American Family Associated Speaks Out Against 'Sexual' RadioShack Ads
The American Family Association is calling on its supporters to contact RadioShack and express their disapproval of two recent television ads that they say promote sexuality and masturbation for teenage boys.
The two advertisements, entitled "The Talk" and "Laundry," involve a father and son discussing topics that appear to be sexual innuendos, but end up being related to technological gadgets, such as tablets and iPhones.
The first commercial, entitled "The Talk," involves a father approaching his son and discussing the importance of "protection" at his age. "I know you just want to get out and show it off, but you can't just go swingin' it around all willy-nilly, trying to impress the girls. You gotta be careful."
The father then pulls out a tablet and tells his son that he has to be careful with the device because its glass is fragile. The 40 second commercial is meant to promote RadioShack's new "protection plan," angled at protecting devices used by students from incidences like water damage as they go back to school.
The second advertisement, entitled "The Laundry," involves a dad telling his son that his mother had just finished the laundry, and he wanted to know if the boy had anything to tell his parents. Looking panicked, the boy replies: "Sometimes I have these funny feelings and I'm not sure what's going on, but I looked online and it said it was normal."
The dad, shocked, then tells the boy that he was referring to the cell phone that was broken after it was left in the boy's jeans and run through the wash. The father reassures the boy that the phone will be replaced, thanks to RadioShack's protection plan.
Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association, encouraged supporters in a press release to contact RadioShack's CEO and voice their concerns about the new, hyper-sexual commercials.
"Both of these ads are clearly designed to portray young boys engaging in sexual situations – flashing and masturbation," Wildmon said. "The RadioShack ads are immature, juvenile and downright distasteful. RadioShack is already in deep financial trouble, so why would they do anything to offend customers? The company is in danger of being de-listed by the NYSE. At last check, RadioShack's stock price was down to only $.62 per share, with financial analysts suggesting it is headed for bankruptcy."
