The Mad Men of 2008

(Originally published July 22, 2008)

I've recently become a great fan of A & E's original series "Mad Men," which depicts a 1960's New York ad agency in all its homophobic, anti-Semitic, racist, misogynistic glory. (Let me be clear: I'm no fan of those attitudes; what I appreciate is the show's wonderful writing and superb acting.) A better name for the fictitious Mad Men agency, Sterling Cooper, would be Stereotype Central. But that was then, when many people didn't know any better. Now, nearly half a century later, we're supposedly more sensitive and enlightened -- except, perhaps, the not-so-creative minds at the McCann-Erickson ad agency, which created a new commercial for Verizon's new LG Dare cell phone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hafgAqTdJes&watch_response

Clearly McCann-Erickson's creative department hasn't heard or don't care about perpetuating stereotypes about bully breeds (news flash: sometimes even Don Draper asks for research, people!). And Verizon, in refusing to pull the ad despite strong protests from experts and animal lovers, shows that it has no problem sacrificing these people-loving dogs on the altar of the almighty dollar.

This commercial is the pits.