No need to snip circumcision ad: ASA

25 August 2016 - 16:37 By Roxanne Henderson

"Wow‚ he's so hot… I wonder if he's circumcised" These are the words of a radio ad that has mother Nelisiwe Dhlamini hot under the collar. The ad‚ aired on the SABC's Ukhozi FM in July‚ is a public service announcement (PSA)‚ aimed at promoting voluntary medical male circumcision.Dhlamini complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that the ad was offensive and inappropriate for children‚ but the advertising watchdog gave it the green light.The isiZulu ad features an adult conversation between two friends‚ Fikile and Mbhali‚ in a nightclub.Fikile asks Mbhali why she took so long to join her‚ to which Mbhali replies that she had been talking to a man. Fikile says the man is attractive and Mbhali responds‚ saying that she wonders if he is circumcised.Then Fikile asks‚ "Why are you wondering about that?" Mbhali replies‚ "Girl‚ I like my men to look sharp – with or without their clothes."A voice-over then states: "We are winning‚ circumcise and also use condoms."Dhlamini said that as a parent she is concerned that the reference to circumcised and uncircumcised penises is inappropriate for children to be exposed to.According to Dhlamini there is a risk that children might miss the health message the ad intends to communicate and want to experiment.In response‚ the PSA's creator‚ Community Media Trust‚ said that the ad was based on statistics which show that voluntary medical male circumcision is a crucial weapon in the fight to control HIV.It also pointed out that there is no overt reference to genitalia in the ad. "The PSA does not use the word 'penis'‚" it said.The ASA agreed when it dismissed the complaint‚ saying that the nightclub setting of the ad was clearly directed at young adults‚ not children‚ and that there is no actual mention of male genitalia."While it is unfortunate that the two female characters are focussing predominantly on the man's physical appearance as a result of his circumcision-status‚ and not on safe sexual practices‚ the ending voice-over does contextualise the message in a manner that relates it back to safe sex‚" it said.It added that the aim was to promote medical male circumcision‚ which children are already exposed to.Community Media Trust's Jann Acutt said the advert was purely intended to promote voluntary male circumcision and the use of condoms."We were pleased that [the ASA] ruled against the complaint because we feel that the campaign is very important. We try to create PSAs people would enjoy listening to and that reflect real life. That was our intention."..

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