Condom Ads Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Condom Ads - Essay Example This essay examines the serious sides of these ads, and considers why these ads have been banned. The two advertisements in question promote condoms. The first advertisement depicts a boy that is about to go on a date. As he approaches his date an army of sperm charge towards her only to be captured in a condom (‘Banned Commercials – Durexy’). While one intention of this advertisement is the promotion of condoms, it also seems to indicate that the boy on the date is highly sexually charged and that the sperm chasing towards the woman are the symbolic manifestation of his desire. The other advertisement features a screaming child in a grocery store; the child is clearly a pain and at the end of the ad there is simply the phrase ‘condoms’ (‘Banned Commercials – condoms’). This ad is tacitly saying that one should use condoms or potentially have a child that will cause such terror. Even while these advertisements are seemingly not as morally charged as content on some popular television programming they were banned. It seems to an extent the nature of advertisement is held to a different standard than television programming. One considers that with television shows the viewer generally chooses to watch, whereas advertising is random and involuntary. The nature of the advertisement can also have a more powerful impact on the viewer than a single television show. Even as the content in the show is temporary, advertisements are oftentimes shown repeatedly as a means of gaining viewer attention. While the advertisement with the child is relatively harmless, one can also interpret some sinister meaning in the first advertisement. In these regards, the sperm charging at the woman seems to encourage an attitude of sexual pressure and promiscuity; an extreme interpretation would even claim date rape. Ultimately, from some perspectives, these advertisements could pose a greater threat to the moral