Is there anything that gets you more pissed off then when talking heads start injecting commentary where they have absolutely no business doing so. Such is the case of Jerry Della Femina (yeah that's actually this idiots name). Jerry ''idiot'' Della Femina ( to be known in the rest of this blog as ''IDIOT'') is an advertising executive and you see he decided to pipe up on national television about a subject to which he has neither the qualifications to comment nor the experience to speak from. You see recently Keira Knightly appeared in a Public Service Announcement (PSA) http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?rn=222561&cl=12801667&ch=224106 (it is graphic in nature so please be aware prior to opening). The add is to raise awareness and to destigmatize domestic abuse.
In his infinite (lack) of wisdom Mr. Idiot (Femina) has decided that the add went to far! Ah... hey asshole, in the US there is estimated to be about 5.3 million women and a reported 1.7 million women in Canada who suffer at the hands of men. People that's 7 MILLION WOMEN BEING ABUSED! A 2005 study by the World Health Organization that assessed 24,000 women in 10 countries found that between 15% and 71% of women had experienced physical or sexual violence, or both, at the hands of their partner. They are abused on a daily basis and are trapped in relationships which can only be described as Hell on earth. So why Mr. Idiot (Femina) is the image of an obsessed boyfriend repeatedly kicking his girlfriend ''going to far''. Is it the realism? The pure brutality of it? The fact that it touches directly on a nerve? That's the point isn't it. Advertising isn't all about Cialis and Viagra and Tide Ultra Clean. Advertising has the ability and might i say responsibility to do more then fix broken erections. It has the opportunity to lift a subject into the forefront of our society. And Mr. Idiot if you believe that domestic abuse doesn't deserve to be in the forefront, then go back and stick your head up some Viagra producing pharmacutical companies marketing Director's ass and knock yourself out.
I for one am going to stand up and say these types of public service announcements are needed. Are they hard to watch? ABSOLUTELY. Certainly not harder then the woman receiving kicks to the stomach somewhere in North America as you read this Blog. Were not supposed to camouflage the problem, bury it or pretend like it doesn't exist. The adds aren't directed at the low life abusers, the add is directed at you and me. Mr. and Mrs. every day people. It is designed to heighten our awareness and potentially help us to identify with this issue and ultimately motivate us to take some action. Whether its writing a letter to your local government representative demanding more money, time and resources be made available to combat this problem; or volunteering your time to help raise money or participate in a local shelter. That's what this add is about and its very unfortunately a necessary evil in today's me, myself and I society. The add is ugly and its tough and it will hit you where you need to be hit. It should make you shake your head in disbelief. It should make you angry and sad. It should push you to action. THAT IS WHAT ITS FOR.
Every man reading this has a Grandmother, mother, sister, daughter, niece, aunt, sister in law, who is a potential victim of this. I have two ex's, 1 sister, 2 step sisters, a step Mother, a bunch of nieces, sister in laws and most importantly 1 Daughter. I am NEVER going to sit on the sidelines in regard to any of these people i love. EVER! I certainly will not allow talking heads to spew their bullshit and walk away without being challenged. Mr. Idiot (Femina) needed to keep this asinine comments to himself. They were uncalled for in the public forum. To anyway diminish, or down play the global epidemic (yeah i said epidemic) of abuse against women is a disservice to society as a whole. In my last relationship my girlfriend had two beautiful daughters. I more then anyone wants everyone who can be exposed to this tragic reality to be made aware. I want them aware because those two little girls and my Beautiful Daughter deserve for us ''the people'' to stand against this barbarism. To take whatever affirmative action we can to ensure that none of our female loved ones ever need to be subjected to that type of violence.Mr Idiot (Femina) you make me sad to consider you as a male of the species. Your voice on this matter is mute. I wonder what you might say if one of your loved ones was amongst the 7 MILLION women suffering today. I wonder if you would then consider the add ''excessive''. I doubt it. The great thing about TV is the famous phrase ''if you don't like what you see turn it off'' well Mr Idiot (Femina)i and hopefully many others just turned YOU off!
