Don’t Deny the Holy Santa

Eto electrical stores in Russia had a television advertisement where they stated that Father Frost (a.k.a. Santa Claus) did not exist.

But saying that he doesn’t exist is tantamount to telling children that their parents are liars.

So the ad has been banned.

The Federal anti-Monopoly Service said the ad had broken rules for advertisers not to discredit parents and teachers.

…

The ad “induces negative relations between children and parents”, Andrei Kashevarov, the service’s deputy director, told Rossiiskaya Gazeta.

I’m not sure what the context of the Santa ad was… I would think that’s relevant.

A more pressing concern: couldn’t this lead down a slippery slope? For example, some parents teach their kids that God created us in our present form… so are advertisers not allowed to talk about evolution? What about educational TV shows? What do you do when parents are just plain wrong? Ignore the truth to appease them?

(Thanks to Sue for the link!)

[tags]atheist, atheism[/tags]

Linda

There comes a time when kids no longer believe anything their parents tell them anyway. How many teenagers do you know who do not roll their eyes at everything their parents say? Parents try to teach abstinence, but look how effective that is…

Kids are usually much smarter (and wonderfully rebellious) than we give them credit for. I don’t think you have much to worry about.
Eliza

…the ad had broken rules for advertisers not to discredit parents and teachers.

A slippery slope indeed! What if the parents think Coke is better than Pepsi but the ads say otherwise? What if the teachers have been teaching the kids to use standard spelling, “days” not “daze”? “Night” not “nite”? “Light” not “lite”?
Billy

…the ad had broken rules for advertisers not to discredit parents and teachers.

Wait a minute. I think, based on my reading and a logical assessment of the world, that evolution is the best explanation available to explain the history of life on earth. I am also an atheist (with a touch of agnosticism thrown in for giggles). I have raised my children to be free-thinkers and to weigh the evidence before making a decission. If I were in Russia (or if we had a silly law such as that here in America) then any advertisement which mentioned god (creationism, organized religion (I’m a Unitarian (as are my children) and that does not count as organized religion) etc.) then isn’t the advertiser attempting to discredit me as a parent?

Also, I discourage my fourteen (almost fifteen (AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!)) year old daughter from wearing makeup. Are makeup advertisements undermining my authority?

This is more than a slippery slope. If we had a law like this in America, it wouldn’t be long before every commercial was banned because is discredited some parent some where.

Actually, would a world without commercials really be that bad?
Greta Christina

Um…

I’m not sure quite how to say this, but their parents are liars.