posted May 20, 2012 03:59 PM            

I was curious as to what people's opinions are about extremist advertising--as in, really disgusting and disturbing ads just meant to make a point.

Personally, I'm against them, even if I actually agree with the message. They are very disturbing and anxiety-inducing for me, and as someone who already has an anxiety disorder and works hard to manage her anxiety, they are just too much. I literally feel ill seeing them (which is why I ask that pictures please not be posted). I think that there are civil, decent, and appropriate ways of getting a message across without having to be repulsive. I also get annoyed with "shock just for the sake of shock"/"shock value".

Some will argue that those ads are more effective, but then I found this article as I was reading about this topic, as I was curious to see if they actually were effective:
http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/13591.html

(no disgusting pictures are in it)

The article, if you don't have time, basically sums up that really disturbing/disgustingly graphic/shaming advertising actually had the reverse effect in one anti-drinking campaign: they increased the amount that people drank because they stressed people out so much that they drank to relieve that stress and anxiety.

Here is another link that came to a similar conclusion:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110822121721.htm

I just don't find such advertising to be in good taste. I also feel that people don't take the really disgusting, graphic images very seriously because they might see them as just that--extremism. According to the links that I shared, people also get really defensive and just go back to their habit.

I also find them very irritating because they sometimes come on during programs that I like, which ruins my downtime when I'm trying to relax. It takes something fun, relaxing, and enjoyable and destroys it, which I find unfair.

I'm not normally for censorship, but I do consider these not only tasteless and disgusting, but also purposeless and insensible.

posted May 20, 2012 11:00 PM            

I have mixed feelings on anti-tobacco extremist ads. I suppose if they're unpopular enough the show that sells such ad space will suffer for it. Maybe it would be more effective to mandate such extremist pix be put on cigarette packages? Though I recall as a teen that "death smokes" were all the rage among kids and it was a black package with a skull on it and said something in very bold letters along the line of "these will kill you." Granted, that's not to same as showing someone living with a hole in their throat...(I understand Australia has just mandated all cigarettes be packaged in plain brown packaging and I'm curious how that experiment turns out...)

I can be understanding of wanting certain images barred from shows that are supposed to be relaxing, though it depends on the shows. If the shows you relax to include programs like the extremely popular CSI or even Dexter then I don't think anyone is going to care if you don't want shocking ads for your shocking shows.

posted May 22, 2012 07:28 AM            

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Originally posted by Randall:
Depends on the ad and the cause...but generally not a fan.

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I'm not a fan even when I do agree with the cause.

I am on the anti-smoking side, but honestly, I can't help but feel that I shouldn't have to watch that during my shows. I'm sick of having to leave the room or else close my eyes and cover my ears whenever they come on because they trigger so much disgust and anxiety, especially since I've never smoked a cigarette or anything else in my entire life.

And this isn't during a violent or dramatic/heavy show, either.

posted June 18, 2012 10:41 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by PixieJane:

The one time I got really upset was a billboard for a "torture porn" movie. It had horrid pix of an abducted woman enduring brutal treatment with a word in each pic like "torture" and "kill." And when I mentioned it agitated my PTSD (having been held prisoner by a sociopath before who obviously did not intend me to survive) someone told me she hadn't ever endured anything traumatic in her life and even she was upset by it. But what to do? To express how upset we were was exactly what the advertisers wanted us to do to make their movie even more popular. So I, and everyone else who realized what they were trying to do, silently seethed through the weeks it was up and in your face whenever you went past it. I'd love it if ads like that got banned so they can't play such a sick game hurting people just to up their sales to their target audience.

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Horrific, I've never talked to anyone before who went through anything that bad!

Very sorry to hear it.