AIBU - erectile dysfunction/premature ejaculation radio ads

[Renaissancewoman]

Have you heard these? I've heard them a few times now on Absolute Radio. I love a bit of rock I do but feel more Mary Whitehouse than Amy Winehouse now. They talk about the bus arriving early and use other flowery language to describe the problem and yet say "erection" and "sex".

I heard one the first time as I was parking at Legoland with Grandma and 3 kids under 7. "What's an erection, Grandma?" said my youngest aged 3. Luckily I was able to shout 'let's go' and everyone piled out of the car really quick to run for the rides.

The next time I was not so lucky. My 6 year old asked "what are they talking about Mummy?"

It's just not on. I don't want to have to explain all this to my very young kids. I think children particularly girls are exposed to sex far too early anyway, why can't kids be allowed to stay innocent and in the dark about things like this for a while?

Both Adverts were in the middle of the day, surely there should be a watershed, not to be played until after 8pm?

Anyway I've complained to the ASA. I can't believe it but I have.

I can't be on my own here can I?

PS I should add that I am all in favour of these problems being aired so that men can get help and not feel too embarrassed to seek help but not at the expense of my kids having their sex education brought forward prematurely and out of my control.

havent heard the adverts but i agree with you from your portrayal

i complained to asa about a dairylea ad on here and their response and procedures wee great

There was a thread about this exact advert a few weeks ago.

I'm of the opinion that YABU.

Erection and heaven forbid sex are hardly the worst words a child could hear.

And I'm not convinced that keeping children in the dark about sex is a wise idea.
Sex education is not the reason why teens are having sex at such an early age.

Listen to the BBC. No rude ads there.

(But not Russel Brand, probably.)

I've heard the ads on absolute radio too, and was surprised, although I wouldn't say shocked. But I thought that maybe some people might be offended. I've not worried about having to explain it too my kids, but it's not really something I like to have to think about at 8.30am!

They're just words - how much detail do you really need to go into with very young children anyway? "Erections are something daddies get", or "they're talking about helping mummies and daddies to make babies".

You should live in Australia, every other ad on the radio here seems to be for treatment options for erectile dysfunction (must be a common problem with Aussie men!!!) and the worst, generally on breakfast radio at school run time, is a series of ads asking "do you want longer lasting sex?" and being quite specific about how their product will help!!! I'm quite glad my kids get the school bus now.

I can't believe there aren't more "Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells" or similar out there?
I tried looking for the previous thread on this as referred to above but couldn't find it.

In answer to some of the points raised in answer to my thread. I have no problem talking to my kids about sex and am extremely broad minded and relaxed about talking about issues some would find difficult. But there is just no need in my opinion to go there with my oldest kids aged 6 and 3. They simply don't need this stuff thrust upon them and they are too bright to be fobbed off with half answers. So for now Absolute Radio has lost a listener and its the afternoon play on Radio 4 or CDs or commercial stations who won't fill my car or home with talk of sex whilst the kids are on the way to school or eating their tea!!

renaiussance, search under my nbame, I started the thread on this the other week and everyone said I was being unreasonable lol

have gone back to listening to radio 4 now instead hehe

my problem really is that my 4 yr old has asked NO questions about sex or penises or anything like that, and while I am more than happy to be open with him, I don't want him asking about things that he isn't ready to know about simply because he hears it on the radio

this is yesterday - that's exactly what I'm getting at.

Message withdrawn

Girls are more vulnerable. They generally aim to please more and in any event are more bombarded with sexualising images eg videos of popstars or celebrities with clothes falling off or with few clothes in the first place.

I have never suggested that these advertisements were pornographic (check in a dictionnary if you don't believe me).

I just can't believe that there is not a deluge of opinion with me. These adverts are so obviously wrong to me. Sex should not be mainstream or accessible to under 5s or possibly older, how about under 9? My oldest is a clever 6 and all I know is she doesn't need to hear this stuff yet. She struggles to deal with the playground banter attached to poo and wee despite my realistic and biological approach. Under 5s should do nursery rhymes etc not be exposed to adverts that are for a wholly adult audience and about matters that are not conducive to a healthy childhood.

"I just can't believe that there is not a deluge of opinion with me."

This is am I being unreasonable, not please come and agree with me!

Sex should not be mainstream? An arguable point but a very large percentage of popular culture does make reference to sex, and to a much larger extent than radio ads for ED medication. You're not even close to the "I object to FHM, Nuts and Zoo sticking half-naked women on their covers at my children's eyeline" level yet.

I entirely fail to see how hearing an advert using the words erection or sex is "not conducive to a healthy childhood".

I am intrigued by the seemingly lack of hostility to this. I have searched under your name 'thisisyesterday' but can find nothing.
I need to know that others feel the same way as me. But if liberal/Lazy/modern/whatever (I don't understand) parenting is endemic I will still know I am right on this on and am confident the ASA will see sense. I will report back the ASA's response.

Squirrel42: I agree I may have missed the point of AIBU.
But to me a healthy childhood certainly when under 7 is discussing worms, mud, problematic friends, spelling tests, parks and lots more but not what may or may not go wrong with penises and men's sexual performance.

It's certainly fully within your rights as a parent to try to preserve the "innocence" of your children and keep them talking about worms and mud for as long as possible, and I certainly agree with censorship of things like TV and radio to the extent of preventing young kids from watching 18 rated films. I just think that preventing them from even hearing the words erection and sex is taking things much further than is necessary to prevent children from being harmed by the things they see and hear, and we shouldn't be censoring things for reasons other than that.

I regularly read the ASA adjudications on their website, and have complained about misleading adverts myself in the past. Have you checked out the sections of the radio broadcasting code on taste/decency? If not then it's available here. Just by going on what you said about the ad (haven't heard it myself) I wouldn't say that it sounded like it contained "salacious or indecent themes".

They do have to take into account if some adverts are unsuitable for children and schedule them accordingly, so that large numbers of children are not exposed to adverts containing "any material which might result in harm to them, whether physically, mentally or morally". But again from your description I wouldn't say it fell within that category. I'll certainly look out for the decision if it is a complaint that goes past the initial assessment though (in my experience if they choose not to investigate fully they don't publish them on the website).

I feel vindicated. I got a response from the Advertising people at Absolute radio today basically saying they had 'ummed and arred' about this ad and had insisted on it being remade and had not aired it during extended hours around the school run. But the ad is no longer being aired apparently which was not explained but presumably they had had lots of complaints despite the ad being remade and not aired during school run hours. As far as I am concerned mine was the voice of reason and reason has prevailed hurray and well done you others who complained -there must have been more than me to cause a commercial organisation to change its view.

yanbu There is no reason to air these topics during the daytime. Most men are in work anyway. Why can't they be talked about after watershed any men who do have a problem with this would probably be mortified if their children asked whats an erection daddy?