UK Stranglehold commercial gets the banhammer
by Dustin Burg 
{ Jan 16th 2008 at 12:45PM }
The UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has their undergarments in a wad over a Stranglehold commercial that has been shown in the UK. So wadded, they dropped their banhammer on it.According to the ASA, the Stranglehold commercial promotes guns, violence and is far too graphic for UK television. They especially had a hangup with the commercial's voice-over which says "Honor is his code. Vengeance is his mission. Violence is his only option", which they feel further promotes the "violence is good kids" message they are so against. Midway tried to convince the ASA that the Stranglehold TV spot wasn't promoting violence, doesn't show blood or gore and is far too stylized to be graphic. But, in the end, the ASA continues to enforce its Stranglehold ban while at the same time giving the game some much needed viral publicity. Which we're sure Midway doesn't mind.
Oh, for the curious fanboys of the world, you can take a look after the break as we've embedded the banned Stranglehold commercial for your viewing pleasure. To us, it's pretty tame.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
xenocidic @ Jan 16th 2008 12:53PM
actually it says "Bloodshed is his only option" , not violence.
JakubK666 @ Jan 16th 2008 1:00PM
w()()t! That advert really turned me on! I want to go kill somebody...hopefully in a very messy way!
sparki @ Jan 16th 2008 1:49PM
No.. you want to kill in a very stylized way. Get it right next time.
ccc @ Jan 16th 2008 1:11PM
censership is for the week minded.
xenocidic @ Jan 16th 2008 1:40PM
i agree, month-minded and year-minded people are far more enlightened.
Boff @ Jan 17th 2008 6:34AM
Spellcheck is for the unsure.
Larry *not allowed to say cheevo* @ Jan 16th 2008 1:26PM
'Ello, gubnah! Replace the blood with tea and the bullets with crumpets. Haha! Seriously though, it's not that big of a loss. The game wasn't too great.
mattclarkie @ Jan 16th 2008 1:57PM
I haven't really wanted to get the game. But that advert, which I hadn't actually seen on tv, too much time gaming, and when I watch TV it is timeshifted. But now I really want the game, I am off to find a good price for it now.
Piers Beaumont @ Jan 16th 2008 2:03PM
To be far violence with little kids is a big problem, i mean a BIG problem, not with guns but bottles, cutting knifes etc. Im not suprised, dont really agree, just use the watershed.
Graeme @ Jan 16th 2008 3:07PM
I'm with them on this. Its not guns that are generally the problem its the knifes that are out of hand.
Watershed isn't an option imo as I personally think there should be a 9pm curfew for under 18's. That or the right to completely beat them when they put a foot out of line :)
jaferris @ Jan 16th 2008 5:12PM
1 of the reasons why uk sucks i h8 living here sometimes the big ups find things to ban and scapegoats to the problem than actually dealing with the bigger issues like actually stoping the actual real life violence and not virtual reality violence
put the comercial at a l8r hour so is less likely for kids to watch it
Dale @ Jan 17th 2008 1:59PM
Some of the comments from Americans are quite funny seeing as you live in a country where this a national uproar when a nipple is shown on TV (or wardrobe malfunction as you called it)...
If you have ever been to the UK and watched TV here, there is full nudity and even sex shown here. There was a show about sex that had a camera inside a woman showing the man, erm fertilising her all in the name of education. Give me that over explosions and violence any day.