Fridae

The Independent Television Commission (ITC) ordered Internet media company, Yahoo!, to pull its latest TV commercial off air after receiving 15 complaints from viewers who deemed it offensive to homosexuals.

The ad which was aired in the UK shows a naked bridegroom tied to a tree in a stag night prank being eyed up from behind by a stereotypically camp-looking man with a suggestive expression on his face, as a voiceover explains: "You can't trust the kindness of strangers."

The independent television commission made the unusual decision to suspend the ad, which promotes Yahoo! UK's personal finance site, received complaints from members of the public and the gay rights campaigning group Stonewall.

"Our concern is the stereotypical portrayal of a minority group. The suggested looks and the expression of the man tied to the tree, we felt, were offensive to that group," ITC spokesman Bradley Brady said.

A Yahoo! spokesman in London said the company will abide by the ITC's decision and will stop airing the ad at midnight on Monday. "We're not interested in shocking viewers," he said.

The ITC has the authority to pull ads from the air that are deemed harmful to viewers, typically those that contain overtly sexual themes or nudity. Brady said the ITC typically suspends two to three ads per year.

Meanwhile, the UK gay rights group Stonewall has called on consumers to boycott companies that make offensive advertising after the TV commercial had to be pulled off the air.

"It is for individuals, as well as groups like us, to make clear to the companies involved that this type of advertising is not doing anyone any favours," said Sacha Deshmukh, Stonewall's head of parliamentary affairs.

"We are not trying to set up permanent boycotts but we want businesses and organisations to realise diversity is valuable and being offensive is not.

"We're happy when companies learn from their mistakes. But they need to be clear why they are offensive and understand that unless they change their approach, people will vote with their feet and purses." Deshmukh said.