"You need a strong heart today"

Unilever, the makers of Flora margarine, are keen to promote their product as good for your heart. To cope with the modern world, you need a strong heart, right? Sure. And here's how international advertising agency Lowe and Partner made the point in a print ad which ran... briefly... in South Africa.

"You need a strong heart today" is the strap line. What??? You don't get it? Well, see, there's a china heart and it's about to be shattered by the little bullet coming from the left. Something wrong with that?

Yes, I can read what the bullet says -- "Uhh, Dad I'm gay". So what? Ohhh... It's not politically correct to suggest that a man's heart could be broken by his son's telling him "I'm gay." That's not "gay friendly", according to UK-based gay rights group Stonewall, which described the advert as "offensive and inappropriate" ("inappropriate" being the worst possible pejorative in this PC age).

Do you think Unilever or its agency would grow a set and tell Stonewall to try developing a sense of humour? Nooo... The ad has been withdrawn and profuse mea culpas ["mea culpae"? Ed.] have been issued by all concerned. Score another one for the gay lobby.