Is This Commercial Appropriate?

So, I was holding the grandsons, with their mom, my son, and his buddy in my living room yesterday. The television was on for background noise.
And this commercial came on the set

Jingle Balls

There are men, in boxers, "making" "bells" ring to the tune of jingle bells
Now, as a woman, I can appreciate the view, and the humor in this commercial. I'm old, not dead.
But, even my son was like "WTH???" "How can they get away with that?"
I said, "how do they get away with the victory secret commercials?"
"Yeah, but mom, look what they are doing!"

I will admit, if I would have had a young child in the room, I would have immediately changed the channel.

What do you think?

lol that was amusing

I don't think a kid would understand, especially not a little girl. There are no bulge either but remember that girls are allowed to show their breasts but men aren't allowed to show their balls, but when they do show something like on Borat (oh god forbid) it's not the end of the world. I thought it was a clever commercial and wouldn't prevent a child from seeing it. I'm sure their mind would immediately think "oh, they are making sounds with their hips!".

Well consider this, women on TV are almost exclusively portrayed as sex objects.
Violence is even more commonly depicted in some form or fashion.
And to top it off, they subtly spread horrible ideas to the viewers about politics, religion, social dynamics, etc.

So actually these Jinglers are the least of our worries.
Sad but true.

reply to post by Em2013


Well, that is true, maybe 10-12, the awkward years? I was just really surprised by my sons and his buddies reaction, they are mid 20's.

Looks like a post 9pm advert here in the UK in that its assumed that after 9PM the little ones are in bed away from the screen so you can have swearing,nudity and more risky stuff and its generally considered your fault if you let them stay up after 9 and they see something thats a bit ooh-err matron

but without knowing American advertising rules etc on time/what adverts on what time etc its hard to see if someone 'ballsed up' and dropped a 'bollock' with the advert (sorry couldn't help myself )

reply to post by Maxatoria


LOL yeah, I should have put the time in the OP.
The commercial came on between 1:30 and 2 pm, EST.

reply to post by Maxatoria


In the US, we used to have these commercials about "girls gone wild" and they would be on all the time at night. I don't know if they are still on since I ditched cable half a decade ago but yeah, there were boobies! It irritated me though, because the commercials were stupidly annoying haha.

But as for the timeframe thing, I think it's the parent's responsibility at any time of the day. Have a parental lock and watch your kids if you don't want them to see, oh the horrors of the human body. lol

It's in my signature:
Once Americans reached for the stars
Now we grab our crotches.
We've gone from aspirations to masturbation, plain and simple.

Taste? Discretion? Wth is that anymore?
We have all the freedom in the world to look like primates and the PTB encourage such behavior.
Destroy any sense of morality or decency.
Desensitize us to violence, rape and theft.
Whatever feels good, do it.
Perfect recipe for self-centered, uncaring adults who aspire for nothing more than their next cheap thrill, be it orgasm or football game.

I used to think religion was the enemy of freedom.
I've come to realize our freedoms come from our creator and unless we respect the forces that made us we sink to levels of subhuman behavior

Of course children will now parody this commercial and jingle their junk.
Mission accomplished by the media.

reply to post by Asktheanimals


Yeah, it seems to me that it's some kind of creeping infantilism in the culture.

Truthfully, as an older guy I found it a little uncomfortable and in no way funny. However, I do as I've preached to others: If you don't want to see it, then don't look at it—or change the channel or just block it out. It's still weeks until Christmas, and it's not going to go away. (Actually, I think Christmas commercials go on well into January now; so there's quite a few weeks left for me to learn to live with my discomfort.)

On another level, I've come to believe that this generation (and beyond) are being tricked into thinking that "license" is equivalent to "Liberty." As freedoms are slowly eroded away, they're replaced with a dim and debased substitute called "license," of which this sort of thing is exactly emblematic. It seems to be working....

reply to post by chiefsmom


When I saw this I actually felt embarrassed, not because I am a man but because it shows perfectly the moral degradation of society, is this really what we have become ?

I'm no moralist but when a huge corporation like K Mart thinks this is the way to sell underwear... well I don't think any more needs to be said other then I won't set foot in a K Mart again.

reply to post by chiefsmom


One night the grandgirl came and climbed into bed with me in the middle of the night. I had fallen asleep with the television on, watching some harmless comedy show. Upon finally clearing the sleep from my eyes and tucking the little one in next to me I noticed what was on television- an "infomercial" selling adult "novelties".... I make sure if I fall asleep watching television now I'm watching a DVD or something- no surprises!

reply to post by littled16


Yikes! Hopefully she was young enough not to understand???

I do think this commercial would have been more appropriate later at night. But I think that for the victoria secret ones as well.
But, K mart has to be happy, because it is being talked about everywhere.:

reply to post by Ex_CT2


It's this kind of inane conduct that passes for "Freedom".
Want to do something meaningful like protest in front of a Federal Building?
You'll find out very quickly where your freedom ends.

This is our substitute for rebellion, by acting crudely and breaking social taboos.
It does nothing but degenerate society.
I enjoy Family Guy as much as the next person but when they make Stewie in to a sexual character that's just going too far for me.

reply to post by chiefsmom


Well, it just played itself out here.
I started to watch the video, the bells came on then the guys playing jingle balls.
I barely made it 20 seconds in when the boys came running because they heard Christmas music. I had to shut it off, darnit.

A lot of inappropriate commercials are played at inappropriate times any more.
I know I'm getting tired of seeing some of them in the mornings during a weekend football game or during a supposedly family show. Some of the commercials for the horror movies have given my boys nightmares and we do the best to change it when they come on.

But as a woman, if I saw that on late night tv, it's just cute.

I don't see the big deal. Things are in a constant state of change. This isn't 1950. Adjust and adapt. Censor everything right? This IMO is freedom of expression. Advertising agents are just thinking out of the box. Because, a lot of ideas have been taken.... Hence, state of change.

I for one believe in freedom of speech and expression. I'm sure, some think I should be stripped of all my rights, bank account drained and thrown in federal prison for this belief. Live and let live. Bigger things happening in the world that require our attention instead of a jingle balls commercial.

just my two cents.. Good day to all. And Happy Holidays!

reply to post by woodsmom

But as a woman, if I saw that on late night tv, it's just cute.

Yep!
If hubby gets to drool over the victoria secret models, I should have something to look at too!


And to C2H:
I don't have a problem with it, as an adult. I do worry about the kids though, which made me wonder if commercials have a rating, like t.v. shows do? I know you can set the new t.v.'s to block anything over a g, pg, pg13, ect, so will commercials be blocked as well?
Something to investigate I guess.

reply to post by chiefsmom


Really, it is only fair. It's never equal opportunity eye candy.

They could have better timing.
I just finally finished potty training my youngest, and he would be swinging free if he saw that singing jingle bells the whole time. Haha!

I just saw it for the first time. It gave me a chuckle.
Canadians have been brought up with the old English comedies, like Benny Hill, Faulty Towers, Monty Python, etc.

Many of our channels don't even censor out swearing anymore.

With all the graphic violent images on tv these days, jingly balls are nothing to worry about.
I rather children see something light hearted such as that, than the violence on tv.
Even if I had to explain what was jingling.