You might’ve thought General Motors — just out of bankruptcy — was really trying to reach the gay audience when it debuted the “Bumble Bee Boys in Briefs” video this month. But all of a sudden, the clip showing two cuties washing the new 2010 Camaro (wearing only yellow underwear with the car’s model spelled on the butts) disappeared from YouTube. What gives?
GM didn’t fully “vet” the viral clip, and once upper levels of management caught wind, they ordered it pulled. Also gone? “Another shows the preparation of the briefs the “go go boys” are wearing as they wash a Camaro: C-A-M-A-R-O was stitched across the bottoms. A third is up-close-and-personal with the two models — one is a graduate college student in public policy.”
“Bumble Bee Boys” was promoting “Chevrolet Gay Day at the Movies,” a sponsored event in Los Angeles tied to the premiere of Transformers 2; one of the characters in the film is named Bumble Bee.
Maybe the clip did a little too good a job promoting the event? Because clearly it was too racy for corporate. The folks responsible for spending billions in taxpayer dollars didn’t want to send the impression the government bailout was being used to, like, show off go-go boys. “Our LGBT outreach group did just some grassroots, viral, simple videos to promote the event itself,” says GM’s LGBT media relations head Travis Parman. “Our LGBT group who normally handles this thing is the group who did it, so we didn’t want to shy away from that responsibility. But it had not been vetted through every single group.” And had it been? “It probably never would have been posted.”
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And here we thought GM wanted us to think the Camaro was a dude magnet.
Bill
What Gay person would drive a friggin’ CAMARO????????????????????
I thought those were specifically built for Homophobes.
BrianZ
@Bill: I’d love to read the rationale behind your “thought” as posted above.
ajax
I think the underwear crosses the line. I’d feel that way if it were two women, a man and a woman, or two men. I bet the reaction wouldn’t have been the same if the men were in swimsuits.
Cornerframe
one of the boys may be a grad student, but one of the boys is also a gayporn star working for ChiChi LaRue
D-Sun
@ajax:
Because flesh is a terrible, evil thing that must be kept hidden from public eyes at all times.
Dave
@Cornerframe: Who in LA isn’t an aspiring “actor” LOL. Every cute guy you see in TV ads has shown his cock somewhere. LOL
ajax
@D-Sun: D-Sun, a Speedo doesn’t cover any more flesh than the underwear they’re wearing. The issue is the implied intimacy of two people in their underwear and the fact that the outdoor location is inappropriate for that level of intimacy between any two people. It’s bad taste.
The men look great in their underwear – it just doesn’t belong in the street.
And, I trust you’re speaking about your won flesh, because I’m fine with mine.
ajax
@ajax: not “won” – “own”.
Ted B.
When I was in college in the late 70’s, driving a Corvette meant 50/50-chance you were gay. One of my hottest memories from my HS days was watching this hot bare-chested stud in barely-there jeans-cutoffs get cruised behind the wheel of his early 60’s ‘Vette Stingray convertible by this cute skateboard twink at the local convenience store parking lot. Though he obviously didn’t know the kid, who was barely (if) legal, he offered him a ride. “Hey kid, wanna ride?” Which was promptly accepted….
I still get hard reliving that, and hoping they had a nice “ride”.
Not So Fast Cowboy
The impportant thing here is that we get
to the part where you ask me how I’m gonna get down to the shore.
– Oh, how you gettin’ down to the shore?
– Funny you should ask, I’ve got a car now..
– Ah wow, how’d ya get a car?
– Oh, my folks drove it up here from the Baahamas.
– You’re kidding!
– I must be, the Bahamas are islands. Okay,, the important thing here is
that, uh, you ask me what kinda car it is.
– Uh uh, what kinda car do ya’ got?
– I’ve got a bitchin’ Camaro…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIJA_zLeM3I
TANK
@ajax:
This is crazy talk. Why doesn’t it belong in the street? What kind of implied intimacy? That they’re fucking? Oy. So what if they’re selling product using sex appeal–not necessarily fucking. So you want people to burkha up, is that it? I don’t see your argument.
HayYall
@Not So Fast Cowboy: Wanna take some retards to the zoo later?
D-Sun
@ajax:
They’re lathering up a car. Not eachother’s dicks.
And who cares how much skin they’re showing? I don’t. Hell, they could be washing that car in little more than a conveniently placed cardboard Chevy logo, and I’d be A-OK with that. I’ve got no problem at all with people showing off as much skin as they please. If you don’t like it, just look in the other direction.
drew brown
sad i missed the video before it was pulled from youtube, lol.
marius
Ford tried the gay marketing thing and ended up with a big fat wingnut boycott.
alan brickman
don’t be fat and jealous…these guys are hawt!!..
J
@Bill: i would drive a camaro, fo sho
why does every gay have to fit some stupid stereotype of what is “homosexually correct”? i deal with this all the freakin time
marius
@J:
I’ve been reading car magazines since I was 12. I once had a red ’64 Impala SS convertible and now have a cranky old Porsche 944. I wouldn’t mind a new Camaro, even though they’re a bit on the porky side. Can’t be perfect.
I’m a closet car case, but I don’t wash my car in my undies.
(No. 9 Ted B.’s story about the ‘Vette driver and the skater boy could be a scene from vintage Wm. Higgins)
alan brickman
tell the “BRUNOS” to stop being so jelaous…
TikiHead
@ajax: “D-Sun, a Speedo doesn’t cover any more flesh than the underwear they’re wearing. The issue is the implied intimacy of two people in their underwear and the fact that the outdoor location is inappropriate for that level of intimacy between any two people. It’s bad taste.”
Of course. That’s why Speedos are illegal outdoors, and those wearing them are automatically arrested for public lewdness!
hyhybt
There’s a difference between Camaros and Corvettes.
KyleR
I actually like GM. I would buy a Camaro if it was a car I actually wanted. It’s not. I actually want one of their little crossovers, the Equinox.
Topher
I was given a ’70 Camaro for my HS graduation in 1977. I drove that thing into the ground!
DEEPTHROAT
@ajax: I LIKED YOUR SPELLING OF “WON”
trunksy
Anyone have copies of the three Bumble Bee Boys videos before GM pulled it? Hawt!!! Get in touch with me so you can send me them.
Flex
That was a sexist move against men dealt by GM.
The sexism occurs because GM doesn’t want the Camero associated with guys in yellow bathing suits, but it would’ve been OK if it were females.
Flex
Tikihead, what are you talking about?
It isn’t illegal to wear a speedo in public. We would be restricted from entering a public building, but we can wear anything we want, where ever we want!
Flex
No. 1 Bill, why do you associate the two guys with being gay?You’ve exercised homophobia by sexualizing the two of them. They’re only washing a Camero in a bathing suit.
Republican
Flex,
Agreed.
Docholliday Doc
Homophobia- the tactical nuke for the queer community to validate their silly argument – any disagreement with their bizarre lifestyle is immediately met with the “there’s something wrong with you because you don’t agree that anal sex between males is “normal.” Puh-leez
Don’t buy it, don’t buy into it. It is a lie of the first order of magnitude…. It is all carefully contrived/researched exploitation research designed to falsely validate and justify their – “we’re normal, you aren’t” argument – our kids buy it now, perpetrated by the gay media acting as the driving force of this disinformation campaign – they know they can’t convince thinking adults otherwise. Don’t buy the lie. 5% isn’t “normal”, 2 degrees outside the bell curve isn’t a “majority. Case closed. So much for “breeders” and all that ilk. Doc
Queer Supremacist
A Camaro is for people who can’t afford a Corvette or another real sports car.
Docholliday Doc, you are proof that heterosexuals are only useful as target practice.
David Gervais
Docholliday Doc?
I do believe you have demonstrated that homophobia is never far away. Interesting that you also fit the stereotype of homophobia being associated with other mental illnesses, such as delusional ideas and conspiracy theories.
As for the word being a “tactical nuke”, perhaps it’s because people don’t want to use the alternative ‘stupidity’.