Jolie and McAvoy rapped for 'glamorising' violence
Wednesday, 03 Sep 2008 09:06
Wanted stars Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy slammed by advertising regulators
Wanted stars Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy have been slammed by advertising regulators for glamorising violence and gun crime.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld complaints it received over the poster campaign for the summer action hit, which featured the actors brandishing handguns.
One poster depicted Jolie crouched and holding a gun pointed upwards while McAvoy carried two guns pointed at the viewer.
The other poster criticised by the ASA showed Jolie draped on a car bonnet holding a gun, while accompanying text read: "Six weeks ago I was just like you… and then I met her… and my world changed forever.
Some 17 complaints were received by the ASA over the campaign's alleged glamorising of violence and gun crime, which it upheld.
However, it did not uphold seven complaints which suggested the posters were unsuitable given recent public concern over rising gun crime.
"We considered that because the ads featured a glamorous actress, action poses, several images of, or related to guns and aspirational text, they could be seen to glamorise the use of guns and violence," the authority said in a statement.
However, it added: "We acknowledged most viewers would understand the posters reflected the content of an action film."
Universal Pictures assured the ASA that the poster was a stylised reflection of the film's comic book roots and stressed that they were no longer in circulation.