Contraceptive ad misses point
http://www.ryersonline.ca/articles/2182/1/Contraceptive-ad-misses-point/Page1.html
Jessica Rafuse
Jessica Rafuse is a fourth-year journalism student who is currently working as a news editor for the Ryersonian. She recently completed a six-week internship with the Globe and Mail and looks forward to pursuing a career in investigative journalism after she graduates.By Jessica Rafuse
Published on 11/28/2007
I’m not one to ruminate while sitting in a public washroom, but there I was, pants down and pissed off staring at an advertisement for an emergency contraceptive.
I’m not one to ruminate while sitting in a public washroom, but there I was, pants down and pissed off staring at an advertisement for an emergency contraceptive. Contraceptive ad misses point
I’m not one to ruminate while sitting in a public washroom, but there I was, pants down and pissed off staring at an advertisement for an emergency contraceptive.
In bright stylized letters, “plan B” is described as “The he didn’t pull out in time pill.”
A little lower on the page is a throw to its website called shareyouroops.ca, where you can vote on other slogans like these and create your own.
I think it’s great that there’s a product women can use to prevent a pregnancy they were already trying to prevent, and it’s also great to know that “plan B” is there when plan A doesn’t work.
But pulling out before ejaculation is hardly a plan A. It’s what I call an accident waiting to happen, and for an advertiser to tap into this message is too much.
What it says to young women about safe contraception is reckless and irresponsible.
Pregnancy is hardly the worst thing to come out of unprotected sex, yet sexually transmitted infections are given up on like they don’t even matter.
I remember when ads for plan B were informative and empowering. They talked about condoms tearing or missing a daily pill and being able to take control of the situation. Or at least the message was somewhat ambiguous, saying things like “accidents can happen, pregnancies don’t have to.”
But this ad isn’t saying that something minor got in the way.
Paladin Labs, the creator and manufacturer of the product, calls sex without protection a “contraceptive failure,” but it makes me wonder — how can you fail at something if you don’t really try in the first place?
When asked why they chose such a casual and unabashed tone to promote their product, Paladin Labs responded that, “our ads are designed to raise awareness and educate people in a tone and manner that speak to them.”
But while the makers of plan B are trying to seem young, hip and relatable regarding sexual indiscretions, they end up condoning them.
The maker of these products is treading on touchy territory, and with that comes some responsibility: to encourage young women engaging in risky sex to smarten up.
Glamorizing unprotected sex and offering a backup just isn’t good enough.
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| Jessica Rafuse |
A little lower on the page is a throw to its website called shareyouroops.ca, where you can vote on other slogans like these and create your own.
I think it’s great that there’s a product women can use to prevent a pregnancy they were already trying to prevent, and it’s also great to know that “plan B” is there when plan A doesn’t work.
But pulling out before ejaculation is hardly a plan A. It’s what I call an accident waiting to happen, and for an advertiser to tap into this message is too much.
What it says to young women about safe contraception is reckless and irresponsible.
Pregnancy is hardly the worst thing to come out of unprotected sex, yet sexually transmitted infections are given up on like they don’t even matter.
I remember when ads for plan B were informative and empowering. They talked about condoms tearing or missing a daily pill and being able to take control of the situation. Or at least the message was somewhat ambiguous, saying things like “accidents can happen, pregnancies don’t have to.”
But this ad isn’t saying that something minor got in the way.
Paladin Labs, the creator and manufacturer of the product, calls sex without protection a “contraceptive failure,” but it makes me wonder — how can you fail at something if you don’t really try in the first place?
When asked why they chose such a casual and unabashed tone to promote their product, Paladin Labs responded that, “our ads are designed to raise awareness and educate people in a tone and manner that speak to them.”
But while the makers of plan B are trying to seem young, hip and relatable regarding sexual indiscretions, they end up condoning them.
The maker of these products is treading on touchy territory, and with that comes some responsibility: to encourage young women engaging in risky sex to smarten up.
Glamorizing unprotected sex and offering a backup just isn’t good enough.