okay. so...the wrong message? sure, maybe. but censoring? saying beer and junkfood and viagra are BAD? parents DRINK WINE FOR DINNER WITH THEIR 3 YEAR OLD KIDS AT THE DINNER TABLE BUT THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO LET THEM SEE AN ADVERT FOR IT??? i mean, come on guys, logic?

This is exactly what I'm finding in my research with parents. Many parents are upset with these kinds of ads during programming watched by the entire family. The problem here is that the ads are 1) targeting adults (men); 2) glamorize and trivialize sex and alcohol. Advertising sends value messages that play on our emotions and identification with things. Regarding the ads for junk food, childhood obesity is the number one health problem in this country--and emerging research shows that junk food ads top the food ads children are exposed to, so healthy foods are just less part of children's everyday "wallpaper" considering they are in front of a screen much of the day. Exposure to junk food ads can influences eating choices, let alone the "nag factor" of what kids beg parents to buy. Research from the APA Task Force on Advertising and Children (2004) shows that children approximately age 8 and under have difficulty discerning commercials from programming content and do not recognize the persuasive intent of ads. On the other hand, even though tweens and teens can recognize persuasive intent, they are learning about alcohol and sex--so they are more "tuned in" to messages about these things, which can influence their values and beliefs.

Meh. Some of them are quite bad, but to be honest, here in Canada, it's probably the only reason alot of us watch the Superbowl: Funny Commercials. And junk food commercials? Umm, okay... Chances are you eat it quite often, so, seeing it is worse?

My parents when we were little used to make us mute commercials. It was a good idea, but it has kindof backfired. Now when me and my sis watch an ad that is less than stellar, we don't know whether to mute it or just change the channel. (At least when the 'rents are in the room!) WE don't know their expectations. Still, that is the best approach in my opinion.

I feel the same way about feminine hygiene ads; I am no prude, and have been known to laugh out loud at commercials. However, I would really appreciate my daughter, who is going through puberty now, being able to watch a program on television with her father in the room, and not have to worry about some ad spotlighting all the changes she's experiencing. It's not that her father is embarrassed by the ads, or even gives them a second thought, but when you are a young girl, you see things a whole lot differently.

Not only that, but I personally find them stupid, misogynistic and annoying.

In today's society, as always, there are aspects that some find offensive or just distasteful. There cannot be a time in history that has been free of bad influences or bad decisions. And although the parents are the ones best suited for making sure that their children are not exposed to subjects that they would find objectionable, it does fall on the advertisers to control or reign in their commercials.

I don't really see how junk food ads are bad. Sure you don't want to be eating McDonald's everyday, but a little bit is not going to hurt anyone. Beer ads aren't that bad either as long as your kids know that its bad to get wasted. As for the Viagra ads I don't think little kids are even going to know about/care about what they are talking about.

There is a huge ignorance about how and what affects our children and US! It is naive to believe that ideals and morals have not
deteriorated in the last 20 years. Have you seen the movie Idiocracy! We are living it! It is time to get responsible and knock off
the BS. Just look at what is happening in this country. I realize many of you out there think that this is no big deal and that is no
big deal....but when you add them all up, our youth is in crisis because of that kind of thinking. We are all paying the price.

commonsensemedia i dont know why your making such a big deal of beer commercials i mean ive seen plenty and it hasnt effected me and my family in any way so stop posting topics that only overprotective moms would post

I wonder if anyone objects to the way cheerleaders dress? I'm sure men won't, but I have often wondered how sports can be considered family entertainment alone just by the way they dress the cheerleaders. I don't consider it family entertainment when there are women half dressed dancing around like they think they work in a stripper club. Just curious. I might as well take my family to a strip bar. Any comments?

I agree that commercials are our main concerns these days when our kids watch television. The overtly sexual ads are what concern me the most. Recently, I saw one with two teenagers stripping down to their under garments and then jumping into the ocean. I do talk to my kids about these ads when they catch us off guard, but it would be so nice to be able to leave the room to get some popcorn during a commercial without having to worry about what my kids will see in the 3 minutes I'm gone. The ads have gotten out of hand for regular television during the daytime and early evening when kids are watching.

I don't see how junk food ads are all that big of a deal. The same with beer ads. Parents should be teaching their kids that eating too much junk food, and drinking beer in excess or under age is bad. If kids understand that they're bad, why worry? And what's the deal with erectile dysfunction? I didn't even know what that was when I was twelve years old, and I really didn't care to know either. I never thought of asking, and if I did, I was mature enough at that age to handle it. I had the sex talk. I knew about erections. This whole article is just much ado about nothing.

please. enlighten me on why a viagra commercial is a big deal. because guess what? erections exist. deal. so does beer. it's on billboards on the side of the road. deal.