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AIDS Charities Blast Hitler Sex Ad
Racy commercial stigmatizes those infected with virus, critics say
By Neal Colgrass
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Posted Sep 5, 09 5:19 PM CDT
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(Newser)
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A racy ad showing Adolf Hitler having unprotected sex is designed to scare young people about AIDS, but charities say the spot vilifies victims of the disease, the Telegraph reports. The explicit commercial, which shows a couple undressing and having intercourse, takes a creepy twist when the camera pans up to reveal the man as Hitler. The tag line: “AIDS is a mass murderer.”
“The advert is incredibly stigmatizing to people living with HIV who already face much stigma and discrimination due to ignorance about the virus,” says a spokeswoman for Britain’s National AIDS Trust. But the German group behind the campaign, which also features Saddam Hussein and Joseph Stalin, argues the ad’s shock value will help spread AIDS awareness.