Greek Supermarket ad on Father’s Day triggers homophobic reactions

Greek Supermarket ad on Father’s Day: The photograph is packed with tenderness and joy. A little girl is hugging her dad after she obviously used him as a model for her beauty skills: blue shadow on his eyelids, fancy clips on his hair. An experience shared by thousands of modern fathers who cannot but to surrender to the charm of their precious “princess.”

“Dad is all you want and for even more. Many happy returns on Father’s Day,” AB Vassilopoulos, one of the biggest supermarket chains in Greece, posted on its social media accounts on Sunday morning.

Μπαμπάς είναι όλα αυτά που θέλεις και ακόμα περισσότερα. Χρόνια πολλά! #HappyFathersDay pic.twitter.com/k2xRmiN3qt

— AB Vassilopoulos (@ABVassilopoulos) June 21, 2020

The happiness between a father and his daughter, however, triggered angry, homophobic reactions with some, even prominent Greeks, expressing their outrage about the ad. Their dirty little minds alleged that the ad was “sending suspicious messages” which they claimed to define as the glorification of a …gay father.

The lead of outrage was taken by Vasilis Tsiartas, a former professional football player known for his homophobic position. He posted on Twitter: “The more vulgar and disparaging for the father. Even if I do shopping at this particular supermarket, it will be now over if they do not withdraw it.”

Ότι πιο χυδαίο κ απαξιωτικό για τον πατέρα. Αν κ ψωνίζω από το συγκεκριμένο σούπερ μάρκετ πλέον μετά από αυτό τέλος οριστικό αν δεν την αποσύρουν. https://t.co/TczNZsReVP

— Vasilis Tsiartas (@VasilisTsiartas) June 21, 2020

By Sunday evening, Greek social media were divided into two front:

– the ad critics, paranoid conservatives who saw their “masculinity” under threat, bigots with dirty secret thoughts and fantasies who saw something that was not there, thus most likely projecting their deepest fears to be brand-marked as gay if they did not take position against it.

– the ad supporters who attacked the critics and posted several pictures of NBA superstar LeBron James or Hollywood stars like Conan Anrold Schwarzernegger, Dwayne Johnson and Bradley Cooper falling …victims to their daughters’ skills.

Happy birthday to my darling Christina. You've always had your own style, & I'm so proud of the woman you've become. pic.twitter.com/4kUokOtTvo

— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) July 23, 2015

Others posted about their experiences with their daughters and their “girly” toys.

“I didn’t realize how gay I was until Little Vassilis [Tsirtas} spoke.”

Δεν ειχα καταλαβει ποσο φλωρος ημουν μεχρι που μίλησε ο βασιλακης.#αβ_βασιλοπουλος pic.twitter.com/tIy3mMkloK

— Kostas Apostolakis (@21262fdccc2b472) June 22, 2020

Dozens of other proud fathers posted about all the stickers their daughters put on their faces, t-shirts, cars, motorcycles and mobile phones cases.

“This is my mobile but don’t tell Tsiartas.”

Αυτή είναι η θήκη του κινητού μου αλλά μην το πείτε στον Τσιάρτα pic.twitter.com/2v5T5sL2zU

— Nikos (@_der_Pumuckl) June 21, 2020

Η κορούλα φίλου, μου κόλλησε κοριτσίστικα αυτοκόλλητα στο κινητό. Όταν την ρώτησα γιατί δεν τα κόλλησε κάπου αλλού να τα έχει μου απάντησε "γιατί τώρα το κινητό σου είναι όμορφο κ θέλω να έχεις όμορφο κινητό".
Καμία καζούρα δεν μπόρεσε να το ξεπεράσει αυτό.

— Ντελιβεραϊός 🖤 (@deliveras_) June 21, 2020

#αβ_βασιλοπουλος Ο άντρας μου κοιμάται και η κόρη μου έχει κολλήσει αυτοκόλλητα με πεταλούδες και λουλουδάκια στην μπλούζα του. Να του πω να μην ξαναπάει #αβ_βασιλοπουλος ; #Τσιαρτας #FathersDay

— ΠΑΝΑΓΙΩΤΑ🇬🇷 (@Panagiotakapoia) June 22, 2020

The issue escalated on Monday with some calling for boycotting the supermarket.

PS one has to wonder how fragile is the “masculinity” of some Greek men that they feel threatened by their daughters’ make up, hair and other “girly” stuff?