If you watched RuPaul's Drag Race live on VH1 last week, a certain commercial might've caught your eye. Personal lubricant brand Boy Butter premiered a provocative ad starring model Seth Fornea during a commercial break.
[iframe //giphy.com/embed/mH9rh7cbcq6Zi allowfullscreen="" class=^{{"giphy-embed"}}^ frameborder="0" height="270" width="480"]
Unfortunately, Drag Race fans in the windy city never got the chance to see the commercial. Cable provider Comcast yanked the commercial off air in the Chicago area because, according to Boy Butter, they "did not think viewers could handle the level of gayness in this ad."
Boy Butter's CEO Eyal Feldman expressed his shock and disappointment with a statement on the brand's blog:
"One of the best things about owning a personal lubricant company is the marketing, creating fun tongue in cheek ads that push my products as well as my own gay point of view. If you take this case of blatant censorship in Chicago it smacks of nothing more than a sexist and homophobic double standard."
The ban is especially disappointing considering the flaunting of hypersexualized heterosexual commercials during events like the Superbowl. "In times like these we are constantly reminded about bigotry directed at all sorts of groups," said Feldman, "but when it is directed at you it comes with the disheartening burn of shock and dismay."
Daniel Robinson, director and producer of the commercial, said “I think it’s Chicago’s loss and a clear representation of how shamed and stigmatized our sexuality is.”
Watch the full commercial below.
