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Facebook Rejects Lesbian Film Ad

by Terrence O'Brien on April 27, 2009 at 09:18 PM

Facebook Rejects Lesbian Film Ad
We're not gonna deny that the advertisement to the right would certainly be described as "sexy," but it's hardly lewd or inappropriate. So why exactly did Facebook reject this ad for 'And Then Came Lola,' a film targeted at a lesbian audience?

Filmmaker Ellen Seidler told SheWired.com that Facebook sent her a rejection notice saying the image was "either irrelevant or inappropriate." The letter went on to spell out that, "Images that are overly explicit, provocative, or that reveal too much skin are not allowed. Images that may either degrade or idealize any health condition or body type are also not allowed."

Do you think this ad is too racy for Facebook?
Yes10216 (40.9%)
No13919 (55.8%)
I'm not sure.830 (3.3%)


However, a quick perusal of ads on Facebook (which users can mark as inappropriate themselves if they are offended) show plenty of images of women and men in far less clothing, covered in blood, or in a (straight) lover's embrace. It would appear that, while certainly playful and suggestive, what really has the Facebook ad approvers worried is that the image is of three lesbians.

'And Then Came Lola' has a Facebook fan page, which has become a place for the filmmakers to draw attention to the double standard being applied by the social networking service when it comes to ads. They've posted images of several Facebook-approved ads that the creators feel are just as suggestive, if not more so, than their own rejected advertisement.

Facebook hasn't responded yet, so we'll hold off on throwing rotten fruit for the moment, but the company is going to have to some serious digging to get themselves out of this hole. [From: Jezebel and SheWired.com]

Are These Games Too Sexy?

    While recent game titles have attracted media attention for nudity and sexual situations, risque role-playing games have existed since PC gaming first began. Early games, such as 'Sex Games' for the Commodore 64, demanded specific commands, such as "remove pants," and required specific sequential actions to achieve one's nefarious goals. Currently, a plethora of games with bawdy scenes have invaded, or graced, the gaming world and vary in degrees of lewdness. Here are a few significant titles with prevalent or graphic bawdiness:

    'God of War I & II:'
    Press the right buttons, and gently twirl the thumbstick, to see the climax of mini-games in both God of War I and II for PS2 and PSP

    'Grand Theft Auto III (consoles)'
    The infamous "don't come a knockin'" prostitute scenes created a stir when GTA 3 was originally released for PS2.

    'Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude; Box Office or Bust' (for consoles):
    These most recent incarnations continue to follow the exploits of love lorn Larry in versions for both PC and next gen consoles

    'Leisure Suit Larry 3: Passionate in Pursuit of the Pulsating Pectorals' (for PC)
    Released in 1989 for PCs, this third installment of the groundbreaking franchise of risque role playing preceded GTA 4 by 20 years when the title character shows the full Larry in an infamous shower scene

    'Mass Effect:'
    The backlash from FoxNews greatly exaggerated the tame innuendo and implied relations between the two sapphic lovers in Xbox's Mass Effect.

    'Playboy: The Mansion' (consoles):
    Disappointingly demure, perhaps the highlight of this sojourn to the mansion is playing photographer in this release for PC, PS2 and Xbox

    'Rapelay:'
    Amazon removed listings for this disturbing, yet readily available in Japan, DVD-ROM in which the main character stalks and, to put it mildly, torments young girls.

    'The Sims;' nude patch:
    Denisons of young gamers were disappointed when learning that unblurred nudity in this game for PCs, consoles, and handhelds required downloading a censor patch

    'Soul Calibur' (consoles):
    The character Taki from the Soul Calibur franchise continues to titillate thousands of pubescent gamers in versions for every console.

Tags: ad, ads, advertisement, advertising, and then came lola, AndThenCameLola, censorship, controversey, facebook, gay, lesbian, top

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