Comments on: Comments on 18320

Post number 18320

Kevin Sanders — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 09:47:01 -0800

Billboard on top of family eatery is sexually suggestive, and draws complaints from residents. What kills me is they're changing the sign to an "equally controversial" ad in two months. Here's a picture of the sign. Should the sign stay or should it go?

By: mr_crash_davis

mr_crash_davis — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 09:50:04 -0800

Considering there's a Viagra ad on every TV channel about every three minutes, I'm not too concerned about a single billboard.

By: astirling

astirling — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 09:58:31 -0800

Interestingly enough, a similar graphic circulates on Canadian tobacco product packaging. O/T: my all time favourite sexually suggestive billboard.

By: matteo

matteo — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 09:59:59 -0800

Bob Dole used to be a heavy smoker. He quit, and became a Viagra poster (old) boy. Funny how it dovetails I'll leave the billboard where it already is -- but I'm desperately out of touch with the sensibility of hardworking, God-fearing Iowa folk

By: Kevin Sanders

Kevin Sanders — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 10:01:25 -0800

I've had a bad feeling about this "Just Eliminate Lies (JEL)" program ever since it has been created by the State of Iowa. The money comes from a multi-million (maybe even billion, I'm not sure) state settlement with big tobacco. The state is in a budget crisis right now. Maybe we could put some of those milllions of dollars into something more useful like education? I'm not saying put ALL of the JEL money into education. Don't get me wrong, I like to see that the state has some interest in keeping teens away from smoking... but quite frankly, I don't like their tactics one bit. Their billboard ads, TV commercials, and radio commercials are too in-your-face. They're trying to scare me. When they tell you that rat poisoning and formaldehyde is put into cigarettes, they don't tell you how much. I don't care if all those chemicals add up in the end--- I want the whole story. On a national level, you may remember the first ads of the "Truth" campaign. It gave you statistics--- realistic statistics. I can't recall any of those statistics, though. THe Truth commercials were interesting, to the point, and fun to watch. I can say that the early Truth commercials kept me away from tobacco more than JEL did. But now, today's Truth commercials are all about scaring you and grossing you out. By putting black "full" bodybags in front of supposed tobacco corporate offices. That will not keep me away from tobacco, because it's so ridiculous. Of course, that's just my own opinion and evaluation. PS: The reason I do not smoke is not because of these anti-smoking programs. Everyone in my family, except my dad smokes, and I can say that I think it's really gross and a waste of money.

By: MiguelCardoso

MiguelCardoso — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 10:01:32 -0800

How is "Smoking causes impotence" sexually suggestive? It's not even true, if you remember to smoke afterwards and not before. ;)

By: byort

byort — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 10:04:13 -0800

How about this ad in the Des Moines Register? Pretty risque, if you ask me!

By: SpecialK

SpecialK — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 10:04:28 -0800

*yawn*

By: matteo

matteo — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 10:10:59 -0800

SpecialK, you're so cool All of us other 14029 MeFi users should really convert and start worshiping you as our God of Cool

By: WolfDaddy

WolfDaddy — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 10:41:35 -0800

I once saw a billboard advertising the US Naval Reserve. Had a picture of a destroyer, taken from above, sailing on perfect cobalt blue waters. It was in West Hollywood. Overlooking Santa Monica Boulevard. The caption over the picture read TAKE A WEEKEND CRUISE. Don't ask, don't tell! Oh, and the billboard should stay. It's funny and stuff.

By: beagle

beagle — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 10:43:10 -0800

How is "Smoking causes impotence" sexually suggestive? Because this is one of those rotating billboards and the alternative message says "He has a softer side, allright." This kind of line is said in shows like "Friends" about 50 times per episode. The problem may be that some kids need to explain it to their parents.

By: thomcatspike

thomcatspike — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 10:43:53 -0800

mr crash, same thought, and with that idea, maybe the next billboard will be? can a follow up be done, our eyes in Iowa?

By: websavvy

websavvy — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 10:47:51 -0800

It's not that SpecialK is cool, because he isn't. It's just that he's so much better than this thread. He's wondering how he got here in the first place.

By: th3ph17

th3ph17 — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 10:59:19 -0800

aye. they should just put up a billboard that says Boring People Cause Impotence and be done with it...they wouldn't be able to disput that one. as if any billboard in america is more suggestive than a sit-com, magazine, or episode of Oprah.

By: tommasz

tommasz — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 11:46:25 -0800

Remember, boring people are the majority...

By: jonmc

jonmc — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 12:00:02 -0800

.....on top of family eatery There's a place where you can eat families?!? Now that's sick and offensive...

By: MiguelCardoso

MiguelCardoso — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 12:00:17 -0800

Cheers, beagle. Thanks for explaining. Yeah, I can understand how it it sort of glorifies erections and incites non-smokers to take advantage of their hardness. It is sexually suggestive. I'd still let it stand, though, as sex is good and smoking is bad, m'kay?

By: evanizer

evanizer — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 12:13:43 -0800

Sounds like this place has everything I could ever want: Corn-fed Iowa boys, erections, liquor, fried food, and cigarettes. It was placed on top of Judge Roy Bean's Eatin' & Drinkin' Emporium, 210 Court Ave., about three months ago, said Emporium owner Pam Baker. Judge Roy Bean's Eatin' & Drinkin' Emporium? Now THAT'S dirty!

By: rich

rich — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 12:16:41 -0800

Well, the one thing I could see it helping is targeting the younger crowd.. where kids are starting drugs and smoking in 5th and 6th grade, a little scare tactic into saying "Well, if you start smoking now, you'll never be able to get it" may help in the long run. Also, it forces parents to tal;k to their kids aout it, instead of ignoring it and the stork talk until they're older and it's a bit late.

By: Danelope

Danelope — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 12:17:21 -0800

Should the sign stay or should it go? If it stays, there will be trouble. If it goes there will be double.

By: matteo

matteo — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 12:29:34 -0800

Sounds like this place has everything I could ever want: Corn-fed Iowa boys, erections Evanizer, you must be a huge Bruce Weber fan, am I right?

By: th3ph17

th3ph17 — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 12:36:58 -0800

Rich! how dare you suggest that parents should have to talk to their kids rather than just letting them soak up things through the media.

By: Homeskillet Freshy Fresh

Homeskillet Freshy Fresh — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 13:27:47 -0800

today's Truth commercials are all about scaring you and grossing you out. Truth tends to stick to culture jamming. Filling a plaza with crying baby dolls, a dying rat, et cetera. JEL handles more of the shocking, attention grabbing, PETAesque ads. Mouth cancer, death, all the really gross stuff often in high detail. Here in Des Moines, we also have a new program called FITE (Fight the Influence of Tobacco Everywhere), a community-oriented program, sending people to schools, baseball games, night clubs, wherever teenagers and freshly minted adults go. It's a well organized attack.

By: betaray

betaray — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 13:47:10 -0800

This reminds me of a Doogie Howser M.D. episode. I forget the whole premise, but Dougie became the cool spokes-doctor for some MTV (it wasn't MTV in the episode, but it was obviously MTV) PSA thing. Anyhow, in one of the PSA he says that alcohol can cause impotence. Well, being 8 or 9 at the time I had no idea what that was. So, I asked my parents what impotence was, and they told me. No big deal. I wasn't scarred or anything. I could go into a big long rant here about how Americans think ignoring certain topics with their children is a good idea, or the desire to have everything that is in the least bit uncomfortable to think about removed from their everyday lives. As much as I believe in being open and honest with yourself, your children, and the people around you in general, I'm just starting to have a hard time caring if people choose to live in fantasy worlds where the word "penis" doesn't exist.

By: dabitch

dabitch — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 13:50:27 -0800

I find it really funny that an ad promoting something as politically correct as "please stop smoking" , is offending people. *snickersnicker* - Nobody is safe. They think that is sexually suggestive? What's this then? (self link to rant and half naked chicks advertising milk, apparently)

By: Oriole Adams

Oriole Adams — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 14:30:03 -0800

They think this ad is suggestive? They should see some of ours... Years ago, the place I worked at was in the middle of a neighborhood that had seen better days. There was a methodone clinic on one corner, and a billboard on another corner that warned about AIDS. It listed ways to contract AIDS, including this one (which I quote verbatim): Anal (In the Butt) Sex

By: yhbc

yhbc — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 14:47:25 -0800

Well, as opposed to the other kinds of anal sex, no doubt.

By: alumshubby

alumshubby — Tue, 09 Jul 2002 16:24:11 -0800

On the way back from Myrtle Beach this morning, I passed a garage whose name was IN & OUT LUBE SERVICE.