I've tried. Believe me, I've tried. I've tried to join in the very sensible people who have a problem with this commercial. I watched it again and again, trying to get angry, and every time I watch it, I laugh instead.
In an article on PolicyMic, titled, "This Shameless Condom Ad is An Insult to Fatherhood," Marc Peters and Alexa Hassink write that this ad is "hurting current fathers, future fathers, and children everywhere."
That bad? They continue:
This supposedly hilarious ad paints a dystopian view of the future in which diverse fathers have one thing in common: their kids make them miserable. While presenting men as one-dimensional, regretful, and incompetent, and showing children as little destroyers may be funny, it’s not doing anyone any favors.
Apparently, the ad is "especially insulting to the 176,000 men who have left work to raise their children."
Well, count me out. Not insulted. It's an ad for condoms, coming from the "Having kids at this moment is a bad idea" angle. Because they sell condoms. And it's funny commercial, with four groin injuries. And groin injuries are funny. Sorry, I don't make the rules.
Sure, they're right when they talk about involved fatherhood. I agree that we should promote a "multifaceted, caring, and equitable image of what it means to be a man and a father in today’s world." I'm a firm believer in all of this stuff. But I'm also a firm believer that condom ads get a pass.
Judge for yourselves, and let me know if I'm a hypocrite for spending so much time railing against offensive brands while praising this ad just because I can't resist groin-injury humor.
