Josh Jasper thought his television commercial, which depicts a baby as a future rapist, would teach viewers about violence prevention.
Instead, thanks to YouTube, the ad has triggered an international firestorm and death threats for the Dubuque man, who heads a nonprofit advocacy group for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.
In a letter to Jasper’s bosses, an Australian viewer called Jasper a “man hater” and a “mangina” who should be fired. Another offended viewer put it this way: “You would be better off dead.”
[…]The ad contrasts a smiling baby with the following script: “He’s tough. He’s strong. He’s aggressive. He’s powerful. He raped his girlfriend. But he wasn’t always this way. What are you teaching your son? …”
Jasper said the ad was intended to make a point that people are not born violent, but are conditioned to be that way. He said donations paid for the commercial, which has aired for nearly a year on televisions in northeast Iowa and parts of Illinois and Wisconsin.
TV ad sparks death threats for Dubuque man | Des Moines Register Staff Blogs
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This is a Dubuque, IA non-profit called Riverview Center which according to their vision statement…
is creating a community free of violence through our violence prevention initiatives, including educational programming that empowers individuals, fosters empathy, and helps to develop social skills that emphasize respect, equality, and non-violent conflict resolution. Our educators present in every classroom in every school in our service area. In addition to schools, our violence prevention education programming is available to all community groups and businesses.
it is not mentioned in the article quotations above, but I see it as slightly ironic that, Josh Jasper, the man who is being targeted with death threats because of this ad, is also former U.S. Marine and a LAPD crisis counselor. Ironic because I think a lot of the people spewing hate towards this man would think twice about it if they knew that piece of information.
The controversial commercial is included above and has drawn comments such as this:
“That is such a disgusting ad” and “I teach my son whenever I can: NEVER protect a woman.”
THIS is an absolutely disgusting response to a group that advocates non-violence.
I don’t ever ask this, but please don’t just “like” this post…
please reblog.
This is so horrible! (The fact that people would lash back at the Jasper like this.) He is trying to teach non-violence.
Its ok to tell a woman not to wear a skirt to a party, to never set her drink down because someone might slip a drug into it. To carry a rape whistle, or only go out with a group. Its ok to tell her “well you shouldn’t have drank so much / walked down that street alone / went home with a man you didn’t know.” But telling our men not to rape? How DARE we propose such a preposterous suggestion. Asking todays parents to raise tomorrows adults in a way that promotes non-violence is horrible?
I can’t even grasp these concepts.
Kristen nailed it. I love the idea that men, who commit 99% of the rapes of both women and men, should not be held responsible for rape prevention and to suggest otherwise is outrageous. We need to burden women with the overwhelming amount of responsibility. The fact that a considerable number of men rape women should not be more offensive than the fact that an even greater number of women are raped. Once again, these types of men want to be made into the victim because it dispels them of responsibility, a responsibility of which is scary. Most men don’t want to think of themselves as potentially hurting someone in such a horrific way.
WTF at the comments on this video? Total shock and awe at the complete ignorance displayed there.
