Call Me Pinocchio

Faced with rapidly stiffening opposition, an AIDS awareness advertisement has been pulled from Brazilian television just days after it started. The ad, which features a man in a bar talking with his penis, known as Braulio, promotes the use of condoms. “If you come out you’re going to have to wear a condom,” the man tells his pants. “OK, you win,” the unseen Braulio responds, “but get the condom quickly because there’s a gorgeous woman staring at me." Much of the opposition to the ad came from people named Braulio. The name was chosen after a survey found it a common Brazilian nickname for the male organ. Anastacio, Bimbo ("too childish"), Mauro, Petronio ("too long"), Oscar and Tonhao were also considered. Brazil's health minister, Adib Jatene, defended the $5 million ad campaign as "daring and aggressive," and necessary to help combat the fact that Brazil has the greatest incidence of AIDS in Latin America. He says that the ads will reappear after a new nickname is chosen. (Reuters, AP) ...Be macho, Minister Jatene: change his name to “Adib”.