“There’s probably no god.” Does that offend you? It shouldn’t. But OC Transpo seems to think it will. Which is why it chose not to allow those ads on its buses.
But what is it about those four simple words that gets people all tied up in a knot? They don’t say anything that directly attacks anyone. They don’t demand that you change your beliefs and that if you don’t you are condemned to spend eternity in hell.
No, those four simple words only give you pause – to make you think about what you believe. On their face, they are nothing more, nothing less.
And it is that which OC Transpo has evidently missed. The point of the ad, of that phrase, was missed by all those who had to consider whether it could – or should – be seen on Ottawa streets.
But while a simple and innocuous phrase was raising the hackles of a few souls, who apparently are unaware of a little something called freedom of expression, another, arguably more offensive, set of ads was making its appearances on buses and bus shelters.
The ads in question here are the Virgin radio ads. You’ve probably seen them. The ads include this message: “Lock up your daughters, the gods of rock are now in Ottawa,” and feature mournful-looking pregnant young women.
The public outrage over these ads is proof of the lack of consideration paid to how the public would react to them. The pro-atheist ads were rejected after apparently four residents complained. The much more wide-spread antagonism to the Virgin Radio ads was ignored.
The general interpretation of the Virgin ads is that the so-called gods of rock will ravish your daughters if they are not locked up. This view is that the ads objectify women.
Yet these ads are also open to other interpretations. The admonition to lock up your daughters could also be made in order to protect them from themselves, that they should be locked up so they do not make poor choices they will have to live with their entire lives.
But how it is that a message that seeks to offend no one is censored, while one that arguably offends half the world’s population is given licence to be seen across the city?
The likely explanation is that nothing is sacred when it comes to advertising, except religion itself. Ads are allowed to take any form, and discuss any topic, so long as religion is not the topic.
In some circumstances, this is acceptable. It is obvious that advertisements should not denigrate any specific religion. But a statement that calls into question something that cannot be proven should not be censored.
To be offended by something that allows you to question and reaffirm your faith is foolish. To censor such a statement is ludicrous.
OC Transpo bowed to the fear of outrage from the religious community, while ignoring the outrage over objectifying women. In doing so, it displayed a shocking hypocrisy, double standard and ignorance.
Had OC Transpo been a little less simple-minded in making these decisions, it would have realized the only path that was open to it was this: allow both – or neither.