Broadcasters Refuse to Air 'Phil the Sore' Syphilis Ad

[zzyzzx]

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3836073

Broadcasters Refuse to Air 'Phil the Sore' Syphilis Ad

Los Angeles health officials are having trouble finding a TV station willing to air a public service announcement about syphilis that employs a lumpy, red cartoon character named “Phil the Sore”.

Los Angeles-area broadcasters said the ad is in poor taste, but the county health agency said it is simply trying to reach gay men – the group at greatest risk from the sexually transmitted disease, which has been on the rise in recent years.

In the 30-second ad, Phil follows two men going home together. As the men later part, one of them, dressed in a bathrobe and underwear, says, “Let’s do it again sometime”. Phil then calls in his whole family, whose members carry boxes labelled “brain damage”, “rash” and “blindness” – all of which can result from syphilis.

None of the five Los Angeles-area television stations that were approached has run the ad.

KCBS spokesman Mike Nelson said he was troubled that the ad took such a light-hearted tone about a serious disease. At KNBC, spokeswoman Erin Dittman said her station rejected a request to run the spot during Will & Grace, a show that features gay characters, but would run it after midnight.

County public health director Dr Jonathan Fielding said he found the TV stations’ stance distressing.

“Would I show it to a four to five-year-old ? No. But do I think it’s appropriate for an adult audience ? Yes, I do,” he said.

Annual syphilis cases reported among gay men in Los Angeles County grew from 93 to 364 between 2000 and 2003.

[BJ_M]

around here - they will air most anything ..

here are some (real) radio spots recently run (these are real radio ads here)

http://www.pirate.ca/audio/nippleclips.mov
http://www.pirate.ca/audio/hotsex.mov
http://www.pirate.ca/audio/testicles.mov
http://www.pirate.ca/audio/hitmen.mov
http://www.pirate.ca/audio/humanebitch.mov

[yoda313]

Hello,

I've heard some of those on 93.9fm - a windsor radio station we pick up. Weird how forward some of those public service messages can be.

Kevin

[Capmaster]

"Phil"?

And for gonorrhea they could name him "Bernie"

[BJ_M]

Annual syphilis cases reported among gay men in Los Angeles County grew from 93 to 364 between 2000 and 2003.

im no authority -- but that seems like a really low number to get really worried about ..

considering we are talking about gay men in Los Angeles County.

[zzyzzx]

I was really hoping that the artice would have had pics. I want to see what Phil the Sore looks like.

[BJ_M]

I was really hoping that the artice would have had pics. I want to see what Phil the Sore looks like.

http://www.stopthesores.org/

[BJ_M]

http://www.stopthesores.org/flash/comic.html


the good stuff

[MOVIEGEEK]

I was really hoping that the artice would have had pics. I want to see what Phil the Sore looks like.

[ViRaL1]

http://www.comcentral.com/mp/videoswitcher.jhtml?show=chappellesshow&reposid=/multimed...v&mswmext=.asx

[Capmaster]

http://www.comcentral.com/mp/videoswitcher.jhtml?show=chappellesshow&reposid=/multimedia/chappelle/showclips_s2/210_vd.html&clip=chappelle/210_vd.wmv&mswmext=.asx

[sacajaweeda]

Image removed by Capmaster
I hope this one doesn't get nix'd too.

Psychic, Sac?