Fox Offends With Prison Break Soap Promo

Next week, after four successful seasons, the Fox series Prison Break is going off the air, and the publicity team at Fox sent over a little reminder to tune in -- a press release, accompanied by a bar of soap.

The marketing team at Fox used this gimmick once before while promoting the third season's premiere in New Zealand in 2008. Those bars of soap featured the imprint of a key -- an attempt to show how keys are sometimes duplicated in prison. The soap was then strategically placed in bars and clubs.

The bar of soap sent to The Advocate just features the run dates of the series, and the accompanying press release reads, "We hope the enclosed bar of PRISON BREAK soap helps lather up excitement for the two-hour series finale airing Friday, May 15."

"It's unfortunate that Fox thinks a veiled reference to prison rape is an appropriate part of their marketing campaign for this show," Rashad Robinson, senior director of media programs for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, said in an exclusive statement to The Advocate .

Fox was approached for comment but did not respond by deadline.

The series, about two brothers breaking in and out of prison while attempting to expose a government conspiracy, stars Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller.

PRISON BREAK PROMO XLARGE (HOUSE) | ADVOCATE.COM

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Name: JD Florida
Date posted: 5/12/2009 11:24:00 AM
Hometown: St. Petersburg

Comment:
OH for dog sake loosen up! As a gay criminal defense attorney who as a child was raped I see nothing wrong and found it amusing. If you had any concern about prisoners you would push for condoms in jail (currently not allowed since they could be used as weapons). Or at the lest get involved with safe sex seminars. But no. You sit on your ivory sofa and bitch about bad tv. Get a life! and get off you ass. My sensibilities do not need you to protect them!
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Name: Diana Taylor
Date posted: 5/12/2009 11:18:00 AM
Hometown: London UK

Comment:
How absolutely trivial, typical yank paranoia! No doubt they'll set the CIA on me for that comment or try to sue me for defamation!
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Name: Katie
Date posted: 5/8/2009 12:44:00 AM
Hometown: Boston

Comment:
Joking about rape or using it to promote a show is NEVER okay.
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Name: Kristoffer
Date posted: 5/7/2009 8:59:00 PM
Hometown: Atlanta

Comment:
Big deal. I would think we, or GLAAD would have bigger things to get upset over. Doesn't bother me. Kinda makes me wish I could soap up with Wentworth.
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Name: Walter M
Date posted: 5/7/2009 8:31:00 PM
Hometown: Chuckstown, MD

Comment:
I got this promo here at the office and had a good laugh over it. I did say tongue-in-cheekily that I was offended but it's cute. I have it sitting right where I can look at their faces and imagine dropping the soap between them heh heh. Lighten up!
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Name: Jim
Date posted: 5/7/2009 5:53:00 PM
Hometown: Santa Cruz

Comment:
GLAAD needs to lighten up! It's like they're desperately searching for something to be offended by. I would think there are plenty of deserving targets out there, that they wouldn' t need to waste time on something so innocuous.
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Name: Mark
Date posted: 5/7/2009 5:19:00 PM
Hometown: Minneapolis

Comment:
I think it's hot.
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Name: Marco
Date posted: 5/7/2009 5:13:00 PM
Hometown: The Hague (The Netherlands)

Comment:
Please, take this not to seriously! After all, "Prison Break" is only a television show, which is great to watch, after a day of hard work! It's just like the James Bond movies, totally unbelievable, but fun! Also I might ad, that I enjoyed also "Oz" which was in my opinion more "realistic" than "Prison Break".
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Name: Thomas
Date posted: 5/7/2009 3:34:00 PM
Hometown: San Luis Obispo, CA

Comment:
I should feel represented by the prison population because some prisoners have man-on-man sex in the shower? Why is GLAAD going after this? Most homosexuals are not prisoners.
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Name: Thom
Date posted: 5/7/2009 3:25:00 PM
Hometown: NY

Comment:
Welcome to the world of marketing where "racy" works. Personally I find it hysterical and not in the least bit offensive. I agree with Jon above, let's pick our battles and stop whining over idiocy.

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