No nipples please, we're British.

The offending nipple-scene, above.

An ad that encourages Europeans to vote has been re-edited for Britain, editing out part of a scene where a young woman breastfeeds her baby.
The CAA felt it was too overtly sexual for it to be given a universal certificate. In all the other European Union countries the nipple version will air uncut, the voiceover says: "You've been voting since you were born: don't stop now - European parliament elections, 10th of June."

From MediaGuardian:

Julia Drown, the Labour MP who campaigned in favour of breastfeeding after she was banned from feeding her baby son in a Commons committee room, said: "This is a strange decision. If the British are offended by bosoms, why do we have millions thrust in our faces every day by the tabloids?

The ad will air uncut in 23, the edited version in UK, while Ireland will not air the ad at all. None of the other countries had a problem with the feeding scene, while the french were uncomfortable with a scene that had a stern looking female judge in it. The ad will air pan-european from the 28th of May.

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Sport's picture

What!?? Those who find a breastfeeding scene "Overtly sexual" need to have their heads examined. That's just wrong people.

deeped's picture

Well. It is the beauty of double standards. How the heck can the brits censor this but letting the page3-girls become famous?

But I use to say that the brits have the same dubious perspective on sex as Swedes have on money (and the Americans on nudity). Totally illogical and filled to the brim with double standards and twisted moral.

Sport's picture

The Straits Times have a little more information about the nipple scene:

The 45-second film, produced by the European Parliament's audio-visual department, shows a suckling baby trying to decide which of its mother's breasts to feed from - the idea being to show people making choices, like voters at the ballot box.

still, thinking this 'choice' is "overtly sexual" while proudly displaying page three girls is the height of hypocrisy. What the hell are they thinking? All they have achieved is ruining the tame pun of the ad "you've been voting since you were born". I didn't know that about Swedes and money.

James Trickery's picture

chossing nipples. Those were the days.........

Dabitch's picture

So the sexy-act was the baby choosing nipple? I'm as confused as a baby in a topless bar.

Dabitch's picture

Finally found out why I haven't seen this ad yet - in the Financial Times

ng the advert altogether. Denmark also has not shown the advert following concerns about a section showing the words Yes and No on a wall, which could conjure unhappy memories of the country's rejection in a referendum on the European Union's Maastricht treaty.

Meanwhile, the French version is missing a section showing a judge making a ruling amid worries about a possible link in viewers' minds between political life and presence in court. In Portugal, there was grumbling about the spelling of Anna in a classroom scene, since the name is Ana in Portuguese. Spain agreed to show the advert, but only if its closing message could also be translated in its four regional languages, at parliament's expense.

Ha! You thought they'd know that about Spain by now aye? Tsssk. Now, the unhappy memories of the Maastricht treaty suprised me while the "Ana" part made sense, just go into post and fix it I say. :)