Method's Shiny Suds Spoof Commercial

Last week Method launched a campaign in support of the Household Product Labeling Act which, if passed in Congress, would require cleaning products to bear labels with “complete and accurate” lists of all their ingredients. As part of this campaign they released a short film called "Shiny Suds" that spoofs the cleaning commercials we've all seen on TV. (Think Scrubbing Bubbles.) These little suds are malevolent, representing the harsh or even hazardous chemicals found in conventional cleaners. We think the video is pretty hilarious. Tell us what you think below!

Comments (16)

I'm sorry, hilarious? I don't think so. Maybe misogynistic, objectifying and sexually harassing?

I am a fan of Method, but i will no longer be a customer. This turns my stomach.

Actually, not hilarious at all, which is what Treehugger also referred to it as (). Quite offensive to many people, and really disappointing for Method customers. See links of discussions on this here and <a hef="http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2009/11/today-in-rape-culture_20.html">here</a>, and please consider what might be offensive to your readers.

The first part was funny, with the crazy bubbles and the music, and then it just became bizarre.

oh look! another group/company, etc who uses degradation of women to get their message across. Did method learn this from PETA?
Maybe they should do it so it offends other groups too? The bubbles could be gay and they could harass a straight man in the shower? The bubbles could be women commenting on the size of a man's genitals?

Bad idea.

Sorry, not funny. Demeaning to women, and just plain insipid! Find an ad agency that will really understand how the public should receive this message!

Back to their point about the chemicals...they may not use toxic chemicals in their cleaners but I went to buy some Method hand soap because they've got so many different scents, and looked at the ingredients only to find it has nasty sodium lauryl sulfate, a chemical which has raised some concerns. I think you have to walk the walk and be 100% chemical free if you're going to call out other companies for being toxic.

OK, see I thought it was Method also very pointedly making fun of and skewering the whole "woman in the shower," female objectification genre of commercials, where a bathing woman is used to sell everything from men's razor blades to soap. Here they make explicit what is implicit in all of the commercials in that truly awful genre, and in naming it actually make a statement about it.

So I didn't find it offensive at all; I thought it was hilarious and a well-done send-up of their competition's more subtle (therefore insidious) use of objectified women to sell their product. ... But then, I may be reading into it too much.

It's objectifying because there's a group of bubbles/men watching her, catcalling, leering, bullying...

It's kinda disgusting.

It is clever but pretty inappropriate. Flippant treatment of sexual harassment, gratuitous nudity, humiliation of a woman.... Ick. Will go out of my way to avoid Method products now.

crappy, dehumanizing, and in poor taste. no thanks.

It could be very triggering to women who have been victims of sexual violence.

I am never one to get offended...really, I am not. I make a lot and laugh a lot at off-color jokes about many things that would make Jesus cry... This commercial was creepy and made me uncomfortable and elicited a very powerful response.

Because I was curious, I showed the commercial to 5 peers of each gender with no context. 100% of my male friends found the commercial to be funny, 100% of my female friends had the same reaction as I did. I found that to be fascinating. I attribute it to the fact that men have the privilege of not having to worry about sexual assault in there day-to-day lives where women on the other hand, mostly do, in our society. Non-scientific study of course :)

http://www.feministing.com/archives/019035.html

"I don't give a rat's ass what your cause is; comparing the dangers of cleaning products to sexual assault is just not okay."

Agreed.

Funny at first, then just creepy. Ick. I think a group of men wrote this commercial.

msjessiemeghan, interesting survey. I agree with your analysis. Guys don't have to think about protecting themselves from attracting unwanted attention just for being alive.

Then you've never been a gay male walking through a gay bar.

And people, the point of this video is that IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE CREEPY. The stuff left behind in her shower is SUPPOSED TO BE CREEPY, PERVERSE AND TOXIC.

THAT'S THE POINT.

Victoria's Secret and American Apparel do more to objectify women than this video. Sheez.