Sex and twerking are different‚ watchdog decides
Twerking cartoon characters won’t corrupt kids‚ the advertising watchdog ruled on Friday.
Six consumers complained to the Advertising Standards Authority about an MTN commercial showing cartoons twerking in a meme sent over WhatsApp. The image was too sexual for their children’s eyes‚ they complained.
The watchdog disagreed‚ while accepting that not everyone found twerking tasteful.
“In addition‚ the use of the cartoon characters has exacerbated the pelvic movement of the characters‚ and two cartoon characters are particularly unfortunately placed‚ creating a vaguely sexual position‚” it said.
MTN told the ASA directorate twerking had become an international phenomenon and featured in almost all genres of popular culture.
It was unreasonable to equate such dance movements — which had become widely known and recognised – to “having sex”‚ as one of the complainants did.
The ad was to promote a social data deal. It showed a WhatsApp group in which friends were planning to meet up. One person in the chat sent the meme with a message “azishe”‚ making it clear it signified dancing.
The ASA said the characters were cartoons‚ fully dressed‚ dancing and not having sex.
“Any ambiguity in this regard is removed by the surrounding chat‚ which refers to a social event where there will be meat [‘jeje’‚ with a meat emoji] and dancing. There is no implication that the cartoon characters are having sex‚” it said.
“The directorate is therefore not convinced that the hypothetical reasonable person will be offended by the commercial‚ or perceive it to be sexual in nature.
“In addition‚ the directorate cannot find that exposure to fully clothed cartoons dancing can do any harm to children.”