The Oscars Faces Backlash After Rejecting Postpartum Ad for Being ”Too Graphic”

Turns out natural human processes aren’t suitable content for the 2020 Oscars. 

On Feb. 5, the Frida brand, which makes personal care products for moms and babies, revealed their commercial for Frida Mom was rejected for Sunday’s show by ABC and the Academy Awards because it’s “too graphic.” They shared this news, as well as the minute-long commercial, with their followers and stated, “It’s not ‘violent, political’ or sexual in nature. Our ad is not ‘religious or lewd’ and does not portray ‘guns or ammunition’. ‘Feminine hygiene & hemorrhoid relief’ are also banned subjects.”

Indeed, there’s no nudity or anything political in nature. Instead, the commercial depicts a mother waking up in the middle of the night to a crying baby, who she soothes before going to the bathroom to change her mesh hospital underwear, large pads and other tasks. It ends with the assertion that “Postpartum recovery doesn’t have to be this hard,” before changing to a shot of Frida Mom products.

“And we wonder why new moms feel unprepared. We make products that help women prepare for postpartum recovery,” the company captioned the video.

Despite never having it’s moment on TV, the advertisement is receiving praise for its accurate depiction of the postpartum recovery process. One YouTube commenter said she “loved” the commercial because it’s “so real and raw,” just like recovery itself. 

Since the commercial was shared with the world, numerous people have voiced their outrage with the decision to keep this from Oscars viewers. As celeb Busy Philippsput it on Instagram, “I DO believe so strongly that the more we can NORMALIZE A WOMAN’S BODILY EXPERIENCE IN MEDIA, the better off our culture and society will be.”

“You probably don’t even flinch when an Erectile Dysfunction ad comes on but THIS AD IS REJECTED?! I think this is an incredible piece of advertising that accurately represents something millions of women know intimately,” the actress continued. “And I’m so f–king sick of living in a society where the act of simply BEING A WOMAN is rejected by the gatekeepers of media. Well. Shame on them and NOT on us for simply being human women.” Michelle Monaghan, Elizabeth Banks and Katie Lowes all seconded this notion in the comments section, along with hundreds of other men and women. 

E! News has reached out to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for comment.