Sex With Babies Doesn't Prevent One From Getting HIV

harvey_tiles_board.jpg

Kevin Faddis points us to yet another odd Zambia-based Harvey Tiles billboard which reads, "A roof without HARVEY TILES can't make your mind free the same as sex with a baby can't cure HIV/AIDS." Initially, one might react to this buy saying...oh...WTF but there's a reason behind the choice of words on the billboard. The man who wrote the copy explained on an ESPN site saying, "There is a myth some people believe that if you have sex with a virgin, you are bound to be safe from AIDS. It's a rumor that started up here about a year ago. And then they started bringing people in to the police because they had been sleeping with babies. The slogan is to remind people not to sleep with babies. The owner sells tiles and, at the same time, he educates people."

OK, then. Gross but, then again, it's a different world in Zambia than it is in many other parts of the world and if it takes a shocking headline like this to stop people from having sex with babies then we say "good job" Harky Tiles.

Written by Steve Hall    Comments (9)     File: Good, Outdoor, Strange, Trends and Culture     Jun-14-06  
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Comments

the voodoo like belief that sex with babies, who are typically under 2years old has resulted in mass gang rapes and murders of too many babies. It is a widespread belief that it cures AIDs-not only prevents it. This ad board is commendable, but will likely have little effect in reducung the abuse of baabies in many coutries in Africa that have epidemic AIDs levels. Too often the perps are unable to read. peace out. -goose

Posted by: arthur on June 14, 2006 11:55 AM

This gets my "WTF" of the day.

Posted by: Edward on June 14, 2006 01:28 PM

My 24 year old sister is in Zambia on a Peace Corps mission doing AIDS education - I HAVE to get an explanation from her on this voodoo belief and how commonplace this horrendous act is.

Posted by: Shannon Seery on June 14, 2006 01:28 PM

Yeah, similar cases in South Africa, raping babies has pops up in the news every now and again, really, REALLY SAD situation which makes many extremely angry but it's the very uneducated that think like this not to mention the president thinks HIV doesnt cause AIDS is the other problem! On top of that the deputy-president just finished a rape case (he was not proven guilty, this seems correct tho) but the women that he slept with had HIV and he didn't bother about wearing a condom... instead...wait for it... he had a shower afterwards! *gasp* so what does that say to the rest of the countries uneducated?
So it's not just a Zambian thing, it's more like Africa.
As the previous poster mentioned though, the target market that needs to see the message about the babies... probably can't read it anyway. Looking at it in a capitalist way... hey, the guy has gotten international publicity over the ad, what does he care hahahaha some guy in the US or UK is now going to call him up and order some cheap tiles! I think he should get an export license asap!
*cough* but back in civilized land... yes it's sad.

Posted by: Brad on June 14, 2006 02:49 PM

Ok, I understand that everyone here works in advertising, not international relations, but jesus people. Pick up a newspaper and exercise some cultural sensitivity. "Voodoo belief?" Do you even know what voodoo is? No, clearly you do not. But hey, all that weird stuff black people in other countries do is the same, right? And "Back here in civilized land?" The unspoken attitude (well, mostly unspoken, except by you) that Africans are uncivilized animals that we can stare down our noses at is precisely why the West has failed to step in in a meaningful way. I know you guys probably didn't mean to offend, but stop and think about what you're saying before you say it.

Posted by: Angry J on June 14, 2006 03:04 PM

Good point, Angry J.
What people may not realize is that this "sex with a virgin cures sexually transmitted disease"idea is not limited to the African continent. It was a popular belief in Europe for many years, and was especially popular during the Victorian era.

Posted by: Miss Mimi [TypeKey Profile Page] on June 14, 2006 05:38 PM

I have another Harvey Tile ad from Flickr posted in my cube- it reads "Living in a house without Harvey Tiles is a Hell without Salvation- Heaven is covered by Harvey Tiles". Love to see him explain that

Posted by: Awshux on June 15, 2006 12:51 AM

Although voodoo is directly related to Creole voudou culture it derives from African, occult practices and more often than not refers to one who believes in or practices transference of ills and evil to an innocent or deceased. While it is true that hundreds of years ago some of these practices were widespread in Europe including cannibalism we are moving off topic and getting fur balled up over percerived slights that are only in the mind of the ranter. True enough voodoo and necromancy along with baby rape are quite widespread (over 1,400 baby rapes per year with strong evidence of magical intent) qualifies as alarming, no? The root alteration of Middle English nigromancie, from Middle French and most probably from Medieval Latin nigromantia, by folk etymology not withstanding the point of the matter remains that the widespread baby rape is a conjurative effort of transfer of evil (HIV/AIDs) for purposes of magically influencing the course of ones health. Advertising is magic and its influence is measurably enormous. One can only commend Steve Hall for posting the ad board here. I hope it inspires some of the mad genius readers to produce and some good magic that helps dispel this belief and open truthfull solutions to the inflicted.

Posted by: goose on June 15, 2006 12:31 PM

Gross, but not a new phenomenon. During Victorian times, it was a widely held belief that sex with a virgin would cure syphillis as well.

Posted by: Ryan on June 15, 2006 04:10 PM

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