This 2007 ad from Snickers was one of the most talked about commercials from the 2007 Super Bowl. In the commercial, two male mechanics work under the hood of a car, when one pulls out a Snickers bar and puts it in his mouth. As if in a trance, the second man, overcome with temptation, bites the other end of the bar. The men simultaneously chew on the bar until it is gone and they have inadvertently kissed. To counteract this, they feel they must “do something manly” — they rip their shirts open and put out chest hair as they let out a primal scream.

discussion

Provide a step-by-step critical analysis of this ad. What is going on? Why do the two characters react as they do?

What is the significance of the “inadvertent kiss” in this ad? Do you see it as a homophobic gesture? As accepting of homosexuality?