Egypt’s Consumer Protection Agency has banned a TV advertisement for Egyptian chips company Fox after it was broadcast for a short time, as it allegedly promotes domestic child abuse, according to news agency MENA.
The ad shows a father slapping his son and breaking his son's glasses over a silly remark he made claiming that eating Fox chips allows him to see the future.
“After checking the advertisement, it was found that it incites hatred and physical violence by encouraging parents to beat their sons. Moreover it violated the rights of children,” a press statement said, according to Egypt Independent .
The head of the CPA, Atef Yaqoub, told MENA that the spot violates the decree for the specification standards 484 for the year 2005 and that the ad was eventually pulled after a memorandum from the Social Solidarity Ministry and several complaints from the public.
“We received many comments from people telling us that they do not accept such an ad being shown to children, it doesn’t even fall in line with media code of ethics,” CPA official Soaad El Deeb told Daily News Egypt. The banned ad stirred controversy and a variety of opinions when it began airing. Some thought it was very funny and doesn't deserve a ban, others thought it could be harmful to viewers.
Parents hitting their children is not new or uncommon among many in Egyptian society. Hitting or slapping children to them is not seen as a form of child abuse, but as an occasionally necessary disciplinary action or a form of punishment. It is generally not frowned upon as long as it doesn't cause serious physical harm.
While some might think one advertisement couldn't possibly cause someone to change their behavior, that is not entirely true. Yes, the audience isn't entirely passive and too easily influenced, but media messages have power, especially when they are constantly surrounding us in a media-saturated world.
The ad might not change the behavior of a parent who already doesn't hit their child, but when combined with other media messages that portray violent behavior (which is definitely common), it can change perceptions, especially of those who are more vulnerable to influence, such as children and young people.