Oscars 2020: The Academy and ABC come under fire for rejecting Frida Mom postpartum ad for being 'too graphic'
The Academy Awards is underway but not everything is fine and dandy. After ABC rejected an ad showing the postpartum recovery of a woman for being "too graphic", many have taken to social media to express their disappointment.
The commercial shows a new mother in the first days after giving birth and details what is happening to her body. Along with her postpartum belly, the ad shows her mesh underwear (given to new mothers at the hospital), her struggle to go to the bathroom and the pad she must wear as her body continues to bleed. All the while, a newborn is heard crying in the background.
The ad is from Frida Mom, a company that focuses on the postpartum needs of women. Frida Mom posted the ad on Instagram and YouTube with the caption: "The ad you're about to watch was rejected by ABC & the Oscars from airing during this year's award show."
It goes on to say, "It's not 'violent, political' or sexual in nature. Our ad is not 'religious or lewd' and does not portray 'guns or ammunition'. 'Feminine hygiene & hemorrhoid relief' are also banned subjects. It's just a new mom, home with her baby and her new body for the first time. Yet it was rejected. And we wonder why new moms feel unprepared. So spray it forward and share this video with every new mom. She deserves to be prepared."
Women took to social media to blast ABC for rejecting the ad. One user wrote, "The fact that @ABCNetwork banned this ad is truly absurd. Society relies on us to bring children into the world and yet they can't handle the truth about postpartum."
Another tweeted, "Considering that so many in this country want to force women to give birth, this ad should be required viewing. Listen, women rarely hear about postpartum recovery so many are absolutely gobsmacked. This is incredibly valuable information."
Actress Busy Phillips also shared the ad on Instagram writing, "I legit teared up when I just watched it." The caption read, "Because this is clearly an ad made by women who have been there and get it and partially because I DO believe so strongly that the more we can NORMALIZE A WOMAN'S BODILY EXPERIENCE IN MEDIA, the better off our culture and society will be. AND YES THAT MEANS ADS TOO."
Phillips continued, "You probably don't even flinch when an Erectile Disfunction ad comes on but THIS AD IS REJECTED?! I think this is an incredible piece of advertising that accurately represents something millions of women know intimately. And I'm so fucking sick of living in a society where the act of simply BEING A WOMAN is rejected by the gatekeepers of media. Well. Shame on them and NOT on us for simply being human women."