Three million and growing: That’s the number of Web clicks on a steamy promotional video on the European Union’s new link to YouTube. Two hundred and crawling: That’s the number of clicks on an EU road-safety video. Sadly, the EU has fallen for the tawdry marketing motto that sex sells.<\/p>\n
First, a little background. The EU has a tough time selling itself to skeptical Europeans. In 2005, the French and Dutch rejected a proposed EU constitution, and the continentals are pushing back at the idea of adding more members to this club of 27 countries.<\/p>\n
But in the cultural realm, apparently, it’s easier to make the case for togetherness, especially when it’s spiced with a 44-second sprint through 18 torrid sex scenes taken from European films. The clip is one of five that advertise the EU’s support for European cinema.<\/p>\n
Moral objections to the vulgar snippet have been especially strong in heavily Roman Catholic Poland. But the official EU response is to decry the criticism as an “outbreak of prudery,” and a comment that “the European Union is not the [American] Bible Belt.”<\/p>\n
What a tired defense….<\/p>\n