A response from GiggleTV

You might remember a couple of weeks ago I wrote about how “GiggleTV” is offensive, sexist, and supports rape culture. I absolutely stand by this. Today I got a very aggressive response from them.

Here is the response  to my concerns, from GiggleTV. (Here’s the original post about it).

I am sure you can imagine how I felt, reading this.

 

“Hi there Sarah,

Your blog has come to our attention through 1 of your followers.

I would like to introduce myself to you as one of the directors of Giggle TV. I am a 29 year old well travelled Kiwi woman. I have been involved with GTV since we established ourselves 6 years ago. I have a passion for people, travel and business! I have encountered several challenges in my business experience to date, due to my age, sex and appearance and am proud to be the successful business person that I am today.

I strongly believe in women’s rights and especially women’s equality in business.

I have viewed all of the content on Giggle TV and have never seen anything screened that I personally would take offense too. I find it saddening that the views of many in this country are turning extremely sensitive and overly PC. At Giggle TV we are about 1, Promoting small business and 2, Brightening peoples day.

We have read through your views on Giggle TV and carefully considered and discussed your points.

We accept you are not a fan of Giggle TV. We would be unrealistic if we were to believe that everyone who watched GTV enjoyed it. In the same respect that your blog doesn’t appeal to everyone we understand that Giggle TV doesn’t appeal to everyone also. We take pride in the fact that GTV is silent and non invasive and if it doesn’t appeal to you then you can simply not watch the screen. Unlike the radio, where if it doesn’t interest you, it’s not like you are able to switch your ears off.

We would like to take this opportunity to address some of your concerns.

. Although you find GTV sexist and “encouraging of rape culture” (a very strong call) we do our upmost to keep it balanced. There is all sorts of humour on GTV. Jokes against men, warm fuzzy images, animals doing silly things, inspirational and positive quotes, community messages, etc. We believe you have compiled very one sided snippets.

(Note from me: she attached some images here, which I’ve removed)

Note:

<http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=G-rated&defid=1733399> (definition of) G-rated:

1. Appropriate for all ages, with no offensive content such as violence, drug use, profanity, or sex acts.
2. Sanitized or altered to remove offensive content.

1. Just because a movie is G-rated, that doesn’t mean it’s a kiddie show: ever see The Sound of Music?

I question your concern with the ‘Love Canada image’ – a woman wearing a bikini on the ski slopes.

Seriously? Is this saying that women wearing bikinis is offensive? ie, we shouldn’t take our children to the beach.

I personally can appreciate an attractive woman. Surely this is no different to what you would find in a woman’s day magazine.

How is it any different to that of an image of Dan Carter in his jockey underwear on a billboard? Is this objectifying men?

. I have walked into many businesses in this country (medical centres, cafes, gyms included) to discover them playing day time television. I have sat in a medical centre whilst the programme Jeremy Kyle was playing. I am not sure if you are familiar with this programme but some topics they have covered include:

Who’s Father To Your Baby? Me Or My Dad?
I Can’t Remember Cheating On You But I’ll Prove You’re Our Baby’s Dad!
My Kids Are Black And Angry!!
I’m A Binge Drinker And A Drug Dealer, But I’ll Be A Great Dad!
A Forty Year Feud – But Are We Even Sisters?
Irresistible To Women – My Fiancee Accepts It’s Not My Fault!
Your Baby’s Too White To Be Mine!
Has My Mum Had A Baby With My Husband?

. I have also waited in numerous family friendly locations whilst C4 or Juice have been playing their music videos. Music Videos aka soft porn feature scantily clad women and sexual references. Do we really want our
children to view this? This is what they might aspire to be like.

We choose not to scroll the News on our screens unlike other media.

Some headlines from last week:

. MH17 family pays tribute to children killed in crash

. MH17 remains may still be in open – Abbott

. Jurors offered counselling after sex trial

. Women pleads guilty to murder, arson

. Gentle Giant Killed while walking on road

. Sixty Calves destroyed after truck crash

. Israeli Tank Shells hit UN School

. Bombed to oblivion in an hour

. Civilians killed in Eastern Ukraine in fierce fighting

 

Although you find it ‘disgusting’ it is a reality of the World we live in.

Advertising is all around us – the radio, the paper or a magazine, a sign written vehicle or the back of a bus or a billboard, tv etc. It is unavoidable and beyond the control of any one person. GTV or not there is and will continue to be advertising all around us.

Our GTV Mission Statement: To assist small medium enterprises in the growth of their business by delivering an affordable effective entertaining method in which they can grow their brand and increase their market share.

We are a small Kiwi business that originated in Palmerston North. We pride ourselves in what we deliver for our customers and if we can contribute to the growth of their business and in turn the employment of several NZers meaning that they can feed their family, then we can cope with the fact that we may have upset a minority along the way although it is never our intention to do so.

Please be aware we have not set out to deliberately offend anyone! I would like to request that next time you encounter a GTV you choose to take a seat where you are not positioned in front of a screen. Instead look away. I might also suggest that you don’t pick up a magazine in that location either as you may well find this just as offensive.

All the best for a happy positive life and success with your blog!”

9 Replies to “A response from GiggleTV”

  1. Pingback: Let’s CHANGE the world! | ruminations and ramblings

  2. Phil

    Aside from the use of irrelevant comparison with new headlines and trash television and the gratuitous label of “PC” tossed out in a belittling manner, you know what crosses the line here: You did not contact GTV directly, simply to preserve your own sense of quiet and personal boundaries. For this individual to contact you (presumably on behalf of her employer) without your invitation is pretty cheeky.

    Reply
    1. billy

      If you blog about a business, I think it is not only ok, but actually a good sign for them to give you a response.
      Ignoring your feedback is far worse
      (although in this case, the response was overly defensive)

      Reply
  3. Stacey

    Wait…she’s arguing it’s not as bad as Jeremy Kyle? Is that the bar then?
    As for Carter in his underpants – he’s at least selling underpants! It pains me to think that my home country doesn’t have enough going for it to attract visitors bar women in bikinis on ski slopes!

    Reply
  4. David Tocker

    I wouldn’t call that an ‘aggressive’ response, let alone a ‘very aggressive’ response. They just exercised a right of reply. Although I agree that the ads are stupid and misogynistic, its a fine line that fortunately people choose to cross all the time – for better or worse.
    For an example, some people love Top Gear and their frequently sexist and self deprecating sense of humour – some people hate it – should we deny everyone their entertainment and make the world that much more bland because some people are offended by it? Stupid, yes, overtly offensive? I don’t think so.
    There is such a thing as picking your battles – frequently the important messages can be lost in the irrelevant.

    Reply
  5. Pingback: ‘Giggle TV’ does it again | Writehanded

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