Bumble's billboard ads sneered at celibacy as an alternative to dating — and the company got stung

The dating app Bumble got stung after running billboard ads that appeared to sneer at celibacy as an alternative to meeting people online.

On Monday, the company backtracked and apologized for billboards that bore the message “You know full well a vow of celibacy is not the answer” juxtaposed against an introduction to “the new Bumble.” The app launched a brand redesign in April in hopes of reviving user interest, which had been lagging.

Women on social media castigated the company for suggesting celibacy isn’t a valid personal choice. Some online critics read the slogan as reflecting patriarchal notions that women should be willing to have sex with men even if they don’t want to.

In an apology posted on Instagram, Bumble said it is removing ads that it called a mistaken attempt to “lean into a community frustrated by modern dating.” It said the company has long stood up for women and their right to “fully exercise personal choice,” but admitted that the ad campaign didn’t live up to those values and apologized “for the harm it caused.”

HubertManne,
HubertManne avatar

genius publicity team for dating app bumble gets intenational exposure for the cost of one billboard.

FlyingSquid,
@FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

Too bad they didn’t show a picture of a priest and pissed off the Catholics. That would have been funny. Instead they pissed off people in general. Good job.

PotatoesFall,

It doesn’t even sound like a slogan aimed solely at women? I don’t know, it doesn’t seem offensive.

If a fast food restaurant makes a ad saying “you must eat this burger”, then I know full well that not eating burgers is still a valid option.

Not that I want to simp for ads, fuck ads, but there is far worse out there.

FuglyDuck,
@FuglyDuck@lemmy.world avatar

I don’t think it was aimed solely at women, and I’d have been offended had I seen it- but I certainly do understand why women would think it’s sexist.

Cornpop,

First world problems

disguy_ovahea,

Agreed. Especially while states are taking a women’s right to choose. It’s not unreasonable if they don’t want to risk their future over a one night stand.

Rev3rze,

I was thinking the same, it’s not aiming at any gender as far as I can tell. I took it as a wink at the “men always want sex, no exceptions” stereotype/gender norm. But, I’m a man and all that proves is that the slogan is vague enough that each reader will have their own personal interpretation of it’s exact meaning based on their own experience.

In that sense it is indeed a terrible slogan if only for the fact that it seems to elicit a negative, but highly personalised, meaning for everyone. The exact opposite of what you hope to achieve with a slogan.

DancingBear, (edited )

Is this feminists eating each other?

girlfreddy,
@girlfreddy@lemmy.ca avatar

Is this a misogynist eating himself?

turtlepower,

So why are only women complaining about? Men take vows of celibacy, too. Or did they only ask women? They don’t even show the ad in question, so I can’t even make a call on that one way or the other. This just reeks of straw feminism (probably TERF shit, too). That shit can just fuck right off. I support real feminism, which is e-q-u-a-l-i-t-y. But I know you straw feminists don’t want that. You want a matriarchy to replace the patriarchy.

DancingBear, (edited )

You need a hug I assume, I’m sorry but a feminist dating site being angrily attacked by feminists is rather hilarious.

Edit: please don’t kink shame

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