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Tuesday, June 24, 2003
Absolut Pride
 Proud of alcoholic boyfriends.Proud of alcoholic priests. Proud of alcoholic gym partners. Proud of alcoholic Dads. Proud of alcoholic neighbors. Proud of alcoholic karate instructors. Proud of alcoholic teachers. Proud of alcoholic brothers. Proud of alcoholic bioengineers. Proud of alcoholic servicemembers. Proud of alcoholic girlfriends. Proud of alcoholic counselors. Proud of alcoholic green berets. Proud of alcoholic firewomen. Proud of alcoholic coaches. Proud of alcoholic rugby players. Proud of alcoholic politicians. Proud that liquor advertisers are so eager to target gays in their advertising. Proud that alcohol is unquestionably the most crowded category in gay marketing. Proud that the most prevalent message about gay pride is getting trashed. Proud that the homosexual community constitutes a high-risk population with regard to substance abuse. Proud that such excess allows the ignorant to assume that homosexuality causes drug or alcohol abuse. Proud to be denied the right to marry or serve openly in the military, but can say “wazzup”. Proud that the gay community will take every penny they can from whoever’s offering. Proud to celebrate this alcoholic community’s diversity. Proud to celebrate this diverse community’s alcoholism. “We’re here we’re queer; we’ve got cirrhosis,” makes killer copy. Let’s drink to that. Absofuckinglutly! |
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Alcoholism is a fatal chronic illness affecting the lives of 20 to 30% of the homosexual population (Ziebold & Mongeon, 1982). Studies have found that 35% of lesbians had a history of excessive drinking, compared to only 5% of the heterosexual women in the sample (Saghir, 1970; Lewis, 1982). Approximately 30% of lesbians and gay men are addicted to drugs (Rofes, 1983). The facts show that the homosexual community constitutes a high-risk population with regard to alcoholism and drug abuse.
Alcohol is by far the most crowded category in gay marketing, with more than 40 brands jostling for attention. Perhaps the most consistent presence has been Seagram's Absolut vodka for over 17 years, but Philip Morris' Miller Brewing Co. has also had a longer (though less frequent) presence in gay media since the mid-1970s. Liquor brands, impervious to criticism by religious conservatives as a so-called "sin product," also had something no other marketers did before the 1990s — an easily quantifiable marketplace: gay bars.
Our policy from our first issue in February-March 1996 was not to accept alcohol or tobacco ads. We want to encourage people to have more healthy kinds of relationships, to go out and make a social life for themselves which is a goal that's subverted by the alcohol and tobacco and drug culture.
Sponsorship of cultural events and donations to nonprofit organizations that have
substantial visibility and credibility in their communities represent two of the fastest
growing “non-traditional” tobacco and alcohol industry marketing strategies. A number
of prevention advocates question whether these promotions are philanthropy or
profit motivated. For example, Miller Beer is the official sponsor of the International
Gay Rodeo Association and of many gay pride celebrations, and in return, receives
high-visibility through print event ads, banners at event stages, and other forms of
public acknowledgment (Rahn, 1994). In many cases, the level of funding in
communities was linked to the level of consumption (Maxwell & Jacobson, 1989) |
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