Green party's "shocking" election broadcast
Discussion
From www.msn.co.uk/news/panews05/
"A controversial party election broadcast by the Green Party is to show a man killing a child. The film shows a man putting a hose pipe through the window of a car. It's been described as the most shocking party political broadcast ever. The Green Party is defending the advert. Party officials say the portrayal of child death is justified because it alerts people to the fact up to 24,000 people die each year in the UK from air pollution. It's planned to be screened on April 26, shortly before the May 2 local elections. Spencer Fitz-Gibbon, the party's communications chief, said: "People will be horrified but they must realise the extent of the problem of air pollution. "Unfortunately too few people get to hear about it, which is why the Green Party is putting the issue on television in its new film prior to this year's local elections. "When you make an alarm call you don't whisper. If we're to take radical action we all need to be awake." The five-minute film will be broadcast immediately after the late news programmes on BBC1, BBC2 and ITV1. It shows a grandfather-figure strapping a child into a car. He then attaches a pipe to the exhaust, puts it through a window and locks all the doors and the screen fades to black. The Green Party election film also features Sir Ian Holme, who plays Bilbo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings."
"A controversial party election broadcast by the Green Party is to show a man killing a child. The film shows a man putting a hose pipe through the window of a car. It's been described as the most shocking party political broadcast ever. The Green Party is defending the advert. Party officials say the portrayal of child death is justified because it alerts people to the fact up to 24,000 people die each year in the UK from air pollution. It's planned to be screened on April 26, shortly before the May 2 local elections. Spencer Fitz-Gibbon, the party's communications chief, said: "People will be horrified but they must realise the extent of the problem of air pollution. "Unfortunately too few people get to hear about it, which is why the Green Party is putting the issue on television in its new film prior to this year's local elections. "When you make an alarm call you don't whisper. If we're to take radical action we all need to be awake." The five-minute film will be broadcast immediately after the late news programmes on BBC1, BBC2 and ITV1. It shows a grandfather-figure strapping a child into a car. He then attaches a pipe to the exhaust, puts it through a window and locks all the doors and the screen fades to black. The Green Party election film also features Sir Ian Holme, who plays Bilbo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings."
F
g Sick Fs!
Who would show a child being killed for an Election broadcast!
"Well, the thing is, nobody listens to us 'cos we smell and hug tree's and haven't eaten a proper meal since we found that load of whoppers that burger king down the road were throwing out! We decided to kill a child 'cos we thought it was a legitimate sacrifice to make to save the world from pollution. The fact that we don't know what the fk we are talking about, have no figures/evidence to back up our claims, and generally smell is just a mere inconvenience!"
"Vote Greens and you can hug trees too!!"
g Sick Fs! Who would show a child being killed for an Election broadcast!
"Well, the thing is, nobody listens to us 'cos we smell and hug tree's and haven't eaten a proper meal since we found that load of whoppers that burger king down the road were throwing out! We decided to kill a child 'cos we thought it was a legitimate sacrifice to make to save the world from pollution. The fact that we don't know what the f
k we are talking about, have no figures/evidence to back up our claims, and generally smell is just a mere inconvenience!" "Vote Greens and you can hug trees too!!"
Actually this really p****s me off. We need to OBJECT via the ASA NOW! After all...many cars now CLEAN the air they pass through now due to modern catalytic converter technology. Or at least...they don't make it worse!
This ad will once again preach an anti-car message when it is PATENTLY UNTRUE whilst letting the real culprits (sorry guys - its heavy industry) get away with it.
Time to "MG" the bar stewards...
nonegreen - get yerself going...you know you want to...
This ad will once again preach an anti-car message when it is PATENTLY UNTRUE whilst letting the real culprits (sorry guys - its heavy industry) get away with it.
Time to "MG" the bar stewards...
nonegreen - get yerself going...you know you want to...
Post your objection here :- www.itc.org.uk/how_can_we_help/complain/ad_complaint_form.asp
I have sent the following :-
I have not yet seen this broadcast, nor do I wish to. There a res o many undesirable aspects to this that it is difficult to know where to start.
It is NOT car pollution that kills children. Heavy industry, smoking, poor health ae the root causes of chest disease, and pollution is only one featuer of a multi-factorial picutre. Thus, singling out one aspect is factually inaccurate. Further, deaths from asthma have been unchanged for 30 years, and it is death from lung disease caused by smoking, which accounts for the annual death toll of lung-related death - usually old people.
This is emotive, poor quality ranting by a fringe party trying to get some publicity. It contributes nothing to a sensible debate on the environment. Perhaps if the hose led from the child in the car, back to an East German or 3rd. world coking plant, it may have slightly more accuracy...
I believe, however, that the ITC, and ASA, have no control over the content of PPB's - they are exempt from normal standards of decency - obviously, otherwise how could the main parties get away with the lies they spout on their little soirees!? Still, I've sent it...
I have sent the following :-
I have not yet seen this broadcast, nor do I wish to. There a res o many undesirable aspects to this that it is difficult to know where to start.
It is NOT car pollution that kills children. Heavy industry, smoking, poor health ae the root causes of chest disease, and pollution is only one featuer of a multi-factorial picutre. Thus, singling out one aspect is factually inaccurate. Further, deaths from asthma have been unchanged for 30 years, and it is death from lung disease caused by smoking, which accounts for the annual death toll of lung-related death - usually old people.
This is emotive, poor quality ranting by a fringe party trying to get some publicity. It contributes nothing to a sensible debate on the environment. Perhaps if the hose led from the child in the car, back to an East German or 3rd. world coking plant, it may have slightly more accuracy...
I believe, however, that the ITC, and ASA, have no control over the content of PPB's - they are exempt from normal standards of decency - obviously, otherwise how could the main parties get away with the lies they spout on their little soirees!? Still, I've sent it...
Doing it now.. although I think there is a problem here and we may be barking up the wrong tree... this can't be an advert, it must be deemed another type of broadcast otherwise its in direct convention of Article 10 of the ITC Code of Advertising Standards & Practice:
Cheers
Matt
>> Edited by M@H on Wednesday 17th April 13:22
quote:
ITC Code of Advertising Standards & Practice
10 Politics, Industrial and Public Controversy
No advertisement may be inserted by or on behalf of any body whose objects are wholly or mainly of a political nature, and no advertisement may be directed towards any political end. No advertisement may have any relation to any industrial dispute. No advertisement may show partiality as respects matters of political or industrial controversy or relating to current public policy.
NOTES:
(i) The term ‘political’ here is used in a wider sense than ‘party political’. The prohibition precludes, for example, issue campaigning for the purposes of influencing legislation or executive action by central or local government. Where there is a risk that advertising could breach this prohibition prospective advertisers are strongly advised to seek advance guidance from licensees before developing specific proposals.
(ii) The Broadcasting Act 1990 specifically exempts advertisements of a public service nature inserted by, or on behalf of, a government department from the prohibition of advertisements having ‘any relation to any industrial dispute’.
Cheers
Matt
>> Edited by M@H on Wednesday 17th April 13:22
Will put in a complaint as soon as i've seen the advert - there is no cause or reason to show cars as the source of all evil in the world 
If the Green Party has ever looked at the improvements made in automotive technology over the course of time, they will realise that in the near future (say the next 25 years), hydrocarbon fuel car is likely to be about the cleanest viable method of transport available.
As a matter of interest, what are their transport policies?
Slight problem - will be out of the country when it's shown - will put in a complaint today
>> Edited by mtmrop on Wednesday 17th April 13:07
If the Green Party has ever looked at the improvements made in automotive technology over the course of time, they will realise that in the near future (say the next 25 years), hydrocarbon fuel car is likely to be about the cleanest viable method of transport available.
As a matter of interest, what are their transport policies?
Slight problem - will be out of the country when it's shown - will put in a complaint today
>> Edited by mtmrop on Wednesday 17th April 13:07
I have submitted the following text to the ITC:
RE: Planned Party Political Broadcast by the Green Party
Content of broadcast is planned to include a child being strapped into a car and a pipe being run into the car by a “grand father” figure, to demonstrate the effects of pollution from cars.
According to the Green Party, 24000 people die per year from air pollution. Okay, that's very interesting and may well be something that requires attention to be drawn to it.
The Green Party PPB plans on showing a child being poisoned in a car by exhaust pollution (in itself NOT very APPROPRIATE viewing for any time of day). However, i would like to bring up a point of technicality to this - cars are not responsible for the highest percentage of these deaths and it is UNFAIR to the automotive industry, and MISLEADING to the public to imply that they are.
Also on this i would like to point out the planned implication of MURDERING a child. Showing a child coughing at the side of the road would be one thing, but showing a “grand father” figure deliberately strapping a child into a car and KILLING that child DOES NOT demonstrate the problems of air pollution. These actions are indicative of something far more serious than air pollution. Once again, it is MISLEADING.
What courses of actions are available to stop this broadcast? Do you intend to review the content before broadcast?
RE: Planned Party Political Broadcast by the Green Party
Content of broadcast is planned to include a child being strapped into a car and a pipe being run into the car by a “grand father” figure, to demonstrate the effects of pollution from cars.
According to the Green Party, 24000 people die per year from air pollution. Okay, that's very interesting and may well be something that requires attention to be drawn to it.
The Green Party PPB plans on showing a child being poisoned in a car by exhaust pollution (in itself NOT very APPROPRIATE viewing for any time of day). However, i would like to bring up a point of technicality to this - cars are not responsible for the highest percentage of these deaths and it is UNFAIR to the automotive industry, and MISLEADING to the public to imply that they are.
Also on this i would like to point out the planned implication of MURDERING a child. Showing a child coughing at the side of the road would be one thing, but showing a “grand father” figure deliberately strapping a child into a car and KILLING that child DOES NOT demonstrate the problems of air pollution. These actions are indicative of something far more serious than air pollution. Once again, it is MISLEADING.
What courses of actions are available to stop this broadcast? Do you intend to review the content before broadcast?
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