GRAND Magazine - August 2009 - 49

header G R A N D PA Rt N e R s f o R G R A N D PA R e N ts nowheRe to hide fRom offensive adveRtisements Recently an advertisement for a battery-operated sex toy aired on CMT during a primetime screening of the classic baseball movie Field of Dreams. This may have marked the first time such a product was advertised on a basic cable channel during primetime, but it is part of a larger and disturbing new trend that has many parents and grandparents lunging for the remote control – even while watching supposedly family-friendly programs. And these efforts are bearing fruit. A recent controversial Calvin ork For years now, we at the Parents Television Council have been hearing Klein billboard in New Y City was removed only one week afcomplaints from parents, outraged about advertisements for ED and ter it went up after the PTC and other family organizations publicly male enhancement drugs containing explicit descriptions of possible protested. The PTC is also working with drug companies to limit side-effects appearing during programs watched by their children. the placement of ED ads to programs and timeslots where children But it seems that inappropriate ads are cropping up with increasing are less likely to be watching. To that end, the makers of Cialis have frequency, and the products advertised are increasingly outrageous. provided the PTC with a weekly listing of which programs their ads will appear on so that parents can safely navigate around those proIn 2007 Trojan caused a stir by placing the first condom ads ever to grams. air on broadcast television. KY has staked-out territory on daytime and primetime TV to advertise their personal lubricants using far- Just as it took years for the cultural climate to change enough that more suggestive imagery and language than would have been per- these marketers felt they could introduce offensive ads without missible just a few years ago. And just last fall, a dating website that alienating potential consumers, it may be several years before these caters exclusively to married individuals seeking to cheat on their ads are fully in retreat – but the tide is turning, and there is hope that soon you will be able to watch television with your child or grandspouses started appearing on cable news programs. child without lunging for the remote during the commercial breaks. But that’s not the end of it – whether it’s ads for the latest R-rated horror film being advertised during an otherwise wholesome program, If you would like to learn more about the PTC’s Advertiser Acthe latest Calvin Klein billboard depicting an orgy of half-naked countability program, go to http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/ young adults, or Burger King advertisement suggestive of a par- advertisers/campaign.asp today. ticular sexual act, it seems there is no where to hide from offensive and indecent advertisements. Advertisers are not and should not be considered exempt from adhering to the same standards of decency and decorum the networks are held to. The Parents Television Council is leading the fight to hold advertisers accountable, not only for the content of the programs they sponsor with their advertising dollars – but also for the content of their own advertisements. Visit www.ParentsTV.org to learn more about what you can do to protect the children in your life from media’s harmful influences. TAGLINE MA REGISTRATI EXACTLY W The Parents Television Council (PTC) is recognized under Federal tax code as a 501 (c)(3) public charity and receives 90% of its support from individual donors throughout the United States. 52 GRAND JANUARY FEBRUARY 2008 LOGO can be NO smaller than this size (2.5” W x 3.25” H) LAR PRO
http://www.ParentsTV.org
GRAND Magazine - August 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - August 2009
