Gossip Girls Ad Campaign Outrage

Parents, please be on alert: The CW network is running a new campaign featuring posters and billboards on sidewalks around the country as an advertisement for the television show "gossip girl ". The obscene phrase "OMFG" is written across a photo of two young adults in a passionate embrace. I just watched a video on CNN about this issue and I am outraged.

Most of us who spend some time on the Internet or text messaging know exactly what those initials stand for. For those of you who don't, OMFG is "text messaging" shorthand for this obscene, blasphemous phrase: "Oh My 'Fill-in-the-Blank' God". The "F" word. To make things worse, the poster features two high school students from the show appearing to have sex.

Vice President of Marketing Rick Haskins from EVP Marketing has stated on CNN that he thinks the OMFG is "open to interpretation". He states in his interview with CNN's Brooke Anderson that the series of initials means "different things to different people" and that one interpretation could mean, "Oh My Freaking' Goodness". Give me a break. We were not born yesterday.

"Talk to ten people and they will give you ten different answers", Haskins says about the phrase. 100% false. Haskins couldn't be more wrong. Brooke Anderson demonstrates his idiocy and disingenuousness as she interviews 30 people on the street and everyone except two sixty year old women knew exactly what it meant! I am deeply troubled by dishonest, despicable people like Mr. Haskins who market pornography to our children to earn television ratings and a quick buck. His influence over out children comes in the form of television, posters in public places and magazines that our children read.

What are these people thinking? I will not let my children watch this show. These aren't the types of values that I want for my kids.

The CW, the television network who produces "gossip girl", knew exactly what the OMFG phrase meant. They must have also known that this campaign would cause a controversy and this controversy will lead to ratings. Calculated bid for ratings at the expense of our children. I expect that there will be further consequences as a result of this event. I predict that ratings will go up. The OMFG posters will become collector's items, no doubt. Perhaps someone in the marketing department will get a slap on the wrist. But unfortunately, the damage is already done. Our tweens are once again manipulated and exploited for a fast buck.