Should drug companies be allowed to advertise on television?

[Cakepro]

Have you ever sat down to eat a meal in front of the TV and just as you're about to sink your teeth into whatever it is you're eating, some idiot in a commercial asks you if you have genital herpes? Or if your toenails are thick, yellow, and infected? GACK!! Or, have you been sitting there watching a carefully-selected show with your young children, whom you've so carefully sheltered from sex-saturated, foul-mouthed, anti-family crap on TV, to have a drug commercial come on and eschew the benefits of an antidepressant that has no sexual side effects and says so ten or twelve times during the commercial? http://www.buttercreamdreams.com/smilies/grope.gif Have you had to watch some airhead tell you how nice and zit-free her face is because she ingests oral contraceptives and is sooooooooo glad that she won't get pregnant (but uh, oh...the commercial is quick to inform that oral contraceptives do not protect against sexually transmitted diseases). It makes me want to HURL. http://www.buttercreamdreams.com/smilies/vomit.gif

How I wish drug companies were not allowed to advertise on television! I think it's best to keep it in the magazines and in print, but I don't want to be subjected to people telling me their genitals are free from lesions or how happy they are they can take a pill for that nasty yeast infection instead of using a "messy cream" (while showing a funk-cream applicator).

It sure would be great if MAD TV or Saturday Night Live would come up with some farcical skits of commercials advertising drugs for some really gross ailments. :D

~ Sherri

[donut]

The only problem is our freedom of speech. When I see them I change the channel. I believe advertisers think the american public are stupid and we are all stereotypical Jerry Springer guests. Most advertisements make me very mad, but I would never want to ban or not let them be played. If you ban anything the let it be the channels that play the adds you don't like and let the rating speak for themselves.


Personally I hate tampon adds. OH my GOD, I feel SOO fresh, and it has WINGS. blah, blah, blah.

[Cakepro]

ROFL ~ I am so desensitized to tampon and other feminine ads that I forgot about them!

As far as the freedom of speech thing goes, I, too wouldn't want it unnecessarily trampled on, but I am so thankful there are no more cigarette commericals or billboards, or any hard liquor ads on TV (except I heard that NBC was going play them). I don't think anyone's rights have been too infringed by banning ads of that sort.

~ Sherri

[pnosko]

Sherri, do you really want to shelter your kids that much (you didn't say how young young is)? If they are old enough to question the mentioning of sex on TV, wouldn't you rather they ask you what the commercials' are talking about?

[Cakepro]

LOL ~ I knew that was inevitable.

If they are old enough to question the mentioning of sex on TV, wouldn't you rather they ask you what the commercials' are talking about?

Of course. However, just because a child overhears and questions something doesn't mean he or she is mature enough to handle knowing about it. I shelter my children from crap on TV that contains sexual content because it is not the context in which they are taught about God's wonderous gift of married love. If it doesn't reflect our values, at this point in their young and influential lives they will be sheltered from it until they are mature enough to think critically.

~ Sherri

[pnosko]

Not to be argumentative (say "stop" and I will), but are they still under your control 24x7 or are they school-aged? I'm just saying that guidance is one thing (and certainly appropriate); sheltering (your term) is doomed to failure, and if they don't get "info" from you they will get it from others. Whether or not it reflects your values, openness will encourage them to come to you for info.

For example, I grew up with my parents putting beer/wine on the dinner table. We were allowed to consume it there (in moderation, as young as 9-10). Unlike my friends that craved booze all through their teens, I never became fascinated with drinking as a kid. To this day, I rarely drink (although I do drink; wine, cordials, and an occasional "Octoberfest" beer).

I had my first cigarette in my parents bedroom (again before the age of 10). My dad let me try it and made me finish it. I did, under a ton of peer pressure, smoke for two weeks in while in the scouts (at camp). But never again since then.

I'm a firm believer that censorship, sheltering, deprivation, avoidance-- they all come back to bite you in the *** sooner or later.

[donut]

Since we are talking about t.v. and values, I feel the worst channel is MTV and the like. 75% of the videos I've watched are all about $$$$$$$, flash this, flash that, throwing money into the air. That makes me barf. Where are the values there. Explaining to children the ingorance in some music videos is as important as explaining sex and drugs. Its crazy to see where MTV started and see where it is now. I don't want my son to think the size of his suv reflects his worth in life.

Also glamorizing violence and desensitizing death, that also makes me barf.


Sorry to change the subject. God, I feel like an old man.

[Cakepro]

Pete,
I'm glad to hear that you turned out as a well-adjusted adult, and I appreciate you sharing those experiences with me (although admittedly they made me cringe :eek1: ). I also respect your right to raise your children as you see fit, but with all due respect and in all kindness, my friend, this thread was about gross drug ads on TV and not an invitation for others to critique, challenge, or even comment on the way my husband and I have decided to raise our children. I'm sorry to decline to have this conversation with you, but I have no intention of discussing or defending our childrearing philosophy (but rest assured, your very interesting and somewhat ominous adjectives, "censorship, deprivation, avoidance" are hardly synonymous with my children's exposure to the world). The scope of this subject is way too broad to attempt to examine it here. :)

Peace,
Sherri

[ByTor]

what really bugs me with them (Drug adds)and the car companies.. Is their use of some great old music to grab your attention....

[pnosko]

Originally posted by Cakepro
Pete, I'm glad to hear that you turned out as a well-adjusted adultWell, I never said that! ;)

Cakepro, That has to be the kindest, gentlest kiss-off I've ever received. :wavehand:

[dragon0121]

LOL! With a touch of class!

[JasonF]

My only complaint about drug adds, is that they don't always tell you what they are for. I'd kind of like to know that if I'm going to ask my doctor for the drug, like they tell me to.;)

[scottrader]

The fact that half the time they don't tell you what the pills are for has always been confusing to me, too. I can just picture myself at the doctor's office "doc should I be taking this little orange pill I heard about on TV?" and him coming back telling me only if my morning sickness is bothering me.

Scott

[jz]

JasonF and Scott, I think that you two touched on a very important point. All those commercials are vague for a reason, and that is to be subversive and manipulative. The drug industry didn't get so big by accident. I see no reason for them to advertise on TV. Last I checked the average TV viewer didn't have an MD and could not prescribe meds. Just another example of big business bilking the average consumer.

later

[tyoberg]

Here's my take on it:

Bad commercial advertising causes angst in teenagers. This angst is a significant contributor to teen violence.

My solution is to make it a federal requirement for the ad person responsible to put his full name, home phone number and address at the bottom of the screen (or read out really quickly at the end if a radio ad). Get a little QA feedback involved and we could put an end to this crap reaaaaaal quick!

Ty

[Newreeflady]

Well, I think they should be able to say 'our pill will prevent the symptoms of Herpes/etc", but I don't really want to hear all of the symptoms (itching, burning, such and such), or the reactions you might have! I think that the ones like JasonF described, where they leave you wondering what the heck was being advertised, and others like the Herpes ad Cakepro mentioned, should join forces to make an ad that you know what the product is and is for, but not all about the disease symptoms and reactions of the meds, just say "ask your doctor about blank for blank". I mean, if someone has herpes, they probably know the symptoms, why share them with the world?

I think the worst one I ever saw was that one that was supposed to not let you digest fat, but rather pass it through your system. I think some of the side effects were like unpredictable bowel movements, and some other nasty stuff:eek2:
:D
Angela

[Capt.Dave]

I hate the drug commercials as well, very distastefully.
Get even, get Tivo, press a button and the commercial is gone.

Dave

[dendronepthya]

Considering the total disclosure clause that the drug companies have to agree to, I constantly wonder why they bother advertising on tv. It's like they are not allowed to actually say what the drug is intended for. They show happy people living "normal" lives, and that you should see a doctor if Xalcatrex is for you. Then they spend the rest of the TV spot listing every possible side effect that invariably makes you very glad that you haven't taken any of it.

What do you mean there is a "possibility" for flipper babies??? This is all to cure acne??? There's a good tradeoff. Can't have acne...