First, Apple mocked the PC by showing a cool Apple guy and a nerdy bald PC guy in a stodgy suit. Then the very pretty T-Mobile spokesmodel in the pink dress mocked AT&T with T-Mobile ads. This week, an anti-AT&T takeover of T-Mobile ad went too far according to some.
A print ad against the takeover showed a cigar-smoking fat man in a pink polka-dot dress. The ad reads, "It make sense if you don't think about it." Click on left to see full ad.
The ad was pulled after complaints from transgender activists.
NEC Networks, whose founder Michi Eyre is transgender, issued an open letter on the issue stating, "While we do not view this as intentional transphobia on the part of MAP or the other organizations or Sprint, who purchased the advertising space, we feel that the depiction is still inappropriate."She later wrote, " I have received assurances from the Center for Media Justice that they don't want to their name associated with transphobia and I appreciate their immediate response to this issue. Media Access Project has also acknowledged this issue and is addressing it."
Consumers can protest the takeover according to notakeover.org by contacting Congress, the FCC and also by Tweeting officials.