Sharpe's Opinion
Wednesday, 15th Jul, 2009
Angela Harbutt on Liberal Vision is in a ranty mood over being told what to do by Government-funded adverts:
But this is just relentless. I am being bombarded now with commandments from the holier-than-thou anonymous men in suits. I must think! about motorcycles when out and about in my car; watch my alcohol units; eat 5 portions of fruit and veg a day; be on the constant lookout for salt sneaking its way into my diet; sneeze into a paper tissue and not touch anything until i have properly disinfected myself; find myself a “flu-buddy”; stop smoking; start exercising; accept that if I dont switch off my tv set at night and move to energy-saving light bulbs I will personally be responsible for global warming the destruction of the entire planet; pay my TV licence (because they know where I live), fill in my tax return on time (ditto), ensure my car is taxed (ditto) and on and on and on…
She says the Government is now the largest advertiser in the UK. which basically means that if they stopped running these stupid public service announcements, the TV networks could go bust.
State dependency at its best, people!
Comments
Well said Stu.
Isn’t it all meant to stop us enjoying our lives rather than to save lives? One does wonder.
So many messages hurled at us dilutes the significance of the important ones and I prefer advertising that makes me smile, not cringe or wince. Things have to get better…… 
If an ad is deemed necessary is the gvt admitting failure in that area? Does the lack of an ad equate to the gvt believing they are succeeding?
More questions: who has deemed the message to be more significant than another; why do they believe a media drive is the most appropriate method to reach their audience; what is the success rate of such ads within their target groups?
Standards set by gvt frequently leads to confusing advertising.
An amusing story is that, at my daughter’s school, last year the 14 year old girls were shown a government sponsored health and safety video about safe practices when playing sport during a games period. I believe it was raining at the time.
I am told that the beginning of the film was tedious, but it became more than interesting when a girl in the film was pierced through her chest by a javelin. My daughter tells me that it was very realistic; both gory and horrific. The child in the film staggered around in great distress with the javelin sticking out of her chest and no one came to help her.
Apparently the girls watching became shocked and were genuinely perturbed, with one almost fainting! The class quickly descended into chaos. The sports teacher had to stop the film. She apologised and said “Oh my goodness, I do not think this is what young girls should be watching!” By this stage the year group were staging a rebellion. They were not made to watch the rest of the film.
Obviously the graphic details in the video were communicated around the school very quickly and it gave everyone something to talk about but I do not think that was the intention somehow. It appears there are no plans to show this film to the girls again!
“…which basically means that if they stopped running these stupid public service announcements, the TV networks could go bust.”
I suspect that’s not an accident.
JuliaM
July 16, 2009 at 9:01 am