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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
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