Janet Jackson. Howard Stern. And “Roots”? Yes, it’s possible that the TV miniseries of the 1970s could be flagged for indecency if it ran today, because it shows “topless African American women and childbirth in its opening scenes,” according to an item in this week’s Television Week.
Hopefully, this tide of Puritanism will quickly flow out to sea after the November elections. In the meantime, it does serve as an important reminder to marketers—anyone dealing with the public, in fact—that it’s always important to be aware of which way the wind’s blowing. Not that you necessarily have to change tactics, but you’ve got to be aware of the environment into which you introduce your brand/product/idea.
Actually, what’s in need of repositioning is our entire notion of the human body. How could it be indecent to see non-sexualized images of breasts? If that were the case, the publishers of National Geographic would’ve been burned at the stake decades ago. Who knows, maybe is this one area in which there is no marketing solution.
Read the Television Week item here.
