by Ann Hinds

Created on: December 24, 2009

Try explaining to an eight-yr-old boy that pulling on adult's underwear is not acceptable. The Honda 2009 Christmas commercial is wrong on many levels. Controversial commercials are sending the wrong messages to our children.

In this commercial, three children hold an adult down while pulling his underwear up in order to find out where their presents are hidden. The Honda salesperson is depicted as a victim and the behavior of the children is neither funny nor cute. Not many people would approve of an adult having his genitals smashed by three small children who are sadistic and greedy. Honda has taken the wrong road for their commercials and most of them present their salesperson as inept and weak. Honda’s message about “being helpful” comes off as being easy prey.

Carl Jr. has good hamburgers but shows that dripping ketchup on your breast is sexy. It apparently is even sexier to wipe it off with your finger and lick it accordingly. Adults get the message since it is not subtle. Children learn something else. Watch them eat. Many of their commercials show that their food is messy. In an attempt to make it look good, they have made it look like their patrons are not only pigs but somehow eat for sexual pleasure. A Western Bacon Cheeseburger is good but it is not necessarily a turn-on.   

Controversial TV commercials are not new. Some stand out more than others do but many commercials shown are not appropriate. We have become complacent and overlook the message sent to children. However, when you have to explain that hurting someone is not nice and that dripping food on body parts is sloppy and rude, they tend to take on different meanings. When your child runs around singing, “Viva Viagra”, it is time to stop letting them see that shows where it is shown. These commercials are not limited to late night anymore, they run during peak family hours. Sex education should not be taught through commercials. Do you really want to explain a 4-hour erection to a small child?

Many controversial commercials border on clever and entertaining. That is fine for adults who understand the message. They become less entertaining when there are children who are beginning to understand and want more detail. There is a great system in place to allow parents to determine what their children are viewing. However, the system does not extend to commercials that are shown during breaks. Try watching a Christmas special and than notice that you have lovely bra choices in the Victoria Secret commercial.

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