Sexy PETA Super Bowl Ad Banned by NBC

A PETA ad meant to air during the Super Bowl on Sunday features an assortment of attractive young women wearing skimpy lingerie. As the music plays, the women treat the vegetables as if they were lovers, rubbing asparagus over their thighs and sensually licking pumpkins.

If this sounds ridiculous, it is because it is ridiculous. The PETA ad is meant to show that studies show vegetarians to be better lovers. A woman fondling her own breast while eating raw broccoli is probably meant to be more humorous than serious.

NBC banned the ad from the Super Bowl citing the overt sexuality as inappropriate for their family audiences. It is clear that this video is meant to be titillating, but was it worthy of being banned?

Certainly many other ads shown during the Super Bowl, including very suggestive Victoria's Secret ads, are inappropriate for family audiences as well. Ads shown during many family shows now advertise condoms, lubricants, and erectile dysfunction drugs. These ads are usually not discreet and are generally much too graphic for young audiences. Children with internet connections can easily (and accidentally) find troves of pornography. A good argument could be made that children in America have been exposed to so many dirty television shows and commercials that they are now desensitized to overt sexuality.

But most parents would likely agree that they do not want their children to be exposed to almost naked women rubbing vegetables around their nether regions Even those parents who agree with PETA's cause do not want to expose their children to soft-core pornography. PETA is known for being controversial and always pushing the envelope in their ad campaigns. In fact, their commercials and print advertisements have been banned more than once.

This commercial is only one example of PETA going too far. Controversy brings attention, but having a commercial air during the Super Bowl would bring even more attention to their cause. Because they did not tone down the sexuality (which was not even their central message), they lost out on a valuable opportunity to spread their message about animal rights. The Super Bowl has a huge audience, and many more people would have seen the advertisement if it aired then will see it now.

PETA does not appear to comprehend their mistake. On the PETA blog, they write, "NBC has something against girls who love their veggies." Even if they are trying to be tongue-in-cheek, they are still missing the most important point here. In their desire to be controversial, PETA has once again undermined their own cause.

Sources:

http://www.peta.org/content/standalone/VeggieLove/

http://blog.peta.org/archives/2009/01/veggie_love.php?c=vldlba0109