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In the Annals of Stupid Subway Ads...
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 21, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 21, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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Sometimes there are fun subway ads, like the Bronx Zoo ads. Sometimes there are bizarre ones that become a part of your brain's fabric, like the Dr. Zizmor ads. And then there are the unbearably lame ones, like the Mitchum Man ads that try to appeal to men's machismo or something, with phrases like, "If you're pretty sure you could kick out the window in the event of an emergency, you're a Mitchum Man." And the NY Times confirms that the ads flout the MTA's own rules. Now, Gothamist believes in some MTA rule flouting, but after seeing some of the other Mitchum ads, like "If menage a trois is the only French you know, you're a Mitchum Man," we're pretty pleased that the MTA is now annoyed that Viacom (which handles their advertising) let the ads through. The Times breaks down that the "if you've ever hurdled to get the subway" ad is problematic because slips and falls are 74% of the accidents reported in the subway (and we're sure the MTA gets lawsuits all the time) and the window kicking ad is "almost certainly be illegal, and taxpayers, who pay about $2 million for each new subway car, may not take kindly to a window-kicker's choice." But this doesn't mean the MTA is exempt from stupid advertising: Check out this photograph on Flickr. And join the NYC Subway Photo pool on Flickr!
bloggy wondered if the ads were in bad taste after the bombings. And for kicks, This is What We Do Now's subway riding guide was extensive, but we'd like to add "When you get to the top and bottom of the stairs, just stop and stand there because it's not like there are other people behind you."
Photograph from the NY Times
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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