Dear ProWomanProLife: why must you bring the most … inspirational … parts of the internet to my attention? (Their more lighthearted posts often serve as writing prompts, like this one.
The latest commercial shown on the blog is an ad for Durex condoms, showing children interacting with their families. Some kids engaged in the typical misbehaviour they eventually grow out of, and others made me wonder if they needed an obedience school similar to the canine variety. The screen fades to black at the end, displaying the words “Protect Yourself.” What exactly are condom users supposed to protect themselves from? Are kids dangerous and threatening when they’re … just being kids? Are stable, fruitful relationships something to avoid at all costs, in favour of licentiousness and acting more childish than real children?
Note the subtle glare from the man at the barbecue around the eight-second mark. I don’t want to read too much into a few seconds of footage, but the look could be directed at his wife. In his eyes she might be incapable of managing “her” kids or fertility. The burden must therefore fall to him. (In an ideal reality, parenting decisions would be made by both husband and wife, including the number of children they would welcome into the family.) What an awful hand he has been dealt, since he must take responsibility for his body’s natural functions and the new life that has come from them. As for the children who throw toys and seem more mean-spirited than most, isn’t there a correlation between parental involvement and the temperament of their offspring? Perhaps if he were more present or available to his family, he would be able to recognize problems and nip them in the bud before they became unmanageable.
Zazoo, another condom company based in Belgium, made this advertisement. It shows a little boy throwing the ultimate temper tantrum after his father refuses to buy candy along with their groceries. Other shoppers stare in shock as the child screams, writhes, and chucks things off shelves.
The commercials mistakenly paint the existence of children as a major problem. The chaos that comes with a growing family seems a wonderful incentive to buy Zazoo or Durex’s product. The real solution is for men to step up, be men, remain faithful to their partners, and control their urges. Humans are sexual beings. Sexual activity has power that can be used for building up or for destruction. These impulses should only be followed when a man is ready to give his whole self to the one he’ll spend his life with. Anything less is the equivalent of letting a boy play with a loaded gun. The consequences are just as disastrous and far-reaching.
Taylor Hyatt is a summer student at The Interim.
