Son Comes Out—As Infiniti Driver—In New Car Commercial
A new commercial from luxury car brand Infiniti likens the process of telling your BMW loyal father that you've switched to an Infiniti to coming out as gay.
The spot is entitled "Legacy" and opens on a young man as he anxiously drives to meet his father at their stately home. Once he arrives, he enters his father's study, mentally preparing himself for the inevitable "talk" he's come to have with him. As he waits, he stares longingly at photographs of generations of his family's men poised next to BMWs.
When his father finally joins him, the son opens up the conversation by saying “Look this isn’t easy for me either I'm sorry if you don’t like it, but it just feels right.” His father in turn responds “This isn’t how we raised you.”
“You must have always known I was a little bit different,” the son continues. “You never wanted to try it?”
The "it" as it turns out in this scenario is driving one expensive car (an Infiniti) versus another expensive car (a BMW). Since the commercial's release two weeks ago, many have spoken out against the ad, saying its blatant use of a stereotypical coming-out-as-gay narrative to sell a car is offensive and problematic.
Some took to the video's YouTube page to air their grievances:
While others took to Twitter to rail against the commercial:
Here's the full tacky @InfinitiUSA comparing coming out gay to your dad to changing car brands.
— DCHomos (@DCHomos) May 23, 2016
Trash.https://t.co/AeiWxcNu8c
@DCHomos @InfinitiUSA pic.twitter.com/ZUQFAFX5G5
— JDegarson (@johndegarson) May 23, 2016
.@DCHomos @InfinitiUSA "congrats! you've begun culturally assimilating. now sit back and relax while we commodify your culture
— smarterchild (@walkerkaplan) May 23, 2016
@DCHomos dafuq, @InfinitiUSA? pic.twitter.com/eP1oNEVbqd
— Gay Social Worker (@gaysocialworker) May 24, 2016
Here’s @InfinitiUSA’s “coming out” ad. As one guy put it, making light of a topic that people are killed for = bad. https://t.co/FJ1GqQNv48
— John Barcus (@johnrtworld) May 23, 2016
Infiniti has yet to speak to the controversy.
Check out the full ad below: