body image is a terrible problem, but by attacking stupid slogans like this totally deflects the real issue. Today’s children, both girls and boys, get bombarded with unrealistic IMAGES all the time. But those are IMAGES. The images have a much larger impact when kids are younger than words do. If we presented real, and lauded, healthy body image that would do more to combat the problem than asking Apple to change a stupid tag line.
Why is everyone assuming only women can be anorexic?
Or are you just saying only women get upset?
This is absolutely retarded. Why on earth is it offensive?
Sometimes I wonder about this world, most people commenting thankfully are right on the mark however. I think someone at least said, Those who are offended are too “thin skinned” or at least something on those lines.
So very sad but true, we live in a society where there are too many of this type of people. Usually centreing around something completely unrelated, such is the case with this ad. It’s not about people, it’s about computers… pure and simple. But because people can’t see past that, they get hung up on these stupid issues.
I believe we should not go out of our way to offend people, but people should also not go out of their way to be offended by something. To go out looking for something with it being their aim just to go and say-
“Boo hoo, look at this everybody… look what this or that is saying about whatever, (oh and by the way forget that I’ve taken it completely out of context) oh woe, oh sorrow… Oh how the world isn’t a nice place to me because I have this or that medical problem, skin colour, background, religion, sexual preference, live in this or that part of Country X, or any other thing.”
The majority of populace in this world that is like that and it’s Just damn sad, and it just needs to as many have also said, just friggin grow up. Work on fixing the problems, and stop making them where they do not exist. There are better ways to get your desire to change and fix the world out there, attacking a completely out of context slogan does you no good and does not at all further your goals. Grow some “metaphorical” skin (because heaven forbid I tell you to be thicker skinned because you might be offended and think I’m complaining about your weight) and stop being so easily offended, and that goes for again any of the aforementioned offended groups…
it’s offensive because it’s an attitude that gets us physiques like Nicole Richie’s. And isn’t Apple supposed to go *against* the grain? They should say “If you’re a computer, you can’t be too thin”
“They should say “If you’re a computer, you can’t be too thin”
I think having the computers in the ad should tell someone they are talking about computers, and not people… Seriously, people are harping on the fact Apple has a phrase that some people may take negatively, but so many ad’s, movies, tv shows, websites have rather skinny women and men in them. Let’s focus on those and not something from a computer company that’s talking about computers.
Apple could say, “If you’re a computer, you shouldn’t be so gluttonously fat that you stick out like a huge lard tubby fat person with an eating disorder that Nicole Ritchie on her best day wishes she had. …by the way, this Mac’s really fast.”
| it’s offensive because it’s an attitude that gets us
| physiques like Nicole Richie’s. And isn’t Apple
| supposed to go *against* the grain? They should
| say “If you’re a computer, you can’t be too thinâ€
Are you kidding? Where in that ad does it say it is talking about people? Or or cars, dogs, pens, or soap for that matter?
It is an ad about computers! In case you missed that, take another look.
Our society spends way too much time putting their own spin on things instead of taking them for how they are obviously meant. Learn to understand what someone is saying instead of superimposing something you are making up.
If you are upset or offended from this ad then it is your problem – you own it. Apple did not make you feel that way. If they had the power to do that everybody would own Macs. Your own brain is to blame for assuming something that was not stated or displayed. Therefore it is up to you to fix the problem, not Apple.
/rant
Hey-
I noticed that all of these responses are from guys. I find this add to be be more than offensive. I am a teacher and a recovering bulimic, (which believe it or not, is a very serious illness despite how the media likes to glamorize it!) and I cannot belive that this byline slipped through. I am furious and if anyone believes that there are not thousands of women out there that will now, NOT purchase a Mac, you are crazy. So, slough it off and just keep saying, “Get over it,” and we will, because we are used to that, but we will take our business elsewhere, and Mac will lose money because of it. I have always supported this company, and I am really disappointed.
“You can’t be too white. Or too insensitive.”
Christine
Roger said: “Are you kidding? Where in that ad does it say it is talking about people?”
Right on Roger!
There is indeed logic out there in the wide world… yaye for logic triumphing over inane and idiotic reasoning… Though all of you who also agree with this point also deserve kudos, other congratulatory remarks and what not… Because although we are the majority here, we are a minority in regards to the rest of the world; remember we are all for the most part I suspect Apple users after all. Though I must confess there are some forward thinking, reasonable, and other wise intelligent people out there that are not Mac users… but, well I’ll just leave that that…
Christine said: “I noticed that all of these responses are from guys.”
First off I should perhaps apologize for seeming to be cold or indifferent to this issue of anorexia or bulimia, which was not my intention. As I’ve seen how much of an of a problem it really is as my Sister was for a time anorexic… And this response isn’t entirely directed towards you Christine so please do not take offense as though I am shooting back at you personally…
However, that is not what the issue is with this ad, it’s just that it’s something not at all related to these disorders. There are no depictions of overly thin women, or galmourizing such a body in any way. It’s about computers, true many young women buy and will Macs, but i it seems to me to be more of an offense to say that many women will be affected by this ad in particular. To say that women, even one’s with these disorders can not tell the difference between an ad about computers and the over glorification of being extremely skinny, is just to me more seemingly offensive. Another note on this is that it is as has been said, that these disorders also effect men. Because folks believe it or not boys and men are also effect by body image as well, perhaps not on as high a level as women; but we are nevertheless. This whole world focuses far to much on outward appearances as a means to judge everything, it is sad, but until such time as we as a species as a whole realize that there is are more important concerns than that; we’ll continue to down the spiral of superficiality…
In the end however the only people that this ad effects are Apple users present and future (who I judge as people who can discern what this ad is about), and the other computer companies. For a long time now there has been this trend of making computers and other electronic devices thinner and thinner. Particularly in the markets of Cellphones, Laptops, PDAs, Computer and Television Displays. Apple and various other companies are paving the way in these technologies, and have been for some time now; and until now no ones really raised any concerns about it. I do not know what more to say for now, so I’ll just step down from my box and wait for the next response…
Oh, and before some one beats me to it, YAYE no 42… It’s the answer! I know, this so wrong to put such a silly and comic reference in here… but we’ve got to laugh about something, this thread is getting into deep and far too serious…
Christine said:
“I find this add to be be more than offensive.”
I am sorry to hear about your illnesses. However, I have looked hard at this ad and still cannot see the reference to teachers or bulimia.
Therefore I must conclude that, like some others, you are assuming something is true based solely on your imagination and not based on what the advertiser obviously intended (or the facts).
If this is the type of reasoning you are teaching to your students then shame on you. Our children deserve better. The world does not work properly when people assume their imaginations are reality.
/rant
I’m not an idiot and I’m assuming that most of you are not idiots either. If you don’t understand why this tagline offends me both as a teacher and as a recovering bulimic you just might be a bit, I don’t know, inhuman, or just plain old insensitive. Half of the population that I service are girls. Why does there have to be yet another campaign that makes reference to size and being thin. WE ALL KNOW, AT LEAST I THINK WE ALL KNOW, THAT THE ISSUE OF THINNESS MOSTLY AFFECTS WOMEN!!! People, I get the ad. I know that they are referring to computers, but there is an indirect connotation here and I think that it is appalling. “You can’t be too thin.” Think about it. Why would a company like Mac run this ad knowing that it could possible hurt some folks.
I think that men need to think about this, and maybe some women too. Like I said, I’m not an idiot and I find this tagline very offensive. I have been talking to a lot of people about it and I can tell you this, I am not the only one that thinks this really stinks.
Sorry if there are a billion typos, I typed this up in about 2 seconds.
Christine
Christine said: “I’m not an idiot and I’m assuming that most of you are not idiots either.”
I do not personally see you as an idiot, it’s just that this ad isn’t out to hurt anyone; to make them feel like they should be thin. If you are hurt by it, I do not see why it is Apple’s fault. Your labeling Apple as being insensitive because you see that there is a negative side to a line, but it’s not Apple’s fault for this being so; it is a fault our society. Because we on the whole reference and equate beauty with being in most cases overly thin, but blaming a computer company for doing this when they are talking about the thinness of their computers is another matter.
I know there is the saying, “if you do not have something nice to say, do not say it all.” But when we can’t say anything, because someone out there in the wide world may take offense to it; then we’ll have nothing left to say. Because everything we could say be turned around, twisted, or otherwise distorted from it’s intentions. There are so many other real targets we could be targeting, the fashion industry, the portrayal of women and men in movies, tv, and every other thing; but going after something like this isn’t changing the world’s view that being overly skinny is a negative thing.
Also I am well aware of the fact that this issue “mostly” directed towards women, but that doesn’t negate the fact that men are also pressured as well towards unreasonable and unhealthy views of beauty. It is a growing problem for both genders, just because it is more extreme for one gender at the moment doesn’t make it any less of a problem for the other. We should as both genders focus on the problem, and not the amount of people it effects.
We should in my opinion make up monsters and demonize something solely on the grounds that the wording can be taken out of context. We should however work on the real issues instead of vilifying something, it isn’t a technology companies job to teach life and real world lessons, it is up to the parents, mentors and teachers. There job is to sell computers, and touting their technological feats such as squeezing all of their computer into a aesthetically (to some) pleasing LCD screen is in line with the current trend towards thinness in computers. It’s not out to tell young people that, “Oh look how thin our computers are, why aren’t you thin like they are? Because frankly they aren’t selling that message, the superficial society focused on this distorted form of beauty is selling that one; and it seems to me that we should as I have said- focus on them…
YEP! http://www.shapednoise.com/TooThin.jpg
I’m wondering how much Apple is paying you. Do you remember the trailer for the remake of the movie “Godzilla?”
“Size Does Matter.”
I guess that this slogan was referring to the size of the monster only. It had nothing to do with the size of a man’s penis, right?
Keep telling yourself that Apple was only making reference to their sleek new computers and we will see what happens. You might want to read up on what is being said about this brilliant slogan. Women are pretty pissed off. I guess sales will tell.
I’m done here.
Christine
“You can’t be too white (male). Or too sensitive.”
I do not think anyone here is on pay from Apple, but that is not the point… in any case, here’s something interesting…
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3012/is_1998_Nov/ai_53290236
Oh, I forgot to say something about the Godzilla comment… As I recall the line “Size Does Matter.” Was in use before the Godzilla movie came out, and one of it’s references was about penis size, so yes of course people are going to think that when they used it…
However as I also also recall, the movie is about a giant over radiated monster destroying a city. (which has nothing at all to do with anything phallic) Which is what all the Godzilla movies are about, as it was a commentary by the Japanese originally about the negatives of radiation from nuclear fall out…
Christine makes a very interesting point, and neolycan precisely validates it, only ironically doesn’t realize it. If Apple were so stupid as to use “mighty white of us” as a tagline, would everybody be rushing to defend it? They could say “but our computers are really white, and that’s a good thing, but we aren’t suggesting it has anything to do with people, even though originally the saying had everything to do with people? I don’t think you would defend it, because when people start talking about white priveledge, quite likely your ox is getting gored, and that’s all most people care about. When Christine raises her issues, people start scurrying around, whining and acting victimized like people like to say the alleged pc careerists act. In truth, I think the right wingers have gotten way more milage out of pc than the left. Who whined like a stuck pig when John Kerry brought up Mary Cheney’s lesbianism? Everybody in the White House, of course. Who goes into treatment every time they get caught doing something wrong? Republican Congressmen, and you know who I’m talking about. So stop being so thin-skinned and reactionary.