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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is a baby ultrasound scan disgusting? One shopping centre thinks so.

119 replies

KateyKool · 02/04/2011 00:00

A friend of mine is trying to get a commercial run on a big screen at a well known shopping centre. It shows a live baby scan and is designed to highlight how the baby ultrasound scanner was created in the UK and how it's one of many inventions that have changed and saved lives. The idea is both brilliant and lovely and very sensitively done. It will also help benefit charities researching into pre birth conditions. So much would come from this.
This well know shopping centre is obviously 'more into money than mummies' and have refused to run the ad , they think a baby scan is disgusting. But are happy to take the ad dollar and run ads showing stick women, retouched images and the rest - you get the drift. Hypocritical?
All my friends now have boycotted the place.

OP posts:
CuntessentialShadows · 02/04/2011 08:24

Also, and coming from a cold hearted accountant point of view, who is paying for that ad placement? Or is your friend expecting free exposure? If so, the centre must find it a darn good cause to forgo revenue in order to shop potentially upsetting images to people just going about their business trying to have a pleasant shopping experience.

For example, I would not like to be confronted by images of vivisection or animals used in fur production when trying to keep my stress levels in check while shopping.

Mumofaflump · 02/04/2011 08:44

Definately a pro-life campaign. The original poster uses the term "saving lives" and "if we can save one baby...". That is exactly what routine scans are for anyway.

I think you are deliberately targeting youngsters by wanting to advertise in a shopping centre and feel that by showing them an emotive picture you can guilt them into not having an abortion should the situation arise.

I may be wrong, but tbh, that is what I would assume upon seeing such an add as you describe.

Also agree that it is highly insensitive towards anyone who has experienced problems in pregnancy.

For the record, I would never have an abortion but feel it is up to everyone to make their own minds up on a highly personal situation

LynetteScavo · 02/04/2011 08:45

I have 3 healthy DC, but at one time in my life if I'd unexpectedly seen a a woman having a scan I would have spewed, or thrown something at the screen and left the shopping centre in tears.

so overall, I think the shopping centre has made the right decision.

meditrina · 02/04/2011 08:49

IIRC, charities such as Tommy's do not use images of scans in any part of their publicity material, specifically because of the distress it causes those who need to turn to help from that charity.

Lulumama · 02/04/2011 08:53

IME 100 % of women do take their 12 & 20 weeks scans and people don't need an advert to convince them

I thikn if the use of an ultrasound in some sort of pro life campaign which this smacks of, is disgusting, as is the whole concept of undermining women's choice

shame the 'transparent' OP has done a runner

BoysAreLikeDogs · 02/04/2011 08:55

yy meditrina

OP are you in the UK? (you mention the ad dollar for example)

bamboostalks · 02/04/2011 08:57

KateyKool
Are you an American?

Rapaccioli · 02/04/2011 09:00

Sorry if I come across as a stalker but KateyKool's sole other thread was about a month ago when she was asking if she was being unreasonable to ban all ads, direct and indirect, to children.

So that woud include images of scans on big screens in the shopping centre then, I presume?

mayorquimby · 02/04/2011 09:06

This well know shopping centre is obviously 'more into money than mummies' "

Of course they are, they're a private business. I'm going to bet that they're more into money than drug prevention scheme, tackling obesity, stopping smoking, gm food or any other issue.

"
We live in a democracy - so majority who benefits rules. We live in a free society, so should an accountant be in any position to define what is socially acceptable? We live in the real world, so we have to live with that."

Yes of course they should. They're not setting public policy for society at large, they're making a decision for the privately owned company

Becaroooo · 02/04/2011 09:13

I once showed my uncle and aunt (by marriage) the scan photo of my ds2.

My Uncle shuddered, said it made him feel "queasy" and left the room!

Hmm

Dont understand it, but thats how he felt.

Maybe its a generational thing? He is in his 70's.

NinkyNonker · 02/04/2011 09:30

I came on to say what Kungfu said, I'm thoroughly bewildered by this.

vmcd28 · 02/04/2011 09:38

Pro-life campaign.
Shopping centre therefore said it's disgusting.
OP wants supportive quotes from mumsnet, so she can go back to the shopping centre to defend the ad. Hence why she was vague.

fallingandlaughing · 02/04/2011 09:47

What a weird thread.

But quite amusing.

Katey if you are into transparency could you publish your full name and email, and the name of the group who is putting up the ad?

meliesmummy · 02/04/2011 09:57

As someone who has suffered a miscarriage this year I would be devastated to see a huge scan picture looming down on me in a shopping centre. Have you considered that katey? Siding with the shopping centre on this one.

breatheslowly · 02/04/2011 10:03

I don't think KateyKool will be back. I have previously been on a short thread with her - she didn't make much sense then and didn't return when challenged. I agree that it sounds pro-life and shopping centres are right to avoid controversy.

NetworkGuy · 02/04/2011 10:26

As a mere man, without any of the experiences commented on already, I'd have said to Katey that unless the shopping centre (which, by the way?) has indicated something in writing then there's really nothing you can do.

If there was something in writing, then the local newspaper might cover this as a story, but only if there was a charitable agenda, without the controversial aspects that an organisation might drum up because of an anti-abortion agenda (where the newspaper would shy away from it, and very carefully consider any future advertising related to the shopping centre!)

As for anonymity, the "why" is surely obvious though clearly not to you.

Without encouraging random obscenities or back-stabbing, trolling, stalking or libellous comments about other MN users, the anonymous angle means that if someone wants to ask for advice / support or can offer it, their identity in respect of unfortunate incidents is not there on a platter for any gossips where they live, or to be used against them by relatives or (so-called) "friends".

Whether there have been health, behaviour, financial, alcohol/drug issues, sexual abuse, or whatever, that minimal anonymity may make the difference between posting and not. Sorry you need it spelled out but clearly you've not seen some of the other sections and put yourself in the shoes of others who have things in their past they may prefer not to have happened.

catinboots · 02/04/2011 10:30

This is a weird thread

You seem like a weirdo

worraliberty · 02/04/2011 10:39

What catinboots said.

Really, what's the point in saying you suspect other people feel the same as you but won't comment? We could all say that about any thread.

Still, unless you can tell us whether the 'disgusting' comment was made to your face, I'm going to assume it was Chinese whispers...probably put about by one of the angry women behind the ad.

Acekicker · 02/04/2011 10:40

As a cold hearted accountant I've got a few questions:

  • if this is designed to highlight how UK inventions have saved lives, what other machines/inventions will be part of the campaign?

  • how does it benefit charities researching pre-birth conditions? Where is the money for them coming from - is it actually an 'appeal' advert - if so who is the appeal on behalf of?

  • what group of women did you survey about the add - were they all supporters of the charity in question? all women walking past you with their kids (ie self-selecting they've had at least one live birth so may not be representative of those with fertility problems, miscarriage etc)

  • where are your statistics that take up of scans is so low that lives would be saved by this campaign. My suspicion is very few women don't take up the offer of the scans they get?

As a mother - 'meh' - what Bucharest said except I appeared to be expecting a satellite picture of a small tropical storm.

BoysAreLikeDogs · 02/04/2011 10:50

lol at detecting folk who are not commenting here

I detect that a lot of folk are giving you a 4

HTH

twilight3 · 02/04/2011 10:50

it's not a UK invention and while I find nothing disgusting about it you can't promote something that women get for free anyway.

also OP, a 3D IS an ultrasound, you seem curiously misinformed for someone who supports a cause so passionatelly. I thouht jurno as well.

shakey1500 · 02/04/2011 10:51

What a bizarre thread! I agree there's more to this than meets the eye. Also incredibly weird to launch into some random angle of psychology and anonimity. I agree with (I think it was) fallsaboutlaughing(?) that OP should (for tranparacy reasons) register under her full name if she doesn't agree/belive with using anything other than.

Anyway, to the matter in hand. I don't believe anyone said "It's disgusting", the centre (or mall?!) has the right to show whatever they choose and it's just tough if they choose not to show, as others have commented, something which may cause distress to some individuals.

wonders if OP will resurface at some point with more psychobabble

Rapaccioli · 02/04/2011 10:56

Just wondering, if this isn't a pro-life attempt, might it be a bid to drum up business/interest in a 4D scan studio, using the guilt trip of saving babies lives to market it?

SardineQueen · 02/04/2011 11:05

How peculiar.

meditrina · 02/04/2011 11:44

I note that OP said 'many women were surveyed' about the appropriateness of this. How many is many? How were they selected? Did it include women for whom the last thing they remember about their last scan was the devastating words: " I'm sorry, there is no heartbeat?"

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