Sexually suggestive TV ads get parents steamed up
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HEARING her eight-year-old daughter’s declaration that “I will never
eat cakes because boys don’t like fat girls,” Shang Xiuyun turned to
see a TV ad for underwear featuring a half-naked slim girl flirting
with a man.
“I think our country should set up a rating system for sexually
suggestive TV ads,” says Shang, who is also a deputy of the Beijing
Municipal People’s Congress, the local legislature.
After monitoring commercials for three months, Shang and fellow
legislator Tang Xilan are to advise the government to set ratings and
watershed times for ads deemed improper for minors.
Shang called on the government to make strict regulations to eradicate
sexually suggestive commercials, at least during the summer and winter
holiday periods.
The present law on advertising implemented 12 years ago vaguely
prohibits “content that is obscene, superstitious, terrifying, violent
and evil; content that is discriminative against nationalities, races,
religions and sex.” But it has no details on how such advertising
should be judged.
“Specific items should be added to the law to prohibit sexually suggestive TV ads,” says Shang.
More than one million Beijing middle and primary schoolchildren started
their summer holidays last week, and many spent a lot of time watching
television, a pastime many parents are beginning to question.
Scantily clad young women, protruding breasts and flirtatious behaviour
mark out commercials for lingerie, breast enhancement and cosmetic
products, most of which are bundled into prime time programming.
“Most of them misinform children about sex,” says Shang.
Shang recalls her own daughter’s comment after a cosmetic ad that
depicted a young couple behaving frostily to each other before the
woman used a brand-name skin care product that cleared her facial
freckles: “Mom, daddy will dislike you because you have freckles on
your face.” – China Daily / Asia News Network
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