Sex is hitting an all-time high on television, according to Advertising Age magazine, but responsibility seems to be at an all-time low. Ad Age has no problem with sexuality (in fact, beware: their story is racily arted with a couple in bed), but takes the TV networks to task in their current issue for splashing sex all over their shows–CBS’s upcoming “Swingtown” is Exhibit A–while refusing to portray the participants observing safe-sex rules.
“We’re doing a show about adult, free-thinking people having sex with whomsoever they choose,” a “Swingtown producer objects. “You don’t want a scene to be a PSA for safe sex.” Granted, people in the ’70s, when “Swingtown” is set, didn’t have to worry about AIDS, but the producer sounds a lot like a headstrong lover complaining that nothing cools down a passionate moment than fumbling for a condom.
More damning perhaps is the article’s investigation into why the networks, happy to tout Viagra and its competitors, have been refusing condom advertising. Fox has denied time to condom maker Trojan’s spot portraying men without protection as pigs. When asked why, the net told Ad Age irt was “not comfortable calling it reflective of the network’s position” on condom advertising. I doubt the networks are “comfortable” calling much of their shows’ content reflective of their positions. Why should commercials be held to this standard?
Beliefnet
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posted September 25, 2007 at 2:34 pm
i think they are right to refuse the evolve commericals because 25 cents doesnt make a guy who is a guy and unloving into a gentleman if he uses their condoms…besides the commerical is very stereotyical-not all guys are pigs and if you are a pig before the condom you are still a pig after..ps trojan has got other commericals on the air that people didnt complain about because they were better done.
posted September 25, 2007 at 6:40 pm
Hopefully anybody who’s going to be watching Swingtown is responsible enough to know when to use a condom without having to learn it from TV. As a general rule, I’m concerned about what TV lets kids/teens infer about the real world, but intelligent parenting is a far more feasible solution than condom commercials.
Incidentally, I think that producer sounded like a bit of a jerk. As if “adult, free-thinking people” refuse to use condoms, as if putting yourself at risk having casual, unprotected sex is the sophisticated thing to do.