Rep Jim Moran hopes to get Viagra Cialis and other ED commercials off regular TV

[fortytwo]

Maybe it should be a more uniform law, such as all Rx medication advertisements *period* are not allowed on air. I'm sick of all of them and I'm not sure they do potential patients any good. It would be more of a public safety law than a censorship law.

(bold above by me)

I think every censorship effort is cloaked in the guise of "public safety".

It's for our own good, you know.

 

[fortytwo]

This has been an interesting thread to read - my kids aren't interested in shows that may have ads like this yet. But, boy, they really do absorb ads that I don't even notice and they believe every damned thing! They've seen that topsy-turvy tomato planter ad so much they were confused when we dug a hole in the ground for the tomato plants.

I guess TIVO could be helpful with something like this - when we used to have that, it was a joy to fast forward through all the commercials!

(bold above by me)

Bless their hearts.

That's funny.

 

[southcitymom]

SSM & Nova, thank you for your insightful answers!!

My daughter is 6, and I am starting to get some of the 'big' questions. One of them came after she heard about Bristol Palin & teen pregnancy on the radio. Caught me totally off guard (mommy, what is teen pregnancy?) And, yes, I answered the question, and yes, she went with the follow up quesitons. I've been reading & trying to come up with age appropriate answers for her, because she is obviously getting very curious about these things.
Anyway, I just wanted to thank you both for your insite.

As for the subject of the thread, I just don't think government has any business getting involved in this. I also would like to see radio & TV stations self regulate a bit more, but until then I will regulate them myself by not watching. I have 3 young kids & we try to avoid the shows that have these commercials for the most part. Usually the difficult questions come from random blurbs on the news, events, or finding tampons in your mom's bathroom.

Hey LTC,

I can so relate to your post. My experience has been that girls get way more interested in the birds and bees sooner than boys. My goddaughter loved and watched The Baby Story religiously from the age of 5 or 6 and she asked very specific questions about how babies are made, etc... early. She's known all the details about sex and babymaking since 6 or so.

My boys have shown no interest whatsoever. Heck, they think I put tampons in my bottom (LOL) even though I have corrected that perception. Once my 8 year old told me a boy in his class told him that he played a video game where one of the players had to have sex with a woman. I said to my son, "Sex? Do you know what that is?" My son said, "No." I said, "Do you want to know what that means?" and my son said, "Not really - I just know it's inappropriate to say at school. Can I have a yogurt?" Just no curiosity about in the subject at all.

When all that does start, I would like to be real matter of fact about it, but it surely starts earlier with girls!

 

[BuzzieCat]

(bold above by me)

I think every censorship effort is cloaked in the guise of "public safety".

It's for our own good, you know.

Mmm, I think with medications it's a little bit different than if they were trying to censor a book or a newspaper or something. Could go down a slippery slope, I guess, but I think there was a time that they were not allowed to advertise meds on TV and now all of a sudden it's rampant. Not sure why they do it, you can't get it without a prescription anyway.

 

[jannuncutt]

Well, since you ask, ziggy...

Yes, boys have issues about penis size. That's why we have wars. Maybe buying supplements from a TV ad would be better.

Enemas are NOT good for you, except perhaps as a very occasional practice. As I understand it, they interfere with the body's natural balance of bacteria.

I am as embarrassed as the next person by public discussions of private parts. But isn't that something we should be trying to overcome?

How 'bout instead of asking the government to step in to protect us from embarrassment, we all work to be less hung up about human biology?

Particularly female biology, which our culture tends to treat as shameful and unmentionable.

I can understand not wanting to explain ED in depth to a 6-year-old. But surely a parent isn't explaining cancer, emphysema or psychopathology to a child that age either, at least not in depth. Age-appropriate answers can be crafted for any subject for any age child, I do believe.

LOL! Good Lord, Nova! You crack me up! Please never change!

 

[Nova]

Mmm, I think with medications it's a little bit different than if they were trying to censor a book or a newspaper or something. Could go down a slippery slope, I guess, but I think there was a time that they were not allowed to advertise meds on TV and now all of a sudden it's rampant. Not sure why they do it, you can't get it without a prescription anyway.

They want us to pressure our docs to write the scripts. And they want doctors to give in out of fatigue or for fear we'll change doctors.

I'm sure its obvious I'm not a fan of government censorship, but I do wonder how drug ads (as opposed to detailed, informed discussions in print or on the net) add to the public good.

 

[Nova]

...it surely starts earlier with girls!

That's interesting, because I have been told the opposite. The theory (sorry, no cite) was that because male genitalia are external, boys quite naturally notice their own at an earlier age and begin to ask questions.

Perhaps TV has changed things? It seems to me that watching "A Baby Story" is something quite different than playing with a doll baby.

 

[southcitymom]

That's interesting, because I have been told the opposite. The theory (sorry, no cite) was that because male genitalia are external, boys quite naturally notice their own at an earlier age and begin to ask questions.

Perhaps TV has changed things? It seems to me that watching "A Baby Story" is something quite different than playing with a doll baby.

It's simply my own anecdotal experience on the subject. Girls seem more interested in relationships and romantic relationships earlier than boys - and that leads to more pointed questions. My boys definitely noticed their penises early, but that's as far as it's gone!!

 

[Nova]

It's simply my own anecdotal experience on the subject. Girls seem more interested in relationships and romantic relationships earlier than boys - and that leads to more pointed questions. My boys definitely noticed their penises early, but that's as far as it's gone!!

tick... tick... tick...

"Tommy" will be speaking to your 8-year-old sometime, probably this year. In turn, the 8-year-old will pass on the news to the 6-year-old -- just because he can.

None of this chatter will mention "romantic relationships," as you call them.

I have no doubt you and your husband are up to the challenge. You've already done the most important thing: you've established a relationship where your kids know they can discuss anything with their parents.

:blowkiss:

 

[southcitymom]

tick... tick... tick...

"Tommy" will be speaking to your 8-year-old sometime, probably this year. In turn, the 8-year-old will pass on the news to the 6-year-old -- just because he can.

None of this chatter will mention "romantic relationships," as you call them.

I have no doubt you and your husband are up to the challenge. You've already done the most important thing: you've established a relationship where your kids know they can discuss anything with their parents.

:blowkiss:

LOL - I hear you and I believe you - this is exactly the way the word "sh&t" came to be in my 6-year-old's vocabulary! Thank you for the complement! :blowkiss:

 

[Nova]

LOL - I hear you and I believe you - this is exactly the way the word "sh&t" came to be in my 6-year-old's vocabulary! Thank you for the complement! :blowkiss:

I'm afraid I must admit that although we tried to be the most open 1970s-style parents in the world (the gay stuff, we're both smokers, we've never done a lot of illegal drugs, but we didn't hide what we did from the kids), our two still reached ages (late teens) where they felt they needed secrets.

Seems to be some sort of "growing-up" thing. So I think the best any parent can do is create an open environment for discussion and then hope the kids will talk when it comes to anything really dangerous.

And P.S., thank God for "Tommy." My mother was so embarrassed explaining sex to her male son (me), she left out some important parts and misstated others. Fortunately, "Tommy" showed up at the Y to fill me in. His info wasn't perfect, but in many respects it was more accurate than Mom's.

 

[believe09]

It is hard for me not to be catty and comment that clearly the meds did not work for this poor soul, and now the vendetta.

I would be much more appreciative if they would remove all toy commercials and cereal commercials from television-I will back any congressperson willing to tackle those issues which effect me and my wallet more deeply....

 

[Nova]

It is hard for me not to be catty and comment that clearly the meds did not work for this poor soul, and now the vendetta.

believe, you have no idea how much time I spent wondering why you thought my meds weren't working. But I finally figured out you meant Cong. Moran. That's funny!

I would be much more appreciative if they would remove all toy commercials and cereal commercials from television-I will back any congressperson willing to tackle those issues which effect me and my wallet more deeply....

If we must ban something, amen!