One Up the Bum and You Won’t Be a Mum

Here’s one for the “would never happen in the United States” file.

Marie Stopes International, an organization described by this story as an “abortion charity,” has teamed up with a comedy music group called The Midnight Beast for an online safe sex campaign. What’s the message behind the campaign? Anal sex prevents pregnancy. Or, as the video far more eloquently states, “as a rule of thumb, one up the bum and you won’t be a mum.”

Unsurprisingly, people aren’t too thrilled with the idea of a charity spending their time and resources on a message like that. Is it a shocking way to drive home a point? Sure it is, but watching the entire video reveals something else. People in Europe are just as prone to fake moral outrage as we are here in the States. The way most of the people speaking out against the video tell it, you’d assume the video is a three minute long romp about the joys of anal sex. A good portion of the angry comments have been of the “what about condoms and AIDS?” variety. Take this comment, for example…

“I take it this video is for a world without Aids?”

Is there a way to require internet users to prove they’ve actually watched a YouTube video before commenting on it? If there is, that technology certainly needs to be deployed here. The video in question is just over two minutes long. The line about anal sex as birth control doesn’t even arrive until the 1:40 mark. What do they talk about in the lead up to that controversial moment? Using condoms to prevent sexually transmitted disease and unwanted pregnancy, of course. But where’s the fun in acknowledging that when you can just as easily froth at the mouth over a joke about the southern trespass?

We’re not being unfair here. We can certainly see why people would be upset if this video was implying that anal sex equals safe sex, even when not partnered with a condom (not to mention a generous side order of lubrication). But no matter what the rabble may have you believe, that’s not even sort of what’s going on here. How clear is the suggestion that additional protection of some sort is required for this plan to work in the video? Approximately this clear…

That’s not butt sex they’re holding in their hands, you know? As if that’s not enough, the video ends with a rather clear message that leaving your safe sex advice in the hands of a comedic rap group is a horrible idea, before directing viewers to HaveALarc.com, a site that actually does provide young people with all the safe sex advice they could ever need (even if it looks like it was designed by the same people who designed your local mall’s Hot Topic outlet).

But never let it said that Americans are willing to be outdone when it comes to anti-abortion anger. While the Brits are busy falsely accusing Marie Stopes and The Midnight Beast of providing irresponsible advice, one U.S. based pro-life blogger has an even more ridiculous question about the campaign…

“What’s the matter with abortion groups? Why are they so linked to sex crimes and perversion?”

We may be falling behind in education, healthcare and countless other areas, but at least we’re still miles ahead of anyone else in hyperbole. USA! USA!

Check out the controversial video in question below, but be advised, thanks to a few inflatable doll titties, it’s slightly NSFW…