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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 1994)
just out ▼ octobsr 21 , 1904 ▼ 17 FELLER A U T O W O R K S SPECIALIZING IN GERMAN AND SWEDISH AUTOMOBILES Net on the back of this bus Quality, comprehensive care for your auto Conveniently located just minutes from downtown Open Tuesdays through Saturdays BRING THIS AD FOR $10.00 OFF ANY SERVICE Tri-Met's ad agency refuses to allow Snickers LaBarr to advertise on back o f a bus ▼ by Margaret Deirdre O’Hartigan 11 U S E CLAY riscilla isn’t going to be the only bus buses all over town. “We would not recommend transporting drag queens— not if that they buy one tail.” Portland’s Snickers LaBarr has any Then was that the reason Kallioinen’s placard thing to say about it. Snickers, whose was rejected? “That’s not the reason,” Obie said, male alter ego is Jerry Kallioinen, hosts and explained the placard violated Obie a late-night talk show on cable TV. A decision by Advertising’s guidelines on “family values.” some of her fans to kick off When asked to specify the program’s third season of which particular guideline regular programming with an the Snickers tail violated, advertisement on the back of Obie said, “It’s been a a Tri-Met bus has unexpect month now since I looked edly turned into an issue of at that ad. I can’t even recall free speech. what it looked like.” Was the ad rejected be To date, the fans’ efforts have run into nearly as many cause the show’s host is a female impersonator? snags as meet the hapless drag “1 didn’t know who the queens trekking across the host was— female or male Australian outback in Stephen impersonator.” Elliott’s film, The Adventures N either O bie nor o f Priscilla, Queen o f the Johnson articulated even a Desert. The placard, or “tail” single “family value” guide as it’s called in advertising line when asked for specif parlance, for The Snickers ics. LaBarr Show was produced Obie maintained his firm by a professional sign com was reconsidering the sign, pany to meet Tri-Met require and that a decision would ments— but has yet to be hung be made "by the end of the on a bus. week.” The end of the week “When we submitted the came and went, however, advertisement to Obie [Out and Kallioinen received no door Advertising],” recounted word of a decision. Kallioinen, “they led us to Even without bringing believe they forwarded that up the rear of aTri-Met bus, work order immediately to K a llio in en ’s Snickers Tri-Met and that it was evalu Snickers LaBarr LaBarr is no stranger to ated there for 10 or 12 days. many Portland residents. Prior to hosting her own Obie [Advertising] contacted us again, stating talk show, she and other of Kallioinen’s creations that Tri-Met had decided to reject the advertising appeared for five years at Darcelle XV show bar and the sign because it did not feel it reflected while Kallioinen was a regular cast member there. ‘family values.’ ” And before that, Kallioinen spent a year at the “Obie [Advertising] also said there would be Embers’ Sunday night cabaret. no formal letter of rejection and that this was About his Snickers persona Kallioinen says, strictly a verbal denial,” he said. “I personally view that character as a job, as well Kallioinen then learned that the project was as a theatrical creation.” The advertising on the derailed before anyone at Tri-Met ever saw it. bus “was to attract more viewers to the show.” Obie Outdoor Advertising, which handles Tri- It is the censorship aspect of Obie Advertising’s Met advertising, was initially closemouthed about rejection of the Snickers ad which has Kallioinen the entire affair. Staffer Brad Falk claimed the most concerned. The placard met all of Tri-Met’s Snickers tail “was not rejected per se,” but refused technical requirements, was in good taste, and to elaborate. “It went out of my hands. I didn’t get didn’t even refer to Snickers being a female to sell it, and I didn’t get the commission,” he said. impersonator. Any additional information, he insisted, would He says, “It’s really scary that certain indi have to come from his boss, Brian Obie. viduals still are able to make judgments, discrimi Obie proved difficult to reach— failing to re nate, and interject their personal value system— turn telephone calls and being unavailable when especially in places of power.” telephoned— until the day after Tri-Met public affairs officer Steve Johnson was asked for com The Snickers LaBarr Show can be seen on ment on the tail and expressed complete igno Paragon Channel 34, Multnomah County Televi rance on the subject. sion Channel 21, Cable Access Network Channel Obie initially emphasized the impracticality 11, and Tualatin Valley Cable Access Channel 59. of buying just one placard out of the hundreds on P SEE LIS FOR ALL , , 236-9202 T H O M A S FELLER, MASTER CERTIFIED, AU TO M O TIVE SERVICE EN G IN EER cAiorta Ssacson cVoidhnd's uA&matioe cJ¿eaítok I have chosen to take a more human approach as a Realtor. 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