Intolerance versus the power of repetition

A rather saddening trend: recently the Advertising Code Committee (ACC) has received quite a number of complaints about advertising in which expression is given to homosexuality.Suitsupply’s out-of-home-campaign, in which kissing men are shown (oh my…), received a considerable amount of negative attention. Complaints with the ACC flooded in. A representative complaint was assessed. (“The advertisement is not in line with the subjective views of many Dutch people, which are based on Christian values and standards”). The complaint was directly dismissed by the ACC’s chairman. The  chairman substantiated his decision (Dutch) with a very solid consideration:

The portrayal of people in a way which shows their (homo-)sexual preference, must be considered socially acceptable, even if not everyone appreciates it. Discrimination on the basis of sexual preference is not permitted.

Apparently, this message didn’t fully register with less tolerant parts of Dutch society.A complaint about a television commercial which shows how two women and a child go to sleep (together) in Ikea products and wake up well-rested. A complainant deemed it absolutely unacceptable that this is depicted as if it were an ordinary family situation. The chairman repeated (Dutch):

The portrayal of people in a way which shows their (homo-)sexual preference, must be considered socially acceptable, even if not everyone appreciates it. Discrimination on the basis of sexual preference is not permitted.

A complaint about a television commercial which included two men kissing each other on the mouth after the blessing of their marriage. The complainant doesn’t want to see this happening in a commercial. According to him, it “exceeds all boundaries”. The chairman, on a roll by now (Dutch):

The portrayal of people in a way which shows their (homo-)sexual preference, must be considered socially acceptable, even if not everyone appreciates it. Discrimination on the basis of sexual preference is not permitted.

Go chairman! And long live the power of repetition.

Daniël Haije