Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2000 14:41:19 EDT Subject: GenderPAC Action Alert: TheStreet.Com Sells Fear and Loathing From: owner-action@gpac.org GenderPAC 212-645-2686 gpac@gpac.org www.gpac.org Action@GPAC Special Online Edition : July 19, 2000 ====================================== TAKE ACTION! TAKE ACTION! TAKE ACTION! ====================================== THESTREET.COM SELLS FEAR AND LOATHING GenderPAC today blasted the financial web magazine TheStreet.com for an advertisement placed in the New York Times Business Section on July 17, 2000. The advertisement read: "MAIL ORDER BRIDE. TRANSSEXUAL. INTERNET STOCK. IT NEVER HURTS TO DO A LITTLE RESEARCH BEFORE BRINGING ONE HOME." The advertisement is reportedly among the first in a new ad campaign being launched by TheStreet.Com. to upgrade and heighten their image. But according to GenderPAC, instead of presenting an upbeat, cutting edge image, TheStreet.com falls back on hackneyed stereotypes, sexism and genderphobia to sell their brand to the public. Although humor is clearly the ad's desired effect, the joke falls flat with its one-note punch line. "Using hate to sell a company's brand name to the public is not a laughing matter," commented Alan Klein, GenderPAC's Communications Director. "The image TheStreet.com is selling is one of intolerance and fear of difference -- these are not American values." Declared Executive Director Riki Wilchins, "Women and transgender Americans already contend with bigotry, discrimination, and violence. With this thoughtless and gratuitous ad, TheStreet.Com and the New York Times can only make the lives of these American face a little worse." Contact TheStreet.Com and the New York Times. Tell them what you think of ads which poke fun at sex and gender discrimination Contact TheStreet.Com at: ===================== EMail: twocents@thestreet.com SnailMail: TheStreet.com Network 14 Wall Street New York, NY 10005 Editor-in-Chief : Dave Kansas dkansas@thestreet.com Chief Executive Officer: Thomas J. Clarke Jr. tclarke@thestreet.com Contact the New York Times at: ========================= Email: letters@nytimes.com. SnailMail: The New York Times 229 43rd Street New York, NY 10036 Vice President, National Sales: Christine Cook ccc@nytimes.com ------------------------------------------------------ Action@GPAC is GenderPAC's call to action. GenderPAC's action alerts are sent out to everyone on our e-mailing list on a regular basis. Our action alerts will give brief summaries of gender news from around the country with an option to participate in a coordinated effort to take action. Gender Public Advocacy Coalition is the national organization working to guarantee every American's civil right to express their gender free of stereotypes, discrimination and violence. ------- To be removed from this list, send an e-mail to majordomo@gpac.org with the following text in the message body (without the quotes or brackets): "unsubscribe action [your@email.here]"