FOLLOWUP: VW's Matrix-style advertisement garners 100+ complaints
Click above to see the VW Golf commercial
So it's not just America that gets up in arms over commercials. Remember the Matrix-styled ad with the Volkswagen Golf designer fighting various versions of himself? It seems a number of British telly viewers think the commercial "is in breach of the broadcast advertising code for featuring excessive violence that could be copied by children." So they complained to the Advertising Standards Authority, and the ASA is now investigating.
The complaints could mean the spot won't be aired before the 9 p.m. watershed, which is when programs for "children" ages 15-and-up get aired. We've seen more frightening things on YouTube -- in fact, even the G-rated The Tale of Despereaux has more chilling moments than this commercial -- but maybe the parents are afraid their kids will end up fighting... their clones.
[Source: The Guardian]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Carlos 5:06PM (1/10/2009)
Crap like this pisses me off. If parents don't want their kids exposed to violence then they shouldn't let them watch TV at all.
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RamblinReck89 5:08PM (1/10/2009)
The thing is, parents can't control their kids. Parenting requires too much personal responsibility and being responsible isn't fun.
Brian 5:46PM (1/10/2009)
What if I want to watch Football with my young son? Sports is not some adult guy smashing some other guys face with his fist or throwing a brake disc at someones leg. Excessive violence. Kids have a lot of energy and they find interesting ways to use it.
At first I was thinking like you, the parents need to take responsibility, however the article just says they want to move the commercial to a later hour. That sounds like a good idea to me.
firstplace 5:47PM (1/10/2009)
kids should be exposed at an early age to violence while being guided to differentiate real from make believe. If you shelter them they will grow up wrong.
jv2k 6:34PM (1/10/2009)
"What if I want to watch Football with my young son? Sports is not some adult guy smashing some other guys face with his fist or throwing a brake disc at someones leg. Excessive violence. Kids have a lot of energy and they find interesting ways to use it."
So when you want to watch a sport where 200 pound men ram into each other and get real injuries, you don't want to expose your son to fake over the top action scenes?
I take it you don't let your kid watch any boxing either.
Brian 7:14PM (1/10/2009)
My son is only two. When he gets older and understands the difference between fake and real, then it should be fine to let him watch fake action/violent scenes. I guess I could just cover his eyes for now, but what if I am getting some dip?
You are right. I don't see much boxing on regular broadcast TV anymore, but I wouldn't watch UFC in front of him... yet.
I like this commercial. I just don't want him throwing shots and roundhouses at people for fun.
Carlos 10:12PM (1/10/2009)
"What if I want to watch Football with my young son? Sports is not some adult guy smashing some other guys face with his fist or throwing a brake disc at someones leg. Excessive violence. Kids have a lot of energy and they find interesting ways to use it."
You shouldn't allow your child to be watching football either as it is also violent. It is a bunch of men chasing after each other and knocking the crap out of each other in order to stop the opposing team.
paul34 5:09PM (1/10/2009)
I don't know why the UK is so terrified of things like this. They feel the need to control everything, lest the sheeple get a little scared - can't let that happen! Run to mommy government... the government will take of everything for us.
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Mobius_1 5:14PM (1/10/2009)
Unless I am the father of identical twins, I would not be concerned about this at all. And after all, they'd just watch the video on YouTube.
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JB 5:30PM (1/10/2009)
Brits hate violence... it's that simple
Sex and bad language are more tolerated here than in the United States, it's just a culture thing.
Janet Jackson anyone? people here were laughing about the stink that was kicked up in the states,
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Hackmartian 2:39AM (1/12/2009)
Heroes has gone 3 seasons on prime-time commercial TV with nearly every episode showing someone's skull being sawed and their brain exposed. The "violence" in this commercial is slapstick, without a single drop of blood being shed or a single gun being drawn. If this is the worst thing your children are exposed to, I think they'll turn out pretty well-adjusted.
Compared to the what people find acceptable on TV, attacking this ad for being too violent is just absurd.
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Fox 5:56PM (1/10/2009)
Great ad, really nothing bad about it...
The UK is definitely changing, it used to be a land of free speech and opinions - now it is becoming worse than the US for political correctness, I blame the speed cameras everywhere :)
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esteva03 6:08PM (1/10/2009)
"now it is becoming worse than the US for political correctness" wow wow wow!!! really? that is really hard to belive!!! the US has been at it for a long long time!!! and the UK doesn't have the almost sect type of religious fanatics. or does it?
esteva03 6:01PM (1/10/2009)
i think parents are afraid they will have to teach their kids something rather than let them get educated by tv. i think violence is something that presented the right way can make a kid even less prone to violence. i take this from anyone who ever learned any kind of martial art. there are kids who learn to fight because they are violent or want to get rid of it, but many others learn about violence or combat and are naturally drawn away from it, or learn self control.
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Fox 6:41PM (1/10/2009)
==="now it is becoming worse than the US for political correctness" wow wow wow!!! really? that is really hard to belive!!! the US has been at it for a long long time!!! and the UK doesn't have the almost sect type of religious fanatics. or does it?===
It is actually hard to believe, but the UK has been changing a lot in recent years. A lot more government control and regulation has been creeping in.
We all know how the US is, especially if you live in certain parts of the country. Generally the coastal states are more open minded...
Will 6:01PM (1/10/2009)
Sad. Pretty cool concept and a well-produced ad, and the nannies have to go and get their panties in a twist over it.
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intthis 6:06PM (1/10/2009)
i'm sorry, but this commercial is incredible.
people who want to complain will always find something to complain about... vw better just ignore them and continue making awesome commercials.
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Swede 6:11PM (1/10/2009)
Apparently becoming a parent makes you stupid.
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Andrew 6:42PM (1/10/2009)
that was a great commercial. isn't europe supposed to be more liberal than the states?
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paul34 7:27PM (1/10/2009)
Political labels don't make one correct. Because Europe might be "liberal" doesn't make them correct on everything, either.