Gay-themed ads: The good, the bad, and the WTF?

Since network television began commercials have been a constant part of the landscape, and over the years advertisers have tried, with varying degrees of success, to appeal to particular demographics in order to sell their products.

Who could forget Fred Flintsone teaching kids to smoke Winston cigarettes, or Rula Lenska shilling Alberto V05 to bored 70's housewives who wanted to look like ... obscure Polish celebrities?

Whether it's Tag Body Spray trying to convince gawky teen boys that one whiff will drive girls into fits of horniness, or Enzyte using a horribly grimacing Smiling Bob to offer hope to "performance-impaired" men, advertisers have long used deception and exaggeration to appeal to the core base of whatever product they happen to be pitching.

The last few years have seen an increase in the number of gay-themed commercials, but few of them have actually been directed toward the gay community. Instead, they've used reliable standbys such as gay panic, gay baiting, and gay ridicule to "humorously" appeal to a straight audience, specifically the golden demographic, young straight males.

We've covered a few of them here, including an ESPN commercial, and an ad for American Eagle, but no commercial in recent years has raised more gay hackles than a series of spots for Snickers that began airing during the 2007 Super Bowl.

This commercial used the tried-and-true "gay panic" angle, which has been a staple of comedy for decades. Gay viewers weren't laughing, however, and Snickers quickly removed the ads from the airwaves and their website.

Of course most companies refrain from using such blatantly offensive tactics, and in fact many are actively seeking out the gay advertising dollar. We've covered such wonderfully gay-inclusive ad campaigns as the dating sites for Bjorn Borg's Love-For-All and Chemistry.com and the Advertising Council PSA That's So Gay.

One of the boldest gay positive ads of recent years was from Levi's. In 2008 they marketed two versions of the same commercial, one aimed at a straight audience, and one for us.

Then there are those commercials that confound us with their intentions. The ads for Pepsi Max and Pup-Peroni had both defenders and detractors, and this commercial, which first aired during the "coming out" episode of Ellen DeGeneres's sitcom has sparked a decade of debate. Are these guys a couple, or just roommates? You decide.

Next page! Ten good, bad, and WTF! commercials you may have missed.