‘Offensive’ admimics film

A BILLBOARD ad which referred to a rape scene in the 1972 film Deliverance has been found to be in breach of taste and decency advertising codes.

The outdoor display for the soft drink Sprite stated: “Plays the banjo while thirst squeals like a pig.” The footnote on the advertisement said: “The lemon lime hit that hurts thirst.”

The Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland (ASAI) received objections from a number of people who said this was a reference to Deliverance. In the movie, a hillbilly character in the southern United States says “I bet you can squeal like a pig” while he is raping another male character. Earlier, a much-mimicked scene features a character playing Duelling Banjos with a young boy.