for finally noticing misandry in popular culture. It's been a long time coming and the "you poke it" ad is far from the worst, but at least it's a start.

OK, you're crazy. This entry of yours in the pink ghetto is simply a waste of time. Lighten up! It's a beer ad that's meant tobe funny to the target audience. Guess what? It is.

As if that strange, watery fluid counted as a manly drink anyway. Men (and women) of intelligence know better than to drink it to begin with.

Sad fact: I've seen that ad several times, but it took Broadsheet to bring the all-too-obvious innuendo to my attention. Sigh. And yet, I think it's even more pathetic that people get offended by this sort of thing (and the "Man Show", for that matter).

"...the company must have a skewed idea of what 'a smarter, more intelligent light beer' really means."

Not to be a monosyllabic neanderthal or anything, but...ummmm...duh?

I read broad sheet because I like to know what smart broads are thinking. All I can say to this particular piece is, ahmen.

I think we should use this law to apply to people who like to touch pregnant women's bellies without asking -- hey, you poke it, you own it!

I am as quick to get a double entendre as the next Neanderthal guy, but I had not picked up on any sexual innuendo in that ad. Perhaps I was just too stuck on the grossness of some other person's grubby finger in the neck of a beer bottle to be thinking with the sexual part of my brain at all.

Of course they're all pansies anyway. Real men drink Guinness. (Here's hoping Bettis's asthma will let me outrun him.)

if I poke a girl, I own her?

how is this possible exactly, and where do I learn this trick?

maybe there is advantage to being a monumental macho oaf.

Really, this ad, the whole series, is really stupid. But I can honestly say the underlying inuendo never really crossed my mind, and the other ads in the series don't seem to have any either...

as homophobia is also known as 'homosexual anxiety', the poke-it-own-it category of "man-laws" is also known as 'you wish'

if i were a man i would be offended by the whole "laddish" cultural stereotyping on display here. i wouldn't want to be put in the same boat with these emotionally immature, out of shape, lazy, shallow and self-satisfied morons. maybe i'm an idealist, but if you're going to say shit like "We men have power over everything on this planet and shall continue our rein [sic] of power through all countries and to new planets.", you should back it up with some good reasons why.

but this is the era of "i'm the decider" after all.

Just a thought: in cultures where men--or masculine ideals--RULE--or many folks (yes folks--including women) can be astonishingly sexist--is it surprisng that we have beer commercials that celebrate a dream of male superiority?

If men really want superiority, let's break it bdown for them economically... I think that'll do more to fend these jack-off's off than anything else.

Seriously, lighten up! The ad is about carrying beer bottles in a nasty way and it's pretty stupid. Why would the sexual innuendo be appealling to the target audience anyway? Non-binding sex is usually the idea, I thought, maybe I'm tired though.

I've been watching the NBA playoffs religiously, so I'm pretty familiar with the new Miller ads. I like to think of myself as pretty cognizant of whatever subtexts might be present in advertising (if I'm paying much attention), but these Man Law ads seemed pretty innocuous and still do, Ms. Traister's complaints notwithstanding. It's just some sub-Tim Allen stuff, the humor coming from the contrast between the seeming seriousness of the meeting and the triviality of their debates. I also think it undercuts the criticism that it is only portraying a "real man" stereotype, because of the diversity of the men at the table (notice the guy with the amputated hand?) I mean, Burt Reynolds is there, for God's sake; how seriously can you take it? I can't speak to the user input on the site, though, and that's hardly Miller's fault. (Ever considered that maybe the "rulers of the universe" law was submitted tongue-in-cheek?)

I agree with michaelrudd. Traister is over-thinking this. It's supposed to be stupid humor, not a sexual innuendo.

"You poke it, you own it" is not a phrase men would say or a sentiment they'd endorse, sexually.

The "humor" is that it isn't anything they'd say in regards to fingers in beer, either -- but it's just supposed to be stupid, not sexual.

Only a professional victim like Traister and the rest of the members of the Broadsheet clan could watch that commercial and just assume it was really a veiled reference to women. Talk about trying your damndest to find a reason to be offended! Rebecca, howzabout you get that giant chip off your shoulder?

I saw the ad as well and was offended--its not really funny, just base and lame. I am trying to figure out how to complain to them, but I don't really want to get junk mail from Miller. Any suggestions anyone?

LS

There are a million "Why a cucumber is better than a man" sites, books, emails; let the guys have a beer.

You're seriously pissed about this ad?

I happen to have a vagina (my very own, it's even attached) and thankfully there's no sand in it b/c I think these ads are funny.

And no, I'm not a knuckledragging red-stater. I'm a NYC liberal chick who loves beer - and fingers in holes. So please find something real to get pissed about. I beg you.

I'm one of those dreaded "Second wave" feminists but really! If women want to be taken seriously we can't be quibbling about little things like this. My gyno had a poster on the ceiling many years ago with all these silly "woman" rules. They were novel at the time--and remember all those posters from the 70's and 80's..."A woman has to be 10 times smarter than a man...fortunately that's not difficult" Those were up all over the workplace about 20 years ago. I really don't see any sexual innuendo behind these beer ads. Seriously...if women want to be taken seriously they have to be above picking apart silly things like this. Nit-picky whines like this are hurting the cause! I know you don't mean to, but if women want to be taken seriously they have to be about more important topics than this!