Oscar 2020: the commercial on motherhood has been censored because it is too explicit
Wars, epidemics, violence, and yet, in 2020, there are still people who are scandalized when it comes to female physiological phenomena. Whether it is menstruation or pregnancy, the world of women is often the subject of taboos and mystifications.
The latest episode at the center of the cyclone is the case of the commercial made by Frida Mom, a brand of products for new mothers, then censored by the ABC television station, which has the last word when it comes to approving what to send in. wave and what not during the Oscars ceremony. The reason? "Too explicit with partial nudity". The problem is upstream. Advertising, in fact, is not too explicit, it is simply realistic.
The protagonist is a new mother who gets tired out of bed to go to the bathroom to change the tampon, which is essential a few days after giving birth. The lens shows us a body still marked by pregnancy and in the background we can hear the crying of the newborn. Nothing shocking, but the stark reality that millions of mothers have to face every day.
Still on the subject of pregnancy, here is a video that explains what obstetric violence consists of, a real violence perpetrated against women during childbirth.
The goal of advertising: to normalize the debate on postpartum discomfort
The intent of the brand was precisely this: to shed light on post-partum discomforts and to emphasize the importance of supporting women in such a delicate moment, struggling with a changing body and the fear of not being up to par.The closing attitude taken towards this content shows us how, even today, it is extremely difficult to start a public debate on the difficulties faced daily by mothers. The myth of pregnancy as the most beautiful moment in a woman's life must be absolutely revised to give space to a representation of the phenomenon that is as close as possible to reality. Motherhood is not only kisses, hugs and caresses, but also physical and psychological malaise that no woman should be ashamed of and whose only solution is to talk about it without reticence.
Frida Mom did not stop in front of the no and decided to upload the offending video to social media, which immediately went viral. The brand further explained that “It is not violent, political or sexual in nature. Our commercial is not religious or obscene and does not describe weapons or ammunition ”, expressing a certain and very justified disappointment at the censorship suffered. There are many women who have seen themselves in advertising and have clamored for the postpartum experience to be normalized once and for all. We can therefore say that the brand has succeeded in its intent to raise public awareness. In the end, despite those who wanted to obscure it, this is the short film we will remember when we think of the Oscars 2020.
