Men are stupid, Samsung says

A new advertisment from Samsung for its televisions -- which can "evolve" through a plug-in module -- portrays males as slovenly cavemen. (Samsung)

Flatulent, dirty, couch-bound, unkempt, and unevolved: It’s Samsung’s new view of men.

A new ad for Samsung televisions portrays men as dirty slobs, just a half step up from cavemen -- and it has the more evolved members of the male species crying foul.

[pullquote]

“That's probably one of the most vile adverts I've ever seen,” wrote one outraged user on a Reddit forum dedicated to men’s rights. “This isn't the normal IV drip of laughing at men; this is simply mainlining outright contempt.”

“Are they trying to alienate their primary consumer base?” another person asked.

The advertisement, released May 14, touts the company’s Evolution Kit, a plug in module that upgrades the software in the television without necessitating the purchase of a brand new set. The advertisement shows the average man as a caveman, aping a television program he is watching; his disgusted wife contemplates plugging the module into him instead.

“Hilarity” ensues, the ad firm must have thought.

Viewers of the ad disagree, jumping online solely to voice their displeasure.

“I saw this as a commercial and came here just to dislike [it],” one person wrote Wednesday on YouTube, where Samsung posted the clip.

The furor highlights the old advertising mantra: There’s no such thing as bad publicity, explained Adweek’s David Gianatasio.

“The clip is nearing 10 million YouTube views in just a week, and generating gobs of attention for the product, so I'd hardly call it a total stinker,” he wrote. In other words, despite its offensive portrayal, the latest clip is drawing tons of attention online, which may not justify offending the customer but may spell branding success.

Viewers of the ad don’t seem to agree.

“This sexist commercial probably isn't that big of a deal, but I'll remember it the next time I go shopping,” one wrote.