Sexually suggestive TV ads get parents steamed up

HEARING her eight-year-old daughter’s declaration that “I will never eat cakes because boys don’t like fat girls,” Shang Xiuyun turned to see a TV ad for underwear featuring a half-naked slim girl flirting with a man.

“I think our country should set up a rating system for sexually suggestive TV ads,” says Shang, who is also a deputy of the Beijing Municipal People’s Congress, the local legislature.

After monitoring commercials for three months, Shang and fellow legislator Tang Xilan are to advise the government to set ratings and watershed times for ads deemed improper for minors.

Shang called on the government to make strict regulations to eradicate sexually suggestive commercials, at least during the summer and winter holiday periods.

The present law on advertising implemented 12 years ago vaguely prohibits “content that is obscene, superstitious, terrifying, violent and evil; content that is discriminative against nationalities, races, religions and sex.” But it has no details on how such advertising should be judged.

“Specific items should be added to the law to prohibit sexually suggestive TV ads,” says Shang.

More than one million Beijing middle and primary schoolchildren started their summer holidays last week, and many spent a lot of time watching television, a pastime many parents are beginning to question.

Scantily clad young women, protruding breasts and flirtatious behaviour mark out commercials for lingerie, breast enhancement and cosmetic products, most of which are bundled into prime time programming.

“Most of them misinform children about sex,” says Shang.

Shang recalls her own daughter’s comment after a cosmetic ad that depicted a young couple behaving frostily to each other before the woman used a brand-name skin care product that cleared her facial freckles: “Mom, daddy will dislike you because you have freckles on your face.” – China Daily / Asia News Network