You Will Cringe At This Sexist DUI Campaign

How's this for your sexist thing of the day? (Because obviously we can't have a day without a good peppering of sexism, now can we?) The Governor's Highway Safety Office of Tennessee has released its latest anti-DUI campaign and it's the most sexist DUI campaign you'll ever see. They're handing out coasters using "beer goggles" as a better reason to not drink—clearly more important than, oh, I don't know, getting behind the wheel of the car and maybe killing someone. According to this advertisement, seriously bad things can happen to men who drink, like being attracted to a girl only to find out she is "a marginally good-looking girl" who was "hotter" when the man was under the influence, that she's "chatty", "clingy" or even possibly "the boss' daughter". Heaven forbid a woman isn't the ideal version of man defined beauty, or that she's talkative or interested in a man that showed interest in her. Women should, indeed, be seen and not heard. Moreover, their only identity is that that a man bestows on her, so shut up ugly girls with powerful dads, you're ruining all the drunk bro fun.

The Tennessean reached out to The Governor's Highway Safety Office for comment, and they were told that the coasters were designed for a "young male demographic." So the sexism is totally self-aware, which I'm not sure is better or worse. Here's what the coasters look like:

The Governor's Highway Safety Office also told The Tennessean,

"We take feedback from the public seriously and want to thank all of those who have reached out to share their opinions with us... It was never the intent of our office to offend anyone. This new initiative was designed to reach the young male demographic, who are statistically more likely to drive under the influence. Well-known adages, like dating the boss's daughter, were used to grab their attention within the bar environment. Our office continually experiments with new strategies in order to be effective with various target demographics, and we will be closely monitoring the results."

The offensive campaign apparently also included flyers that read, "After a few drinks the girls look hotter and the music sounds better. Just remember: If your judgement is impaired, so is your driving." The sexist ads are obviously causing extra antagonism because they were issued by a government body, but sexism is sexism, whether institutionalized by the government or other corporate bodies. Take, for example, these other recent sexist ads:

1. Those horrific weight loss bikini body ads

2. This anachronistic McDonald's ad

3. This abhorrent advertising by Magg Com

4. This subway ad that people are taking a stand against

5. That AAP ad that made people really furious

Image: Pexels