Hello and thanks for checking out this post covering Amazon’s recent ad. More posts about popular TV commercials can be found on my TV Commercials page. Check it out for great ads and great music in those ads. Additionally, if you’re curious about Amazon Prime’s Napoleon commercial, click here.
*UPDATE: Who’s the woman behind the British accent in these Amazon ads? Click here*
Amazon Prime promotes the speed and necessity of their service in this ad featuring Greek goddess (some call her a monster) Medusa. Below is the 30-second ad, then scroll down for the details.
The Actress. Playing the part of Medusa is Jesi Le Rae. She’s best known for her roles in television shows and some movies. You can follow her on various social platforms here: Instagram and Twitter.
The Music. The song used in this ad is Nicki Minaj’s “Chun-Li”. Warning: Lots of cussing and foul language in this music video.
The Message. There are two messages in this ad. One is that Amazon has everything you need almost virtually when you need it. We’ve all heard that from Amazon, it’s not really breaking news to anyone. The other message, kind of like this Rapunzel ad also by Amazon, is that men basically suck. If a man so much as winks at a woman, he shall be put to death (as displayed by Medusa turning the bartender guy to stone). It would be no wonder that some women learn to hate men because they are taught (by ads like this and other popular influences) that when a man thinks they are attractive and expresses that to them, the man is a misogynist pig.
How do you feel about the ad? Does it make you hate men? Do you need to save money on gas? Use promo code BEN57264 or click on GetUpside to sign up and start keeping your money!
Chime in below and thanks for dropping by…
-Out of the Wilderness
Out of the Wilderness 
Cancelled my Prime account because of this commercial
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For a more clear perspective, simply gender swap the entire commercial.
Replace Medusa with Superman.
Replace all the women at the table with men.
Replace the attractive male bartender with an attractive female bartender.
Now how does it make you feel when Superman blasts a woman to atoms with his laser vision simply for smiling and winking at one guy at the table?
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I love this commercia! I dont hate men, stop it!! Now! I thougjt I heard the girl at the table say …..Ech Perseus! Persius chopped off Medusas head in Greek Mythology. Maybe shes pissed!!!
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👍
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The turning to stone was an allegory for rape. It was a role reversal. Did you hear how she then said “he was asking for it?” So many women are attacked and SA’d by men, women who weren’t really doing anything wrong, like the guy at the bar. Then after the attack, the attacker/police/her parents/churches/society says “hmm what was she wearing, she was asking for it”
So many women all over the globe are raped, turned to stone in ways that are more figurative but no less damaging, but y’all want to scream about one single male character being used in a commercial to make this point. In fact, I’m sure they picked this guy and this situation specifically to get your attention. Unfortunately you’re too dense and self centered, and the message is lost on you.
Good try, Amazon, but the menfolk don’t understand the message. They’d rather feel attacked and make themselves out to be the victim when the entire world is built around their needs and they have historically been the focus of literally everything. Now that other groups are being focused on even a tiny bit, they confuse it with oppression so they can participate in the outage Olympics without being invited. It’s easier than self reflection,I guess
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I hate the commercial. I hate snakes and I cant imagine what snakes for hair can mean. I DO NOT WATCH COMMERCIAL. ITS GROSS!
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So you got that the man wanted to rape her because he winked? Now don’t get me wrong I understand we have to evolve as a people but don’t do what you were upset that was being done to you so what I’m saying is don’t have toxic femininity
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Horrible commercial with what might be one of the worst songs I ever heard in my life. And I use the term “song” very loosely in this case. Rotten garbage noise is probably more applicable.
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If your offended by this commercial then perhaps you are watching too much TV, clearly you cant see the humor in it. Its just a commercial advertisement for a company. That is all.
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If the roles were reversed and it was a bunch of guys and some unattractive woman winked at the guys so much as gave her a disgusted look it would probably be all over social media and the news being deemed horribly offensive.
That is the reason it bothers me a bit.
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This all about pushing lesbianism. First she sees is a woman shes interested in but is so enamored she accidently kills her.
Then she is only interested in the other females and kills her male nemisis with their approval.
SICK.
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Here’s the bottom line. A lot of women, who deem a male attractive, he can do no wrong, but when a male isn’t attractive to her, all of a sudden, he’s a chauvinist pig. Let’s get real about it.
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This the the most true statement anyone will hear all year. 109% agree.
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The bartender didn’t deserve it. Not sure why he even winked at her. And the Niki Minaj song is trash. But it’s Amazon, so we will still order from them even with this latest line of tasteless advertising. Way to go Amazon, pissing off half the population with your juvenile marketing.
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I’m here for these reasons: I found the prime Medusa commercial visually stunning, hilarious and brilliant.
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I agree with every word! Anyone who knows anything about Greek mythology and the Medusa myth would understand the commercial. The Medusa myth started around the first century BC. If they don’t know the significance of the sunglasses and the stare, and the snake hair, they should look it up. It is very complicated and convoluted like all Mythology is.
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I think it is a great commercial that does exactly what a commercial should do: entertain and direct you to a product.
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If the roles were reversed; a man (lets say Hercules another Greek Mythological figure) kills a woman for looking and winking at him I believe many women may be upset. I don’t think killing someone in a commercial is great way to promote a product or company. With all the money that company makes they should find a better advertising agency. I’m not outraged by the commercial but in my opinion it’s inappropriate.
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That’s a good way to look at it. It seems like Amazon or the ad agency would be able to come up with something that wouldn’t spark this kind of controversy, while still advertising their product.
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Make it a fat ugly woman and watch the world burn.
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So it’s okay for a dude to get turned to stone for a smile and a wink but a dude can’t buy an exercise bike for his wife without people going nuts got it
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Forgot about the Pelaton ad! Very good comparison.
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As a African American female, I find the ad insulting and gross and I feel it should be taken off the air. I don’t know anything about Medusa or anything else connected to the reasoning behind this commercial… but turning our locks into SNAKES sends a evil ugly message about our hair. It’s revolting and insulting. I hate the commercial!!!
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I’m not a black woman, so I didn’t notice that… thank you for pointing it out! I definitely think Amazon missed the mark with this ad, and what you described is part of the reason why.
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What does being an African American female have to do with it. Missed the whole point, it’s feminism at its finest. Men can’t approach women and from now on, they shouldn’t want to.
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👍
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No, because that is presented as tragic. The man is presented as a joke and intentional target. Try again
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Lol…the fact that the first person to be turned to stone was in fact a female negates the message that men are bad for winking. No gender is safe.
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Except that the man is the only person she killed on purpose.
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The first one she did on accident and felt bad about. The second one was because it was a guy who winked at her new friend that her friend didn’t happen to find attractive. If the guy had been attractive and girl winked at had smiled and winked back nothing would have happened to him.
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That is the best and smartest analysis of the commercial!
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Maybe just a funny ad that plays off of the Medusa myth and the stereotype of the creepy bar guy. Does it need to be deeper than that? Well done spot in my view (Rapunzel as well).
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Nothing about him was creepy.
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It could be that it’s just a lighthearted ad to show how convenient Amazon is, but it seems like there’s a trend happening with Amazon ads.
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How was he creepy? Muscular, I’ll say decently attractive. This just promotes feminism.
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The post is about women “hating” not “killing” men. Turning him to stone was a joke as women don’t generally turn men into stone for flirting with them. They don’t have the power that Medusa has in an Amazon ad. Your interpretation is flawed.
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In two recent Amazon ads (Rapunzel and Medusa), there’s seems to be a common thread that men are useless. It just seems like there would be a way to advertise your product without bashing one sex or another. But companies are free to do what they want and perhaps the ads shouldn’t be dissected by viewers. But if there is a deeper meaning, it would have to be something about the irrelevance of men.
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Koko: Look up the definition of Metaphor.
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Just kidding, Ben.
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thanks for this article, it really highlighted to me the plight men these days are going through! you all have so much to worry about, like inconsequential tv ads. and here i was thinking women have it hard just because we can’t leave the house at night without fear of being raped and murdered. really glad there are brilliant men like you doing this important journalistic work. keep it up, ben!
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So true, Lily. Men really have it rough in our female dominated society!
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There it is. “Since it’s still a male dominated society attacks on males should just be excused and overlooked. The old logic that because one demographic has it worse we shouldn’t do anything about issues with the ones that don’t have it as bad. Child #1 is starving. Child #2 is being beaten and is starving. We shouldn’t worry about what’s happening to child #1 because child #2 has it worse.
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I agree with your opinion of the death stare in the ad. The women’s and Medusa’s reaction is “overkill”, way over the top.
The guy does not give them crap for not smiling back. He is not persistent, physical, leering or saying offensive things. He is not in their space.
It is not a good example of acceptable social behavior, and it’s not comical.
A very well made and creative commercial, but turning the guy to stone “killed it” for me.
I didn’t even know what the commercial was for until I read it in your blog. When I saw the beginning I thought it was for a hair product.
My pronouns are she, her, hers
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Medusa’s gaze turned anyone to stone, not just that one man. That’s why she bought the sunglasses from Amazon.
It offends men if a woman having a good time with her friends is not interested in responding to a man flirting with her, but it’s okay for a group of men to ogle a woman and make her uncomfortable. She’s supposed to flirt back because no man can be rejected, right? Smart commercial.
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There are a few flaws to what you said… 1. The only one she turned to stone on purpose was the guy (and this was after she had the sunglasses). 2. It’s not ok for a group of men to make a woman uncomfortable, no one has ever said that. 3. It’s possible to convey she isn’t interested without turning him to stone. You know, how women have been rejecting men for centuries, by saying no thanks or something like that. It appears that this ad is just playing to the “feminist” crowd who believe men are inferior just for being men.
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I think Medusa is adorable and so is the princess in the other ad – can’t find her name. They are very cool women. I don’t think Amazon is making women hate men. That is too general. Some men make women hate some men. I think Amazon is giving women a voice and the right to blow off a man if they wish. They don’t need to feel flattered because a man winks at them or be seduced by any man who finds them attractive. That would be somewhere down the line if they get their way. That doesn’t make a woman a man hater. Men interpret things differently it seems.
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I guess it’s up to interpretation. I read some YouTube comments and they were saying it seems slanted against men. I sorta get that vibe too, especially in the grand scheme of social media.
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They are not “making women hate men”. They are saying it is acceptable to kill this guy for this particular behavior.
BTW – I am a woman.
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Ben Wilder wrote:
“The Message. There are two messages in this ad.
“One is that Amazon has everything you need almost virtually when you need it. We’ve all heard that from Amazon, it’s not really breaking news to anyone.
“The other message, kind of like this Rapunzel ad also by Amazon, is that men basically suck. If a man so much as winks at a woman, he shall be put to death (as displayed by Medusa turning the bartender guy to stone).
“It would be no wonder that some women learn to hate men because they are taught (by ads like this and other popular influences) that when a man thinks they are attractive and expresses that to them, the man is a misogynist pig.
Ben clearly states that “some women learn to hate men because they are taught (by ads liked this…) (Amazon ad)
Ben then asks:
“How do you feel about the ad? Does it make you hate men?” Not : “How do you feel about the ad? Does it make you feel that it is acceptable to kill this guy…”
The reference is clearly about women learning to hate men, which is kind of silly because all women do not hate men
and every situation is different.
BTW, I am a woman too.
I wonder if “Anonymous” is Ben Wilder…
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Ridiculous response.
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She literally killed him for showing “interest”…your interpretation is flawed.
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