Today's Evil Beet Gossip

The Kardashian Sisters Might Sue Over This Offensive Indian Car Ad

kardashians ford ad

I’m no defender of the Kardashian sisters three – Kim, Kourtney and Khloe. However, I am a defender of basic human rights, especially when it comes to women, and Indian advertising company JWT took shit to the next level when they released an ad for the new Ford Figo which featured the reality stars bound and gagged in the car’s trunk as Paris Hilton winks and smirks from the front seat. Uh, okay.

The tagline for the ad – which features another not-meant-to-be-released incarnation that’s just offensive: Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi with similarly bound and gagged strippers in the trunk – is ‘Leave Your Worries Behind’, which makes zero sense. Basically JWT is asserting that anyone who could be causing you trouble (or seen as competition, I assume, in the Kardashian ad case?) can be handled by tying them up, gagging them and storing them in the trunk of your new Ford car. Have I got it about right? Okay, well, one more question, then: What the fuck?

Ford has offered an apology on JWT’s behalf and the ad agency’s parent company swore that the images were uploaded to the internet without their knowledge or permission, but it still begs the question of WHY THEY WERE EVER MADE AT ALL. But whatever, I guess common sense isn’t an inherent trait in all humans. In any case, the Kardashians aren’t taking this lying down and are considering suing over this whole thing.

From Yahoo! OMG:

“The ‘leave your worries behind’ Ford ads are disgusting, vile and offensive to all women,” a Kardashian attorney told “omg! Insider.” “It is unacceptable that Ford would align itself with an ad agency that would so carelessly release these ads. The Kardashians do not take this lightly and they are exploring all of their legal options.”

Fair enough. It’s not like they need the money and more often than not they’re doing this more from a “damaging the Kardashian brand” stance rather than a feminist and, you know, basic human being one, but whatever.

63 CommentsLeave a comment

  • It would have made sense if they’d used the old Ford tag line “Ford has a better idea’ and that would be to shut these people up.

    I love that Kardashian’s have a ‘brand’ so does “Hustler” although I am not sure which one is more vile.

  • Oh, please, this has nothing to do with basic human rights.

    It is just an ad implying that the Kardashians stole the spotlight from Paris Hilton, ir order to advertise the car’s spacious trunk, or use the celebrity status of these people to advertisse the car itself.

    The Kardashians should sue if they are using their image without consent, but there is nothing about this remotely linked to women’s rights.

    • Yup. It’s kind of amazing that Jennifer did not get this. If this truly was made by some misogynist and not by someone who happens to find the Kardashian sisters to be annoying, why is Paris sitting in the front seat and perfectly fine? The implication is obviously a play on the slogan; the car allowed her to take out her rivals. Anyone who thinks the ad promotes violence against women would probably agree with the circa-1990 version of my father, who claimed the Simpsons writers were wrong to promote these characters as the “ideal of the nuclear family.” Irony, anyone?

    • Exactly…they can only sue for violation of their right of publicity…you can’t use someone’s image in an advertisement without their consent.

      But if the ads were never publicized by the ad company on behalf of Ford, and this was released on “accident”, it’d be hard to prove in federal court that the images were released as a part of an ad campaign to produce revenue. It’d be a losing case for the Kuntrashian empire. They’ll probably still try to sue, since they are blood sucking, overweight trash bags. Stop trying to turn every fucking issue into a women’s rights/civil rights issue. The garbage sisters are not a protected class.

  • If they were smart they’d promise to donate any funds from legal action to a SVAW-esque (stop violence against women) organization. That would be good PR.

  • Oh for gods sake,lighten up Jennifer, it’s a joke!! Considering the Kardashians are famous off the back of Kim getting FCUK’d on camera, i find it comical that they are trying to take a moral high-ground on this [non] issue.Waiting for the new Kardashian Kar release now.

  • They have been being bashed for years and with good reason so you think they would be use to it ! If they want to be such fame whores they need to take the good with the bad !! Not much good and a whole lot of bad but it’s all their fault ! I just wish they would fall off the face of the earth !! They try to make money off of anything !

  • Here’s the “funny” and “totally not about women” Berlusconi ad, as well, for reference:

    • Arlight, now we’ve got one with a guy in the front seat. So why didn’t you just write the article about this one? You need to learn to pick your battles.

      • Word….. I bet Jennifer wishes that the Broadway show “Guys and Dolls” should be renamed to “Loathsome Oppressors and Women of Vision and Strength.”

  • It would be one thing if this was in Cracked or something. Some cultural awareness would have been wise with this one. The instances of rape and violence against women in India right now are frequent and brutal. In certain parts of India it is simply a way of life. This type of advertising in a country with little to no protection of women’s basic human rights is pretty insensitive. Do some research into it… it’ll traumatize you if you have a heart at all.

  • Considering the vast majority who find these pictures funny are women kinda blows the wind out of your feminist rant Jennifer. The girls in my office all find the pictures funny, you’re just trying to get a rise when there isn’t one.Most women i know,pick and choose our battles, you just seem to be the other type…

  • I’m with you on this one, Jennifer.
    Given the current situation in India, this is way beyond poor taste. I guess many women find it funny because this is “whores” being punished, which we have been taught for too long is the right thing to do. Ugh, it makes me so sick. All the slut shaming and victim shaming, it’s everywhere … all this negativity towards women. It’s just too much.
    I despise the Kardashians, but that doesn’t change how disgusting this ad is.
    The fact that they include Berlusconi, the biggest dickhead this planet has to offer, who fucks minors and says “it’s still better than being a faggot”, says everything.

  • I think we would all be more inclined to take a feminist position if Paris (a woman) wasnt the person driving the car and we werent all so sick of the kardashians.

  • they complain for every writer and story before. last girl got threats for leaving all time.

    i like the story with more update i think.

      • Wow, are you serious? So comments by readers are getting deleted now? Censoring, huh. Dear writers of EvilBeet: what do you say to these accusations? Where did Bobbi and P1ll’s comments go?

      • Legalease, its been happening since Sarah/Em left. There was a half-assed attempt to explain, but it sounded too much like bullshit so I passed reading the rest. Seriously though, if Jennifer wants to write a blog championing womens rights, she should do so….just spare us the sanctimonious crap on a celeb gossip site. Ive given the new staff a chance & kept my comments to myself, not anymore. Jennifer, you are neither funny or friendly. Catherine, you seem to take things too personally. Just my impressions, I’m not the only one who thinks thusly!

      • That is some fucked up shit. Well, I have noticed the site pretty much turned to shit since Sarah left. The comments are always the best part, so if they’re getting censored, there’s no reason to visit this site when there are so many good, non-preachy gossip sites out there. CENSORSHIP GETS YOU NO WHERE EVILBEET.

      • Pikki, turned me on to dlisted, that site is snark incarnate. I haven’t posted there as yet, just feel sentimental about the beet!

      • Yeah Bobby posted a super long and pretty burnirific comment where she even called out, i think, the person who runs the blog for not paying her or something. Anyhow…kinda sucks if comments are being censored.

      • True enough meh, on all counts! Bobby is very cool, knows how to take a joke, and how to give one! This site is poorer without her…

      • Very true Legalease, I think Jennifer was arrogant from the start in understanding that we didn’t inherit them, they inherited us. Its the posters that will make or break a site. I hope they figure it out, but don’t hold much hope….. Its damn near impossible to argue with a zealot!

      • It’s telling when the site posts about Leann Rimes even guest is silent. I’ll see you on Dlisted Chaz – I’ve been bored here too since the writer change and the deleted posts thing is a big thumbs down.

  • I could try to write something relevant & poetic about this but really I’m holding all enthusiasm & jubilant glee for the Joe Jonas ball gag sex tape.

  • IF they are suing it’s not because of a human rights angle it’s because these bitches need to get paid. Close the lift gate a drive the car into the lake alreaddy.

  • I vowed to myself not to come back here, but today I received many emails from you guys, and now that I see your comments, I feel it’s only fair to say a last few things. Wow, that sounds dramatic :) But no, I’m not here to get into a self-righteous argument – this is rather a statement about Evil Beet, a website that is at the end of the day more than the sum of the people who write and comment here. I came to love this place throughout the years, and I want to very clearly explain why I fell out of love with it, just like I did in my previous deleted comment, only this time I’ll leave the personal specifics out of it.

    Here’s the deal: I believe that at the moment, there’s a disconnect between the subjects represented here, and the ideology that has been attached to them. On one hand, this is a celeb gossip site. Who did what, with who, wore what, said that, looked such as, went where, why so, etc. I presume – and excuse me if I’m wrong – that we come here to read news, and rumors, about celebs. We also come here to read the unique twist the writers present these news and rumors with. We read for fun, and we comment. We talk smack, we make jokes, and sometimes we engage in a discourse with each other, prompted by our complimenting or differing outtakes on the topics.

    Now, it happens so that the writers here are very talented and very original in their interpretations of the stories. Sometimes, they also insert their personal ideology into these interpretations, and really, this is exactly how it should be. If we wanted to read how perfect and flawless celebs are, we’d read People magazine. If I had stayed with EB, I would have definitely talked about the environment and animal rights in the context of celeb events, and I fully support the current writers’ passion for women’s and human rights. It is the right thing to do, to proclaim what you believe in, especially if you are lucky to have such a powerful platform, and such intelligent audience.

    The problem, however, and I said this before in my comments under an article about Ashlee Simpson, is that there’s a functional way to do this, and a not so effective one. I can’t tell you guys how to do your job – I don’t work here, and even though I am known to get on my high horse a bit too often, I won’t have the audacity to teach you work ethics. But the fact is that as a reader, I repeat – as a person who used to come here to read and enjoy some funny shit – I can’t help but be put off by the way you, for a lack of a better expression, push your agenda.

    It just doesn’t work for me. I find it forced, severely deprived of humor, sloppy even. It is mostly confusing – I know that this website has to have hits in order to thrive, but you are driving away your core fan base with the direction you are taking. And not because people here don’t share your ideological convictions, but because of the way you represent them. As I said, there should be a balance between having a point and being entertaining. It is true that I crossed a line today and remarked on your persona in a sarcastic way, but I don’t think I’ve insulted you ever. People, however have called you “uppity” and “sanctimonious”, and often have asked you to “lighten up”. That, I think, comes from trying to preach to the converted, and in a fashion that rubs people the wrong way. And I stand for what I wrote – you often look for things that are simply not there, and when people are puzzled, you just discard their feedback by saying that your point is obvious to “anyone who has functioning ears and eyes”.

    The truth is that even though you have the authority, the opinion, and the voice, there are readers who are also capable of advanced thinking, and it’s borderline insulting to unapologetically shove your ideology down your readers’ throats, especially when they have come here to be courted and talked to friendly, and addressed with respect, and ENTERTAINED.

    You see, celeb gossip is tricky like that. You certainly can comment on the downsides of celeb culture, but funnily enough, this isn’t the place for that. My confusion stems from exactly this disconnect – is this still a website that deals with harmless celeb fashion faux pas, failed relationships/plastic surgeries, and generally the life and the work of the rich and famous…or is it now a website that uses celebs to comment on serious social issues?! Which one is it?

    If it’s the first, put down the torch and make our time worthwhile.

    If it’s the second, own up to it, and make it clear to everyone that the concept has changed, and prepare your readers what to expect from EB.

    And if you want to make it a mix of the two, I am sure that you can do it much better – smoother, interesting, attractive. Because even if you disregard my opinion, people still want quality. A good joke. I am probably not even half as good writer as you are, but I am a great reader, Jenn. And I know what I want from my reads.

    Oh, and yes – I do like to excite people with my ideology too, but I also want to please them and predispose them to take what I have to say seriously. The feedback here was overwhelmingly clear: less stories about Kk and such, more new faces, more current, cutting edge material!

    If I ever run a celeb gossip website, I’d aim to tap into the vast, unexplored sea of the entertainment industry and be a trend setter, not a copy paste operation with attitude.

    I rest my case.

    P. S. I have saved this comment and I’ll send it personally to anyone who’s interested in case I get censored again :)

    • I forgot to mention the most important thing: THE IRONY! Celeb culture is practically built on sexism and women exploitation, on superficiality and inequality. By your very being a celeb gossip writer in the conventional way, you only add to this…disease. It takes a lot of skill and focus to manage to work with celeb material and to make something constructive and positive out of it.

    • Thats because you’re the living embodiment of the “21st Century Renaissance Woman.” Now, who’s up for some tits?

    • Christ. Get a therapist already. For your sake, really. That rant was so long I didn’t even finish it because my eyeballs just rolled clean out of my head. Now that they’re firmly back in place, good luck making everyone see it your way.

      • Funny thing Jacq, those of us who tend to read not skim agree wholeheartedly with Bobby’s point of view.The fact that you write how short your attention span is with pride,proves how dumb you are.Bobby is My Queen for a day for speaking out on how dull and pedestrian this site has become.

    • Again I agree with you 100%
      EB has become a cut and paste site with a feminist rant on most posts. I am sick of reading day old news re-posted from TMZ etc I HAVE ALREADY READ THEM !
      The EB I have grown to love from its inception did not have a massive amount of posts , but it did post new news as it happened , with funny opinions.
      Jennifer , stop your more posts are better thinking and bin your feminnazi attitude plz.
      I treat all people regardless of gender or sexual orientation as equals so I see feminism as bad as the KKK or the westbro church, so why spam us with your stupid beliefs that you as a woman are made to feel you are an underclass that needs to be freed ?
      FFS it is 2013 we are all equal ! & this is a gossip site not a feminist blog .

  • How about this…. One rant a week of the editors choosing. Call it Cooch Clatch, Estrogen Corner, Militant Lesbo Minute, whatever tickles your pubes. Capital idea, right?

  • I’m going to address this once as I just woke up to all this and there were a few points I wanted to touch on (and no, LegalEase, silence doesn’t speak volumes – silence speaks it not being working hours where I am right now and spending time not on the internet).

    First off, Chaz, no need to try to incite a riot in regards to comments being deleted. Yes, Bobby’s original comment was deleted and I emailed her privately to discuss the reasons why with her. The original comment contained personal issues which had nothing to do with me but with management of the company and was inappropriate, therefore it was deleted. As for P1LL’s, it was a follow up and was deleted when Bobby’s was automatically.

    I am not in the habit – nor is Catherine – of deleting anyone’s comments here or censoring anyone. If I was, all the “this sucks!” posts and the like would go right away – as would all the comments on this post, including yours. Everyone is free to say pretty much whatever they want within reason (obviously spam and deliberate hate speech or personal attacks have to go – and that’s EVERY site, not just this one). If you’d bothered to read the other post in which I explained the previous disappearing comments or if you bothered to look at the posts in question, you’d see that all the comments were restored as soon as I became aware of their absence. Believe it or not, I don’t spend 24/7 on Evil Beet Gossip, waiting for comments to come up that I could possibly delete. We have an automatic spam filter that was catching them due to a new exception we added to keep out a spammer whose IP kept changing, end of. The comments were never “deleted”, they never got posted and instead ended up in our spam filter until I could approve them manually. It was fixed immediately thereafter.

    Secondly, it’s not my job as a writer to please everyone, and it’s unreasonable to expect to be able to do such a thing considering the fact that everyone’s taste is different. It’s awesome that you liked Sarah and Emily so much – lots of people did, lots of people didn’t and it’s all based on personal preference, not their capabilities as writers. There’s no “agenda” to push either way – why isn’t anyone calling me out for being a militant feminist when I say Chris Brown’s a shitbag? Oh, because him beating Rihanna senseless – which we actually saw pictures of – was more blatantly and undeniably wrong? What’s the difference between that and this? I have no “ideology” to speak of except, you know, don’t be a shitty human being.

    I don’t expect everyone to agree with me on every issue, and I also don’t want to use this site as a political platform, particularly because I’m not actually all that political in my everyday life. However, this ad has been a BIG news story and this is a celebrity news/gossip site, and I couldn’t report on it from an “LOL how funny is this, guys?!?!?” standpoint when I look at it and immediately think, “Uh, wait a minute – what the fuck?” If thinking violent imagery against women – regardless of whether it’s against an oppressed group of them or the Kardashians – is shitty and deserves to be called out is a bad thing, I wonder what kind of world everyone is living in. Do you have to pick your battles? Sure thing. But I’m not out picketing at Ford and burning bras at their corporate headquarters. I’m writing an article on the internet – there’s a major difference. In any case, I’m certainly not the only person who felt this way about the issue, or otherwise the company wouldn’t have issued a public apology and fired many members of its staff. But that’s neither here nor there – there are some issues people will never agree upon, and that’s fine.

    I absolutely value the readers here and am aware that we both inherited one another. I love reading what you guys have to say, even if I don’t always have time to respond (or anything clever to retort). I think you guys are funny and you make me laugh a lot – even you, Chaz, when you had a go and talked about me wanting to change the title of ‘Guys and Dolls’. You were being a smart ass, but that’s 100% up my alley and I laughed. I want to hear what you guys think and I want to hear your feedback and there to be a community between all of you, but again, it needs to be constructive. There’s not much I can do with “you’re a zealot!” – there’s a lot I can do with “less Kardashian stories, please!”. See the difference?

    I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – if you have anything else to say to me personally, questions, concerns, suggestions, etc, my e-mail address is listed on the sidebar and you can feel free to use it.

    • I don’t recall anyone asking you to please everyone, I know I haven’t. If you recall I was telling people to give it time, that you had to make this site yours. We all have an agenda,whether or not we admit it… but in my opinion yours comes across as vastly aggressive. That isn’t a bad thing, but this site isn’t that forum.

      • Agreed Chaz. I see myself as an equalist, and this site is starting to lean towards the femi-nazi range. That said, the ad was totally inappropriate and NOT funny.

  • I feel like i just read an official statement from a company.You come across as very condescending Jennifer,the kind of person where everything out of your mouth is measured like a politically correct spokesperson.I’m glad Bobby wrote her points (even though you did later remove her comment) She addressed a few very important points about how dry this site we loved has become due to you, it opened a debate which is what i missed on here.I’m an independent woman (not in the Beyonce way) but i find your Germaine Greer inspired writing dull to the point of tedious.You’re dry Jennifer.Either leave the political ideology to the broadsheets or you’ll lose the long-time readers to more interesting sites.I read the newspapers,i work 5 days a week… i used to like this site for wit and a little escapism.Just my own opinion,thats all. Paige

    • PJ why you argue with it she was very nice not “condescending”. you might be also. i do not understand why every one gets upset at that. it is gossip i like the story they are very good and more new.

      so upset about her telling the ad as offensive! very silly cheer up do not be so serious every one is different