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Clearasil Ad controversy

the first one was awkward. but that could just be the way it was filmed.

the last two were funny and great. i like 'em. and i certainly don't see them being 'risque' at all.
 
The first was the funniest, and they are risque.

daringly close to indelicacy or impropriety; off-color: a risqué story.
or
Hazardous; risky; esp., fig., verging upon impropriety; dangerously close to, or suggestive of,

Risque is mild. If they said the ads were racy, indecent, etc, then they would be wrong, but they are risque.

Not that there is anything wrong with that! :D
 
swiftaw said:
Here is the CNN piece on them: http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2007/09/10/hill.raunchy.clearasil.ads.affl
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After watching the CNN report I can see some of the opposing view point. Using that much innuendo to sell to Clearasil's younger demographic seems to push the bounds slightly. Of course in the same show there are going to be at least 5 other ads using more provocative sexual imagery to sell to a different demographic, and most likely the show itself will have more sex/violence than should be presented to those kids.

In this day and age I don't think ads should be given much of a thought anyway... doesn't everyone already have DVRs? I can't think of the last time I actually watched a commercial...

Of course Clearasil could get themselves out of it pretty easily saying that the ads are actually targeted at the parents who might purchase Clearasil for their children who are having difficulty with acne and only air the ads in shows the kids shouldn't be watching anyway. Then any complaints from parents could easily be countered with, "why was your child watching that show anyway?"
 
I'd seen the first one a few times on t.v. and was surprised. I couldn't see the other two because they simply seemed to be not transferring as if the server was overloaded.

The one with the mom was interesting and I'm sure there were lots of unexpecting people out there who fainted but then, there are feminine products being advertised now, too.

I was surprised about another Clearasil advert recently. Two brothers in the bathroom were speaking Spanish apparently, but the advert was dubbed in English. It reminded me of the old Godzilla movie voice dubbing. :D
 
I didn't really find them funny, but I've got no beef with them being on air.

Poor slogan though :(
 
third one is the best, but i think all of them are pretty good. i dont see the problem.
 
I don't think they are bad, they are funny. The first one I do think is weird and borderline inappropriate.

I don't think they are any worse than the TAG deodorant commercials.
 
FrankBlack said:
It does seem that the least little thing sends a lot of parents into hissy fit mode today, doesn't it?
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Well, when kids are getting pregnant younger and younger who do you think is partly to blame? The media isn't making being a good parent any easier.

These ads don't surprise me though. The media throws this type of garbage on the TV all the time. Sex is amazing but honestly I don't want to think about it all the bloody time ... and all the jokes that'll be made out of what I just said are tiring to read. Grow a brain.
 
ErikCLDR said:
I don't think they are bad, they are funny. The first one I do think is weird and borderline inappropriate.
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I think the first 2 adverts could be deemed borderline inappropriate, particularly the 2nd one (although I do want to see her now ;) ).

The 1st ad is too funny to be taken seriously, and the 3rd one was tame in comparison with the other two. I can see the average parent complaining about the 2nd one, and I think they'd be justified in their case. Personally, I don't have a problem with the 2nd ad, but I really think it depends on the person and how their personality
 
The first one is my favorite, I chuckled out loud on that one. Awesome.

The second one I didn't like at all. The third was okay, the kid looking in the mirror was funny though.
 
QuarterSwede said:
The media isn't making being a good parent any easier.
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I agree that the media legitimizes an unhealthy attitude toward sex. Specifically, my statement is about the objectification of women and an overemphasis on the value of "playing the field" for men.

That said, I disagree with your opinion of these ads. The inability to enjoy a joke about sex is also harmful, partly because to do so is to deny that within the bounds of good taste, sex is a pretty funny subject. The other part is that to do so is to deny that sex has any positive qualities at all. To have a wholly negative view of discussing sex except in the context of whether it is right or wrong to do xyz is essentially to say that sex only has the power to destroy. Knee-jerk reactions whenever sex appears in the media are no more helpful than the media itself.

Everybody gets to decide for themselves what they think "good taste" is, though most of us could probably agree most of the time when something is in bad taste. I think that we spend far too much time concerned over matters of taste. I found these adverts tasteful and funny. Others didn't. But how many? How many people found them tasteful but not funny? How many found them in bad taste but laughed nevertheless? I think that the general poor taste of the media regarding sex has trained many of us not to appreciate it when the media does something tasteful with the subject. Instead, we cast the media as unable to do anything tasteful regarding sex, and then when they do a good job, they get attacked because of this impression rather than on the merits of the piece in question.

In short, it is important to call out the media when it promotes an unhealthy image of sex; it is equally important to reward the media when they get it right.
 
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