This Ad Was Rejected By The Oscars For Being “Too Graphic”, But It Shows The Reality Of A New Mom
As Hollywood’s A-list celebrities were walking down the red carpet at this year’s Academy Awards, a new Frida Mom postpartum ad was causing controversy for not being accepted to the party. ABC refused to show the commercial during their three-hour broadcast of the Oscars, saying it was “too graphic”.
The clip shows a new mom during the first days after giving birth, facing the effects it has had on her body. There’s the postpartum belly, the mesh underwear she received at the hospital, her problematic journey to the bathroom, and the pad she must wear as her body continues to bleed.
ABC explained their reasoning by citing the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences guidelines: “Advertisement of the following is not permitted: Political candidates/positions, religious or faith-based message/position, guns, gun shows, ammunition, feminine hygiene products, adult diapers, condoms or hemorrhoid remedies.”
Parents, however, didn’t buy it. Neither did Frida Mom. Appalled by the rejection, the company posted the ad on its social media accounts instead.
More info: Instagram | YouTube
Frida Mom, a company that specializes in postpartum essentials stirred some controversy
Image credits: fridamom
Image credits: fridamom
Watch the full ad below
Image credits: fridamom
It depicted a new mom learning to deal with her new body, but it was too much for some
Image credits: fridamom
Image credits: fridamom
The decision has been denounced by celebrities and campaigners as well. Busy Phillips said the ad “accurately represents something millions of women know intimately”, in an Instagram post while expressing her disappointment that the Academy missed out on a good opportunity to normalize women’s bodies after pregnancy. “I’m so … sick of living in a society where the act of simply BEING A WOMAN is rejected by the gatekeepers of media.”
Image credits: fridamom
Image credits: fridamom
Image credits: fridamom
Image credits: fridamom
Sonia Moghe, a producer in CNN’s New York bureau, said the ad really hits home for her. “It’s my first week back to work after being on maternity leave, and I wish I’d seen more honest depictions of what the hours and days after giving birth look like,” she wrote.
Moghe pointed out that during the Oscars we see celebrities walking red carpets looking back to normal just months after giving birth. “We [also] see Kate Middleton appearing outside of the hospital where she has given birth to her three children, each time with perfectly styled hair and makeup while smiling and holding each of her babies. Let’s also remember that Natalie Portman was late in her pregnancy phase when she came on stage to accept her Oscar. She was radiant,” the producer continued. “But the truth is that hair and makeup are often the last things on a mom’s mind in the days after she’s given birth. She’s often struggling just to care for herself and her baby in the most basic ways.”
Image credits: fridamom
Image credits: fridamom
The Academy hasn’t responded to the backlash yet.
Image credits: fridamom
Here’s what people said about the issue
Don't have children and find this confronting but it's so important that people understand childbirth is hard on a woman's body. If men gave birth, ads like thisnwouldn't be an issue ...
It honestly reminds me of the male birth control medication they decided had too many bad side effects. Same side effects as female birth control pills...
Load More Replies...
A woman's realities are too graphic for TV. Doesn't that absurdity just sum up American life ...
I think it's good if it shows people what it's really like - I mean god forbid anyone should know prior to getting pregnant that it hurts afterwards and you'll bleed. Forewarned is forearmed. Though let's not use this to have a go at men.
Our society is based on Puritan values and fundamentalist Christian (evangelicals) ideals. The people that object to this commercial are also the same people that believe a mother discreetly breastfeeding in public is a shameless hussy trying to distract and corrupt kids. (But WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN has become the rallying cry of the evangelicals in regards to anything that they find offensive. A good example of this is that idiot suing the NFL because he feels that the halftime show was an obscene display of pro-immigrant sentiment) The idea that a mother should be ashamed to feed their new baby in public is ridiculous. These people need To worry about themselves and leave others to live their life.
Children really don't see anything wrong with breastfeeding - a lot of them will see their mum breastfeeding younger siblings on a daily basis and probably remember it when older. Big deal. Anyone using children as an excuse that breastfeeding in public is somehow bad are simply idiots.
Load More Replies...
Hollywood: Actors PRETENDING while portraying blood, ultra-violence, raw and visceral drama, psychotic behaviour, insanity and depravity: "How amazing, what a performance, so real!!" ............................... Hollywood: Depiction of ACTUAL REALITY ironically containing the EXACT SAME themes actors receive awards for PRETENDING to portray in cinema: "Sorry, that's against our policy as its too realistic and not in alignment with the squeaky-clean curated and manufactured image we need to you believe about Hollywood".
Joe, you, as a viewer, decide for yourself if you want to view a film portraying blood, ultra-violence, raw and visceral drama, psychotic drama..... however, you don't get decide which commercials to choose. There are viewers with many different tastes and opinions on what is of "good taste". I think, this was the reason for decision not to air this particular commercial.
Load More Replies... 
Why are ads for feminine hygiene products banned? Is there any real reason, or did just some jerk arbitrarily decide that people shouldn't have to know that women bleed every month? I guess this ad falls into the "feminine hygiene products" category, but I find it insane that this is somehow deemed inacceptable.
They are? Not in the UK or most countries I would hope! What country would ban ads for feminine hygiene products?
Load More Replies...
OMG, a motherhood commercial that doesn't show an infant, how dare we women. This commercial is fantastic and needed.
I went back in time and felt it all again. This ad is not graphic, just eye opening for people turning the blind eye toward uncomfortable and inconvenient things. Almost every woman is in this position after childbirth yet it's a hush-hush situation. You are pushing a BABY out of you, you are bound to have some repercussions.
Not even graphic at all. In real life her used pad would not be white, her shirt would be stained with milk, there would be purple lines on her belly, some blood would trickle down her leg and onto the floor as she changed pads. This ad doesn't even show the full gritty reality, and we still can't handle it.
"some blood would trickle down her leg and onto the floor as she changed pads" yep.
Load More Replies...
I am due in about 8 weeks... and I am terrified. Maybe seeing what I'm in for could help..
You will get through it, but you did I need some "tools" to help you through it. Congrats!!
Load More Replies...
We can discuss erectile dysfunction and condoms, but we can't show the outcome if one works and the other fails? WTH
Yep. That's pretty accurate. And that's just from a normal delivery without complications. I've been there twice. Except the first time around involved complications, so add to all that an occasional loss of consciousness. And no. I was not prepared at all. In fact, I thought I would be able to wear my pre pregnancy jeans home from the hospital. Boy was that ever a pipe dream!
Its the same with our periods- all women have them yet it's uncomfortable and taboo to talk about in public
QUESTION: Can anyone tell me anything about Frida Mom? Is this a legitimate company that sells products that have been tested under strict scientific conditions that show them to be effective? I would hate to waste sympathy on pseudoscientific nonsense, but if it is legitimate it deserves a platform. JUST ASKING.
Frida Mom a new line from a company that has been making baby products for several years. Their most famous baby product is a device for clearing baby's nasal congestion, which is a more effective design than previous products. I dont think Frida mom is claiming to be making any miracle product to magically heal moms from childbirth, just improve the type products they are already using.
Load More Replies...
I don't find it offending or disturbing, I was now curious how mom deals with this and be thankful that they're always going through this thing just for a baby. I am more disturbed when seeing women forcing or wearing super revealing clothes.
I think the ad is jarring. I think it puts people off because it's been so hidden and secret, what women go through, that when people see it, it's unsettling. Unfortunately it's the reality for women that too few people know about, even women themselves. I think knowledge about women's anatomy and what they go through before, during and after birth should be common knowledge, but I don't think society is ready to get that reality check as a commercial ad. I think the first problem here is not the ad being banned, but the way these things are hushed and hidden out of mind. I told a guy I had cramps once and he got all awkward and looked away, he was 30. It's ridiculous. But I don't think the way to do it is necessarily through an ad during the Oscars. I think it needs to start with parents and schools and with women being more open. I don't really want to see childbirth, but I think everyone should know what it entails. Same with this stuff. It's unpleasant, I don't really want to see, but I do really want to know. I don't think people need nor are they ready to receive this information in this specific way. I understand why it was banned and honestly I don't want to see it either, but this ad being banned is indicative of a deeper issue that goes back farther than the incident itself.
1) Well, it certainly got us all talking about it. 2) Sometimes you can know all the facts on paper, but they’re meaningless until you see the real thing. 3) You mean you never saw the childbirth movie in Biology class? Hell, I saw it in 7th or 8th grade, and that was the early 1970s. Man, our school system has become a black hole of know-nothing/teach-nothing, and our children are paying the price for it.
Load More Replies...
The Forced Birther contingent lives in fear of accurate information related to sex, babies, and/or birth. It's so much harder to bully others into giving birth when the victim knows it isn't all smiling babies and photo ops. Plus, what if someone didn't find the model sexy? The horror! No accurate representation or information in commercials, ever!
Can I just say what is on everyone's minds? : What the actual f***k?!
As progressive as we try to be we just cant seem to get over that thought that unless it is being used to seduce/ pleasure a man, a womans body is a dirty secret. After my third C-section I was told to "get myself around" so I looked nice when my husband returned. Breast feeding my children in public but still covered, "Can you please do that somewhere else? Running into walmart on my way to a pool with the kids last summer, in a tee shirt and swimsuit shorts "your a** is almost hanging out (it wasnt) nobody wants to see that" The funny thing is, all of these comments were made by other women. The other funny thing is that, I show more skin daily when its warm out than I ever did breast feeding, and my regular summer dresses cover less skin than my swimsuit shorts ( they have a skirt over them for christs sake, im a little swimsuit shy). Its like men have learned to keep their mouths closed so women feel the need to step in and provide the shame.
I think the issue here is that it is clearly focusing on a women`s genitals with repeated genital nudity and bodily functions. I have no problem with it, but I think it goes against most regular network limitations for advertising. It would be nice if ads like this could run in shows that deal with pregnancy, childbirth and parenting in general. However, I can understand that a lot of people might find it a bit much for an advert, even if it is a normal, natural and realistic depiction of what life is like. Let`s face it, we all poop but I doubt very much we`re ever going to see an advert of someone wiping and looking and having another wipe, are we? Bodily functions in general are usually reduced to cartoons in the advertising world, whether it`s mucus or poo or blood.
Does anybody knows the meaning of the words intimate, personal, of private nature? I went through it twice, wasn't that dramatic.
nothing graphic Moms to be, do yourself a favor and buy some mens white tighty for better protection and support after you've given birth or just for that time
Why don't we all stop watching these pointless, staged shows - then "The Academy" can figure out what to do with the loss of ad revenue while they look for a scapegoat - ANY scapegoat - to absolve themselves from the blame. Because surely all those elite-ists can't be wrong.
Sorry if I am Misunderstanding, but the Oscars is not an Ad Agency? Why are they deciding what Ads the ABC Broadcasts?
Ad agencies don't decide. They can buy airtime but whoever owns the channel can refuse to show an ad if it doesn't meet their guidelines or if they can come up with some other spurious reason. The Oscars - the people behind them just have too much power. It's ridiculous.
Load More Replies...
Douching is a Very bad idea. After you give birth vaginally everything is bruised and sore, heaven forbid you rip or get cut or needed stitches, trying to pee can be really painful so the hospital gives you a little bottle to fill with warm water. It washed the urine and blood away as you go to help ease discomfort. It's a lifesaver to be honest
Load More Replies...
I'm a women who has 2 kids. Why does it need to be shown on t.v what a women goes through after birth? It's not a terrible experience for every women!! I came home each time, bled like I had my period and went on with my life. Why does EVERYthing have to be such a big deal nowadays or shared or talked about? It's just another company finding a way to feel "left out" and "picked on"
I am just thinking...I am mother of two and after both births, I didn't need anything else except pads and handmade sensitive soap. The form of advertising is not as terrible as the content. They create artificial demand for something that women don't really need. Although the delivery of baby is complicated, intimate care after doesn´t have to be complicated at all.
I had stitches. I need witch hazel pads, spray bottles to keep blood out of stitches, and I think oatmeal bath. There were other things, too. Some foam that helped clean. They have me gauze underwear because I bled on everything for at least a few days. They were disposables.
Load More Replies... Yes, odd that an industry with a verrrry long tradition of the “casting couch”—-which itself spawned Harvey Weinstein and his clones—-should reject ads for pre- and post- childbirth feminine products and contraceptives.
Load More Replies...
It is 2020 and this just proves there is still a stigma with giving birth.
Load More Replies...
Why do some things need to be kept private? Who does it harm to know that childbirth is a painful and bloody business? It won't be shown during children's programmes. Do you think other adults shouldn't know? Men shouldn't know? Who exactly should this information be kept from?
Load More Replies...
Why? Do you think knowledge is somehow bad because it's about something that only affects one group of people - the mums? I think it is incredibly important that men are knowlegeable about what happens after a baby is born. If a man saw the ad and mentioned it to his partner how is that a bad thing? She might be at work and not get time to watch TV. Mumsnet - quite likely too late and bridal magazines well, I hate to break it to you, but not all of us 'girlies' read those things - marrying or not. 🙄
Load More Replies...
This is not invading her privacy, she is willingly participating in an ad... It's not a hidden camera or a big brother thing where we're secretly (or not so secretly) looking at people. And why leave it unseen? So new mothers can make even more uninformed decisions about having children? Thinking it's all roses and rainbows, instead of pain and discomfort and crying and sleep deprivation? People need to know this, especially women.
Load More Replies...
A baby crying isn't necessarily an emergency. Babies cry. I'm guessing you need some education yourself.
Load More Replies... Don't have children and find this confronting but it's so important that people understand childbirth is hard on a woman's body. If men gave birth, ads like thisnwouldn't be an issue ...
It honestly reminds me of the male birth control medication they decided had too many bad side effects. Same side effects as female birth control pills...
Load More Replies... A woman's realities are too graphic for TV. Doesn't that absurdity just sum up American life ...
I think it's good if it shows people what it's really like - I mean god forbid anyone should know prior to getting pregnant that it hurts afterwards and you'll bleed. Forewarned is forearmed. Though let's not use this to have a go at men.
Our society is based on Puritan values and fundamentalist Christian (evangelicals) ideals. The people that object to this commercial are also the same people that believe a mother discreetly breastfeeding in public is a shameless hussy trying to distract and corrupt kids. (But WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN has become the rallying cry of the evangelicals in regards to anything that they find offensive. A good example of this is that idiot suing the NFL because he feels that the halftime show was an obscene display of pro-immigrant sentiment) The idea that a mother should be ashamed to feed their new baby in public is ridiculous. These people need To worry about themselves and leave others to live their life.
Children really don't see anything wrong with breastfeeding - a lot of them will see their mum breastfeeding younger siblings on a daily basis and probably remember it when older. Big deal. Anyone using children as an excuse that breastfeeding in public is somehow bad are simply idiots.
Load More Replies... Hollywood: Actors PRETENDING while portraying blood, ultra-violence, raw and visceral drama, psychotic behaviour, insanity and depravity: "How amazing, what a performance, so real!!" ............................... Hollywood: Depiction of ACTUAL REALITY ironically containing the EXACT SAME themes actors receive awards for PRETENDING to portray in cinema: "Sorry, that's against our policy as its too realistic and not in alignment with the squeaky-clean curated and manufactured image we need to you believe about Hollywood".
Joe, you, as a viewer, decide for yourself if you want to view a film portraying blood, ultra-violence, raw and visceral drama, psychotic drama..... however, you don't get decide which commercials to choose. There are viewers with many different tastes and opinions on what is of "good taste". I think, this was the reason for decision not to air this particular commercial.
Load More Replies... Why are ads for feminine hygiene products banned? Is there any real reason, or did just some jerk arbitrarily decide that people shouldn't have to know that women bleed every month? I guess this ad falls into the "feminine hygiene products" category, but I find it insane that this is somehow deemed inacceptable.
They are? Not in the UK or most countries I would hope! What country would ban ads for feminine hygiene products?
Load More Replies... OMG, a motherhood commercial that doesn't show an infant, how dare we women. This commercial is fantastic and needed.
I went back in time and felt it all again. This ad is not graphic, just eye opening for people turning the blind eye toward uncomfortable and inconvenient things. Almost every woman is in this position after childbirth yet it's a hush-hush situation. You are pushing a BABY out of you, you are bound to have some repercussions.
Not even graphic at all. In real life her used pad would not be white, her shirt would be stained with milk, there would be purple lines on her belly, some blood would trickle down her leg and onto the floor as she changed pads. This ad doesn't even show the full gritty reality, and we still can't handle it.
"some blood would trickle down her leg and onto the floor as she changed pads" yep.
Load More Replies... I am due in about 8 weeks... and I am terrified. Maybe seeing what I'm in for could help..
You will get through it, but you did I need some "tools" to help you through it. Congrats!!
Load More Replies... We can discuss erectile dysfunction and condoms, but we can't show the outcome if one works and the other fails? WTH
Yep. That's pretty accurate. And that's just from a normal delivery without complications. I've been there twice. Except the first time around involved complications, so add to all that an occasional loss of consciousness. And no. I was not prepared at all. In fact, I thought I would be able to wear my pre pregnancy jeans home from the hospital. Boy was that ever a pipe dream!
Its the same with our periods- all women have them yet it's uncomfortable and taboo to talk about in public
QUESTION: Can anyone tell me anything about Frida Mom? Is this a legitimate company that sells products that have been tested under strict scientific conditions that show them to be effective? I would hate to waste sympathy on pseudoscientific nonsense, but if it is legitimate it deserves a platform. JUST ASKING.
Frida Mom a new line from a company that has been making baby products for several years. Their most famous baby product is a device for clearing baby's nasal congestion, which is a more effective design than previous products. I dont think Frida mom is claiming to be making any miracle product to magically heal moms from childbirth, just improve the type products they are already using.
Load More Replies... I don't find it offending or disturbing, I was now curious how mom deals with this and be thankful that they're always going through this thing just for a baby. I am more disturbed when seeing women forcing or wearing super revealing clothes.
I think the ad is jarring. I think it puts people off because it's been so hidden and secret, what women go through, that when people see it, it's unsettling. Unfortunately it's the reality for women that too few people know about, even women themselves. I think knowledge about women's anatomy and what they go through before, during and after birth should be common knowledge, but I don't think society is ready to get that reality check as a commercial ad. I think the first problem here is not the ad being banned, but the way these things are hushed and hidden out of mind. I told a guy I had cramps once and he got all awkward and looked away, he was 30. It's ridiculous. But I don't think the way to do it is necessarily through an ad during the Oscars. I think it needs to start with parents and schools and with women being more open. I don't really want to see childbirth, but I think everyone should know what it entails. Same with this stuff. It's unpleasant, I don't really want to see, but I do really want to know. I don't think people need nor are they ready to receive this information in this specific way. I understand why it was banned and honestly I don't want to see it either, but this ad being banned is indicative of a deeper issue that goes back farther than the incident itself.
1) Well, it certainly got us all talking about it. 2) Sometimes you can know all the facts on paper, but they’re meaningless until you see the real thing. 3) You mean you never saw the childbirth movie in Biology class? Hell, I saw it in 7th or 8th grade, and that was the early 1970s. Man, our school system has become a black hole of know-nothing/teach-nothing, and our children are paying the price for it.
Load More Replies... The Forced Birther contingent lives in fear of accurate information related to sex, babies, and/or birth. It's so much harder to bully others into giving birth when the victim knows it isn't all smiling babies and photo ops. Plus, what if someone didn't find the model sexy? The horror! No accurate representation or information in commercials, ever!
Can I just say what is on everyone's minds? : What the actual f***k?!
As progressive as we try to be we just cant seem to get over that thought that unless it is being used to seduce/ pleasure a man, a womans body is a dirty secret. After my third C-section I was told to "get myself around" so I looked nice when my husband returned. Breast feeding my children in public but still covered, "Can you please do that somewhere else? Running into walmart on my way to a pool with the kids last summer, in a tee shirt and swimsuit shorts "your a** is almost hanging out (it wasnt) nobody wants to see that" The funny thing is, all of these comments were made by other women. The other funny thing is that, I show more skin daily when its warm out than I ever did breast feeding, and my regular summer dresses cover less skin than my swimsuit shorts ( they have a skirt over them for christs sake, im a little swimsuit shy). Its like men have learned to keep their mouths closed so women feel the need to step in and provide the shame.
I think the issue here is that it is clearly focusing on a women`s genitals with repeated genital nudity and bodily functions. I have no problem with it, but I think it goes against most regular network limitations for advertising. It would be nice if ads like this could run in shows that deal with pregnancy, childbirth and parenting in general. However, I can understand that a lot of people might find it a bit much for an advert, even if it is a normal, natural and realistic depiction of what life is like. Let`s face it, we all poop but I doubt very much we`re ever going to see an advert of someone wiping and looking and having another wipe, are we? Bodily functions in general are usually reduced to cartoons in the advertising world, whether it`s mucus or poo or blood.
Does anybody knows the meaning of the words intimate, personal, of private nature? I went through it twice, wasn't that dramatic.
nothing graphic Moms to be, do yourself a favor and buy some mens white tighty for better protection and support after you've given birth or just for that time
Why don't we all stop watching these pointless, staged shows - then "The Academy" can figure out what to do with the loss of ad revenue while they look for a scapegoat - ANY scapegoat - to absolve themselves from the blame. Because surely all those elite-ists can't be wrong.
Sorry if I am Misunderstanding, but the Oscars is not an Ad Agency? Why are they deciding what Ads the ABC Broadcasts?
Ad agencies don't decide. They can buy airtime but whoever owns the channel can refuse to show an ad if it doesn't meet their guidelines or if they can come up with some other spurious reason. The Oscars - the people behind them just have too much power. It's ridiculous.
Load More Replies... Douching is a Very bad idea. After you give birth vaginally everything is bruised and sore, heaven forbid you rip or get cut or needed stitches, trying to pee can be really painful so the hospital gives you a little bottle to fill with warm water. It washed the urine and blood away as you go to help ease discomfort. It's a lifesaver to be honest
Load More Replies... I'm a women who has 2 kids. Why does it need to be shown on t.v what a women goes through after birth? It's not a terrible experience for every women!! I came home each time, bled like I had my period and went on with my life. Why does EVERYthing have to be such a big deal nowadays or shared or talked about? It's just another company finding a way to feel "left out" and "picked on"
I am just thinking...I am mother of two and after both births, I didn't need anything else except pads and handmade sensitive soap. The form of advertising is not as terrible as the content. They create artificial demand for something that women don't really need. Although the delivery of baby is complicated, intimate care after doesn´t have to be complicated at all.
I had stitches. I need witch hazel pads, spray bottles to keep blood out of stitches, and I think oatmeal bath. There were other things, too. Some foam that helped clean. They have me gauze underwear because I bled on everything for at least a few days. They were disposables.
Load More Replies... Yes, odd that an industry with a verrrry long tradition of the “casting couch”—-which itself spawned Harvey Weinstein and his clones—-should reject ads for pre- and post- childbirth feminine products and contraceptives.
Load More Replies... It is 2020 and this just proves there is still a stigma with giving birth.
Load More Replies... Why do some things need to be kept private? Who does it harm to know that childbirth is a painful and bloody business? It won't be shown during children's programmes. Do you think other adults shouldn't know? Men shouldn't know? Who exactly should this information be kept from?
Load More Replies... Why? Do you think knowledge is somehow bad because it's about something that only affects one group of people - the mums? I think it is incredibly important that men are knowlegeable about what happens after a baby is born. If a man saw the ad and mentioned it to his partner how is that a bad thing? She might be at work and not get time to watch TV. Mumsnet - quite likely too late and bridal magazines well, I hate to break it to you, but not all of us 'girlies' read those things - marrying or not. 🙄
Load More Replies... This is not invading her privacy, she is willingly participating in an ad... It's not a hidden camera or a big brother thing where we're secretly (or not so secretly) looking at people. And why leave it unseen? So new mothers can make even more uninformed decisions about having children? Thinking it's all roses and rainbows, instead of pain and discomfort and crying and sleep deprivation? People need to know this, especially women.
Load More Replies... A baby crying isn't necessarily an emergency. Babies cry. I'm guessing you need some education yourself.
Load More Replies...
164
136