Lady Gaga not ‘overtly sexual’ in suspenders TV ad, watchdog rules

London: The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled that a promo featuring Lady Gaga clad in suspenders and a body harness while rubbing her bare stomach is not “overtly sexual”.

A viewer challenged whether the television advert, which promoted the provocative singer’s CD, was suitable to be broadcast when children might be watching. The commercial featured various clips from the singer’s music videos, which could be seen on music channels at all times of the day, Universal Music argued. The music company also said it had specifically scheduled the ad to be broadcast during programmes aimed at their target audience of 16 to 44-year-old women. It added the advert had been checked by Clearcast, which vets advertisements to ensure they meet required standards, the advertising watchdog said. Clearcast said Lady Gaga was renowned for her "inventive and provocative" style and they believed that viewers would expect her to wear outlandish and eccentric costumes, the ASA said. They argued that the singer touching her stomach was “simply a part of the dance routine” and did not warrant a timing restriction. “The ASA understood that the ad consisted of clips from Lady Gaga promotional videos and noted that although the images featured the singer’s trademark outrageous costumes and performance style the majority of the clips were not overtly sexual,” the Mirror quoted the watchdog as saying. “Because the ad had been carefully scheduled, reducing the likelihood of children seeing it, we concluded that the scheduling had not breached the code,” it said. ANI