Most people don’t even blink when they see kissing between a guy and a girl—opposite-sex lip-locking is taken for granted. But a kiss between two guys is a different story. Who would think that an innocent guy-on-guy kiss in a mayo commercial would cause a controversy? Check out the commercial below:

The ad was supposed to run in the UK for five weeks, but Heinz pulled the commercial after just one week. Why? Apparently over 200 people found the ad offensive and felt it was “inappropriate to see two men kissing.” Thankfully, Heinz changed their mind and decided to run the ad anyway.

Isn’t it kind of hypocritical that an innocent kiss between two guys in a mayo commercial is cause for controversy, but Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl”—a song about girl-on-girl kissing—is a worldwide hit?

Are you a fan of the hit show Gossip Girl? There’s been some controversy over the promos for the new season. Critics argue that the promos are way too sexual and that the ads are sending the wrong message to the show’s teen audience. Take a look at the promos for Gossip Girl in the clip below:

These ads are just another example of sexualized advertisements that specifically target teens. Did you notice the OMFG? Some adults might not know what that means, but ask almost any teen and he or she will know. The teen-friendly OMFG sends a message that clearly says, “Hey teens, watch Gossip Girl! The sex scenes are outta control!” And, just in case you don’t realize how much sex there is on the show, a voice says the word “sex” over and over while sex scenes from the show flash across the screen.

Some people might think, So what? I’ve seen ads like this before. What’s the big deal?

The big deal is that ads like these present a warped view of sexuality that’s all about sexual fantasy and not reality. Important parts of sex—like communicating with your partner and using condoms to prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and pregnancy—are completely left out of the picture. With teens and middle-school kids watching, you have to wonder: How are they supposed to learn about the really important parts of sex that we don’t see on TV, like deciding if you want to have sex, communication and condoms?

The next time you’re watching TV and you see a sex scene, take note: Do the partners discuss their expectations of sex? How about using condoms or other methods of birth control? Do they talk at all about preventing STDs? You’ll find that although there’s tons of sex on TV, there are few realistic portrayals of responsible safer sex.

It’s no secret that women’s bodies are used to sell everything under the sun. But did you realize that photos of women in ads are airbrushed and edited on a computer before they get published? It’s impossible to look like the women featured in most ads, unless you were digitally edited too. Teens are constantly exposed to ads featuring barely clothed women that have soft smooth skin, perfect makeup, zero blemishes and—no nipples. That’s right: Some ads even go so far as to digitally erase women’s body parts like nipples or belly buttons just to sell a product!

Take a look at Heidi Klum in this ad for Jordache jeans. Where did her nipples go?

Hayden Panettiere, star of Heroes, looks like a shiny alien with a missing belly button in this Dooney & Bourke ad:

It’s one thing to remove a blemish here and there in a photo, but editing out a woman’s nipples or belly button? Get real! Deleting body parts in ads just to sell stuff is creepy. And it really twists people’s ideas of what real bodies look like and what it means to be beautiful. The next time you see an ad, keep in mind that most companies don’t use real beauty to sell products, and look to see if the model has ALL her body parts.

Take a look at Dove’s short film Evolution. It shows the process of turning an ordinary person into a computer-edited beauty queen.