Won't Someone Think Of The Children...........

[InCider]

I won't let them watch this ad.

 

[Muggus]

Ditto for me.

I don't see the issue. The only messages I can see in there are "Cold beer comes from the fridge", and "Dad likes a beer" and "when Dad is having a beer at a bbq, and it runs out, he likes to have another."

Does it show anything about the 50 hour week he's put in, and that he probably deserves to have a couple of coldies with his mates? Nope

Does it show him falling over himself, acting like an idiot, drunk as a skunk? Nope. In fact does it show any irresposible behaviour really? I don't thnk so. I think it shows a typical situation (which may well in many households deteriorate as the eveniing wears on, but the add doesn't make that distinction.)

I think there's a much better add on TV that makes the point about the specific subject they are trying to address, that's the one that lasts about 10 seconds and shows the little girl at the bathroom door with Dad hugging the toilet like a teenager. Straight to the point, not able to be confused and very distinctly makes the point that children witness that behaviour on occasion and it's not acceptable. It even manages to illict a slight feeling of shame in me when I remember the occasions that I have over-indulged to the point of losing control (not in front of my kids though)

Not into media that in their effort to make a clever add, manage to demonise what I don't consider to be irresponsible behaviour (the 'get me a beer son' add.)

If they must try to get a message across, I believe they should do a better job of distinguishing between acceptable normal behaviour and unacceptable in a way that cannot be confused/mis-understood, lest kids grow up with that one eyed tee-totaller view that they are simply not capable of exerting self control when it comes to alcohol because the alcohol will rule them and control their actions. That kind of message leads to people making excuses like " it was the grog that made me do it" which is the biggest cop out in existence.

Have to agree with what you've said here.

This ad wasn't what I expected. To be honest I was expecting some far more graphic.
Keep the whole "Mike, get your dad a beer son" bit, thats good. But then if the cut to maybe a house/street party when the the kids 15 and he's with his pissed mates and their rambling shit and being incoherent and they're like "Mike, get your mates a beer mate". And he'll stubble off to the esky full of beers, grab a handful, fall over and start puking everywhere.
To me, something like that would be more confronting.
Subtlety doesn't work as well if they seriously wanna get the message across.

 

[wyatt_girth]

The most chilling ad I ever saw was the one with the father lying in the bed in hospital with an oxygen mask and his daughter (aged roughly 9-11) telling him about her fun weekend........

That was the same night I gave up smoking....

This one did it for me too. Helped to convinced me to give up the bungers a couple of months after our daughter was born. 3 years this Tuesday - day after our work picnic day which was/is always a day of excess. Bar opens at 9am, lawn bowls, and huge feed all for the fee of $20. Used to be a pack and a half day.

Back towards topic - this is also the only day of the year where my wife and daughter (along with some of the neighbours) get to see me tanked to capacity :icon_drunk: but the little lady hasn't noticed in the last couple so this year will be an eye opener. I usually say g'day and head to the bed to evade the scowls from SWMBO who is less than impressed that I have managed to outdo myself from the year before despite my offering to 'take it easy this year'. There are other occasions where I get merry but these are usually kept to after dark and after the young'n has retired for the evening.

 

[Bribie G]

Onya guys. My partner smoked forty a day for many years and three years ago had a stroke that put her in hospital for three months. It destroyed her language centre and although she continues to improve she will never be the same person again. Mainly due to the sticks. It's not just cancer. She doesn't smoke now and is as physically healthy as women ten years younger, but the brain damage has been done.

The thing that disappoints me is that her two grown up daughters continue to smoke "Won't happen to me".

Personally I used to smoke but gave it up when the bastards put them up from three shillings and ninepence to four shillings. Four shillings for a packet of cigarettes? No way.

Four dollars for a schooner???????? I'll show them.

Tightarse :lol:

 

[flattop]

They would make a better ad by taking the camera's down King st Melbourne at 3am and look at the stupid behavior of the punters falling out of the clubs with a skinful, stabbing and beating up on each other and breaking things that don't belong to them.
That's reality TV

 

[Mantis]

They would make a better ad by taking the camera's down King st Melbourne at 3am and look at the stupid behavior of the punters falling out of the clubs with a skinful, stabbing and beating up on each other and breaking things that don't belong to them.
That's reality TV

Yes to that idea.
Yes to that smoking add as well, it is a ripper. I used to knock off a packet of 50 a day until the wife got pregnant with our first. She smoked then as well, and we both gave them up. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired anyway, so it has been good. We havent had a smoke between us in 14 years.
I dont like the add in question as generations of kids have grown up in these situations and only vary few become problamatic alcoholics.
Hic

 

[Gerard_M]

There is a self imposed rule that 2 or 3 beers at work is enough. Not everyday, but probably 3-4 days a week.
I have no problem with the kids seeing me have a beer. I don't get the chance to drink at home very often, if I do it is after the kids are in bed, & I can't remember the last time I got a skinfull! There is always beer in the fridge, there are just other things that come first.
Cheers
Gerard

 

[wyatt_girth]

The thing that disappoints me is that her two grown up daughters continue to smoke "Won't happen to me".

And it may not but it's still a gamble right? My dad, my brothers and I watched my grandfather die from emphysemia (spelling?) yet we still all went out on the verandah for a cigga while pop sat there hooked up to his oxygen. Crazy.

 

[newguy]

The thing that disappoints me is that her two grown up daughters continue to smoke "Won't happen to me".

My wife just lost her dad at the end of September. I've honestly never seen anyone smoke so much - ever. Both him and her mom smoke extremely heavily. Ever since I've known my wife, my mother in law has been going on and on about how smoking is sooooo good for you and it's sooooo much better than drinking. Her favourite phrase is "I've never got in my car and ran someone over because I had one too many cigarettes!" [I bet she's done the fish-the-lit-cigarette-out-from-under-her-ass slalom a few times, though.]

They found out at the beginning of September that he had cancer. It started in his stomach and spread to pretty much every organ in his abdomen, including the lungs and the brain. He was a heavy smoker for >55 years. The doctors told my wife and my mother in law that smoking was to blame. Now that he's gone, my MIL flatly denies that smoking had anything to do with it. I guess when you live with an illusion for 50+ years that it's hard to hear the truth.

When he was sick, my wife and I spruced up their house a bit because now that he's gone, the MIL wants to move into a condo. We tore out some carpeting, which was originally grey. It was the colour of espresso in places, and not because of foot traffic. To put it mildly, I freaked out. It made me wonder what my wife's lungs are like, after spending ~20 years breathing in that crap.

And, thankfully, it also scared my wife. While she hasn't completely stopped smoking herself, she has drastically cut back and does intend to quit. And she never smokes in the house - she refuses to do it in front of the kids.

 

[wakkatoo]

As a father I try to set the best possible example for my kids in everything I do (don't we all? I hope so). Not saying I get it right all the time but my kids regulary see me with a beer, but NEVER see me drunk. Like others, since beginning homebrewing I could count on one hand and have fingers spare the numbers of times I've gone all out and had a big night. I'd far more prefer to savour my beers and model beer appreciation to my kids rather than simple beer consumption.

For many that ad is useless as its preaching to the converted or the unconvertable. But for those 'swinging voters' in the middle it could have a positive impact which can only be a good thing for the kids involved. Hell, the fact that it is generating so much discussion on here would suggest it is having the desired impact.

Just my 2c

 

[Thirsty Boy]

OK - first up, I have no kids.. so I am generalising.

What the hell is so wrong with getting a little drunk anyway? My folks basically didn't drink at all, but I had plenty of family get togethers with uncles and aunties who did. They sometimes got drunk... so what?

As a teenager - guess what? I used to go buy some booze with my mates, get drunk, fall over, throw up and pass out... kept it up till I realized the small amount of joy was diminishing and the nausea was more price than I was willing to pay.

Still get drunk occasionally

I didn't however - bash people, drive when drunk (ever!!!) get abusive, steal stuff, smash stuff or generally make a total shit of myself

Young people will get pissed, big deal - almost everyone I know used to regularly get shitfaced as young men & women. We grew out of it, got jobs, had kids and every now and then we still get shitfaced. Who cares one jot if the kids these days do exactly the same thing? Where's the harm?

The ones who are going to turn alcoholic - sorry, but all the respect in the world for good beer and fine produce isn't going to help them. They'll savour the fine beer and swill the cheap gin instead - their problem isn't with booze, booze is just the symptom of their problem.

The one's who get smashed and then go out to smash others... their problem isn't with booze, its with respect. They dont respect you or yours when they are sober, drunk just makes them less afraid of the consequences.

The problem is that arseholes are arseholes - and the fact that at the moment they might be kids who are merely arseholes in waiting, has almost certainly got nothing to do with whether dad has a beer or two at a BBQ - or whether he is a beer geek with belgian on tap in the back yard.

Sure - teach em to respect beer as a beverage rather than an alcohol delivery system- when they are about 25 that message might come in handy. Before that they will probably steal all your bourbon out of the booze cupboard and get whacked out of their gourd with their mates. And as long as they aren't kicking me or mine to death while they do it... good on em I say. Hope their head hurts in the morning.

 

[afromaiko]

I thought it was saying that your kids will inherit your taste for bad porno moustaches, but then it got to the last guy and I'm all confused now. That, and chucking your twist tops randomly on the floor expecting the missus to clean up after you. Were twist tops actually around 30 years ago?

 

[staggalee]

Personally, I think anyone who believes a 20 second TV ad is going to make a major change in someone`s life has as much chance as these 2 blokes.

staggalee.

 

[Hashie]

For me it all comes down to being (trying to be) a responsible parent.
A couple of weeks ago, I took our teenage son and a few of his mates to the speedway. While there we saw a drunken ~16 year old being an ass and trying to start fights. I used his example and said to the boys "there you go, that's a good example of why you shouldn't drink". My son said to me "Well don't drink like him, just drink like you."
This statement made me feel very proud as a parent. My kids have never seen me drunk and yet I drink every night (2-3 pints). Being responsible means doing the right thing yourself.
I also gave up the smokes when our first born turned 1, because I didn't want any of our kids to ever see me smoking. Wether this stops them, only time will tell.