# Latest Progressive Ad; those guys are gay, right? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 20, 2010, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-progressive-ad-those-guys-are-gay-right/543911 "2010-06-20T21:59:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-progressive-ad-those-guys-are-gay-right/543911/61 "2010-06-23T20:45:28Z")
How about this: the ad was written for them to just be two straight friends. But they cast two gay actors to portray them. Hence the gaydar goes off when you watch it, even though the dialog makes more sense for two straight pals. Don’t like that theory? Here’s another, two for the price of one: He didn’t \*sell \*him the watch; He lost it to him in a fisting experiment gone bad. ---
**Author:** ![SatyrMage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@SatyrMage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SatyrMage)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-progressive-ad-those-guys-are-gay-right/543911/62 "2010-09-27T01:09:36Z")
As a gay male, I saw nothing in this commercial that pinged gaydar, indicated sexual preference, or otherwise gave me any indication that these guys were gay. I have many straight friends who, among themselves, act like that – even to the extent of being a bitch and not selling something back. And, as to this garbage about the rainbow “flag” or rainbow tee-shirt, or whatever it is that you people are hallucinating: 1. it’s a tee-shirt, not a badge. 2. it’s NOT A FREAKING RAINBOW. look at the commercial again… reading the colors from the top, they are Red, Yellow, Blue, Grey, Green. Now, I don’t know what planet you people live on, but those are not colors that appear on the color spectrum on the planet Earth. In fact, I’d love to challenge ANYBODY to find GREY on a color spectrum!! The rainbow, as used in gay symbology, is Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple (or Violet, if you’re being picky). Grey? No. Out of order? No. Missing colors? No. Get a grip. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-progressive-ad-those-guys-are-gay-right/543911/63 "2010-09-27T07:16:33Z")
It hadn’t occurred to me that they might be gay, let alone a couple. But now I see that it can read multiple ways. Clever. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-progressive-ad-those-guys-are-gay-right/543911/64 "2010-09-27T07:20:04Z")
Eh, you can read it multiple ways but frankly, you have to stretch pretty hard to make the commercial fall under the heading of gay. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-progressive-ad-those-guys-are-gay-right/543911/65 "2010-09-27T08:17:27Z")
To me, the script plays as two non-involved guys, one of whom is a nebbish & the other a jerk. Because that’s familiar to me. But to someone who is gay or used to that kind of relationship dynamic, there’s enough ambiguity that they could be two casually dating gay guys, one of whom is a jerk. Or maybe slightly more serious than casual, & one of them is a jerk. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-progressive-ad-those-guys-are-gay-right/543911/66 "2010-09-27T14:22:36Z")
In this very thread, you have gay posters saying, of course they’re gay, and gay posters saying I don’t see it. It’s not a matter of whether you’re gay or are used to a certain relationship dynamic. It’s a matter of how you read the relationship between two men when most relationship clues are missing. And the results, as evidenced by this thread, is very interesting. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-progressive-ad-those-guys-are-gay-right/543911/67 "2010-09-27T15:58:13Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > …Progressive is well, progressive… Indeed. The chairman of the board and former CEO, Peter Lewis, is a [long-time contributor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Lewis_(businessman)#Donations) to progressive causes. According to the linked wiki, he’s even donated to [moveon.org](http://moveon.org) and the Marijuana Policy Project. ---
**Author:** ![thinksnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thinksnow/32/2849_2.png) [@thinksnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thinksnow)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-progressive-ad-those-guys-are-gay-right/543911/68 "2010-09-28T16:30:22Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > > [@gotpasswords](#): > > > > …Progressive is well, progressive… > > Indeed. The chairman of the board and former CEO, Peter Lewis, is a [long-time contributor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Lewis_(businessman)#Donations) to progressive causes. According to the linked wiki, he’s even donated to [moveon.org](http://moveon.org) and the Marijuana Policy Project. Don’t forget [Faces of Pride](http://www.facebook.com/facesofpride), too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-progressive-ad-those-guys-are-gay-right/543911.md?page=3)