UPDATE — 12:26 p.m.: Branco gave the following statement on the cartoon to HuffPost:
I’m not against birth control or nor do I feel that it is any of my business what people do sexually. However, I do feel that contraceptives are inexpensive and accessible enough that I shouldn’t have to pay for them through my taxes. I also feel that my government shouldn’t be promoting promiscuous sex as though condoms are the answer to all STDs and promiscuous behavior.
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More idiot statements. STD’s? Promiscuous sex? Government promotion of condoms? What rock does this dude live under? The use of contraceptives and condoms saves lives. I guess that is immaterial. To suggest that contraception is inexpensive is simply ludicrous and ignorant. Unless people live close to clinics with free samples, oral contraception is pretty darn expensive, in particular if one is counting one’s pennies to get by each month.
Has it occurred to “the gentleman” that he pays for unplanned children? He pays for their prenatal care, their birth, their medical expenses, their food, and sometimes their housing if the mother can’t afford these things for herself and her child. Contraception seems like a mighty good thing to spend my taxes on actually. In fact, I believe so strongly in contraception for those who don’t want to get pregnant I would suggest putting it in the water.
Basically, the cartoon is disrespectful. I find it interesting that we still go back to the old notion that somehow the woman is at fault and the man is the victim. [wink wink nudge nudge.] The last time I studied sexually transmitted diseases, I learned that both sexes were vulnerable. Perhaps the “gentleman” should have used one of those free condoms or…kept his zipper up.
Branco needs to grow up.
Actually, I think the original ad that this cartoon is parodying is even more disrespectful to women.
You can see it at the link below, but here’s the text from the ad that is done in the woman’s voice:
“OMG, he’s hot!
Let’s hope he’s as easy to get as this birth control.
My health insurance covers the pill, which means all i have to worry about is getting him between the covers.
I got insurance, now you can too.”
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/11/24/246590664/colorado-ads-use-sex-and-alcohol-to-sell-health-insurance
I am woman, hear me roar, indeed. I don’t think this ad is what Betty Friedan had in mind back in the day. The woman is portrayed as having nothing on her mind but casual sex and we’ll skip over the poor grammar the text that’s in the woman’s voice. I guess I’m getting old, but I never expected to see a government ad describing a woman as “hot to trot”.
The part about “My health insurance covers the pill, which means all I have to worry about is getting him between the covers” is incredibly bad health advise from a government agency. (Yes there is some fine print about condoms and STDs, but a public health ad shouldn’t have that in the fine print, that’s “burying the lede” as they say.) The original ad skips over all the potential consequences of sex, so ironically enough, it’s the parody that at least includes some of them.
Both ads are from Colorado, the same state that did that silly bro-surance ad a month or so ago. I’m starting to think that their ad agency has a mole working in it from one of the late night comedians. There are two more ads too. One about “shotskis” featuring a bunch of Woo girls drinking shots off a ski and one ostensibly about yoga that conveniently includes the most cleavage I’ve ever seen in a government publication.
I think it is more disrespectful towards twenty and thirty somethings than just women. Now here it goes…if that kind of ad is what is bringing them in…then perhaps the disrespect is deserved. These are supposed adults who need shotskis to convince them they need health coverage? As for the cleavage, you see more cleavage than that on Fox News. You don’t even have to tilt your head.
What I found confusing is who was actually sponsoring these ads. The article says non-profit groups. Did Colorado buy up the ads?
Why do you think that Branco is spoofing those ads out of Colorado?
I do see your point, Furby, I am just not sure I totally agree that it’s wrong. I think too many “young” adults act like raucus teenagers and really need to grow up.
Of course, when one is a vintage woman…(old lady?) one can look disparagingly at some of the practices of the young.
It’s obvious the cartoon is spoofing the “hot to trot” ad from Colorado. The woman is wearing the same color blouse, with the same haircut and holding the birth control pills in the same way. The man has the same 5 o’clock shadow with the same blue jacket and blue shirt. The “couple” is posed the same way. It’s very, very obviously they are a meant to be the same couple from the “hot to trot” ad.
I agree that the ads make young people out to be vacuous idiots with nothing buy sex and booze on their minds. The bro-surance ad is disrespectful to men too. So collectively the ads offend almost everybody. Sounds like they are a good target for mocking.
The funding of the ads is a pretty murky. The group that ran the ads is partially funded by the state but the organization and the state are saying the money was for “a mapping tool for the uninsured, to help the uninsured navigate the application process for insurance”
There are plenty of young people who make foolish decisions. But even people who make a dumb decision on Saturday night might be educated to make a smart decision on Monday morning. I’d much rather see an ad campaign that targets the young with a theme like “Not having health insurance…bad risk. Starting your own business without having to worry about employer provided health insurance …smart risk” You know, something that tries to lift them up and motivate them instead of saying that its OK to wallow in the muck.
Furby, You are probably willing to give young people more credit than I am. Some are mature, thinking people. Others are complete dumb asses who think with their crotches.
If I saw the ad I might laugh. Operative word: might.
I suppose also it depends on where the ad is being aired. I think anything that gets the attention of the young probably isn’t a bad idea. If they are insulted, then perhaps there is hope. (although I haven’t seen a whole lot that insults some folks.) I would be pleased if they were insulted. That would show maturity.
I agree that government sponsored ads like that might be something most people wouldn’t want to foot the bill for.
The cartoonist stated his personal beliefs. I don’t think he was mocking as much as jumping on his own band wagon.
It’s just a cartoon by some guy who calls it “Cartoonically Incorrect”. So I’m not going to get too worked up about it. But on the larger issue, given that contraception is basically preventive medicine, it only makes sense for us to pay for it. I understand why it strikes some social conservatives as problematical, because it is government subsidy of something they dislike and want people not to engage in, but I would hope they understand the logic in reducing unplanned pregnancies via contraception, and how this is almost surely worth doing.
You are a more understanding person than I am. I don’t understand why social conservatives would not see contraception as preventative and therefore worthy of public investment. It prevents a host of things they dislike: abortion, unwed motherhood, child abuse, welfare, working mothers, etc.
If you mean sex in general, they might as well give up on that. People are going to continue to do the deed.
Thanks Furby for those links … wow the original ad is out there. Are kids really so dumb that it makes sense to sell them heaklth care based on a drug/sex marketing campaign? (I doubt it). That’s pretty disturbing.
@Rick, yes, sadly some are. Many are in attendance at institutions of higher learning across this nation.
Just to throw out a few points to ponder: Jackass, hazing at frat initiations, bar crowds on anynight in anyplace, USA, Molly Cyrus at the video music awards…the list goes on.