Stiff competition

Apparently Peyton Manning isn't the only one hoping for a good performance on a Sunday night.\nPharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. has recently been slapped with a lawsuit regarding the advertisement of its blockbuster erectile-dysfunction drug, Viagra. A nonprofit AIDS organization alleges its ad campaigns, newly aimed at a broader age range, promote its use as a party drug.\nThe commercials have included tag lines such as "Be this Sunday's MVP."\nBe. This Sunday's. MVP.\nG-rated? Probably not. Classy? No. Amusing? Certainly!\nPfizer is being sued for allegedly furthering the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases via its new marketing strategy. But drugs like Viagra exist solely to alleviate pre-existing physical problems found commonly in males -- and those affected are not necessarily older gentlemen, either. It's assumed that treatment is geared toward the elderly, but a significant number of young men suffer from the same symptoms.\nRather than immediately condemning advertisements clearly constructed to be better received from a younger audience (the aforementioned commercials ran during during the Super Bowl and on New Years' Eve last year), we should consider the alienation that those few 20-somethings out there trying to lead normal sex lives are feeling. ED drugs are available to help men of all ages. Such marketing works to remedy the frustration young men feel from societal bias and allows them to continue on in a normal fashion, without the would-be embarrassment of having to go on with what's construed as an "old man" drug. \nIn addition to the benefits of this less-than-conventional turn in marketing, the allegations are simply misplaced. The suit entails that the cause of furthering HIV lies upon use of ED drugs. Not quite. What's at work is simply an announcement to a different clientele that Product X is out there for consumption -- innocent advertisement.\nWhat's not at hand is some implicit moral approbation of enhanced promiscuity. Innovative marketing is necessary for a product facing high levels of competition from drugs such as Cialis or Levitra.\nIn fact, we may very well be seeing more of such messages, considering the recent $2 billion annual budget cut Pfizer faces due to the patent expiration of some of its highest-selling prescriptions, now up for competition with generic firms able to sell the product for a fraction of the price.\nThe company taking this new course of action in trying to gain an edge makes perfect sense. The spread of HIV is a problem of alarming nature and magnitude -- but this blame was misplaced on a commercial meant simply to catch men's attention, not to encourage promiscuity, and it's just not lawsuit-worthy. A man formerly unable to engage in intercourse becoming sexually active again with his monogamous partner due to new medicinal breakthroughs is not worsening the problem of STDs. I doubt someone in Bob Dole's position would condone -- much less become the spokesman for -- an "HIV-spreader." \nAs for men becoming the "MVP" this Super Bowl Sunday? Maybe we should leave that up to the Colts.