A billboard that was put up Tuesday advertising cheating and blasting presidential candidate Mitt Romney was taken down less than a day after it was put up on Dorchester Avenue in South Boston.
Noel Biderman, founder of the extra-marital dating site AshleyMadison.com, told Metro Tuesday that “it doesn’t feel like 2012 America.”
“We should all be pushing toward commercial advertising freedom,” Biderman said in a phone interview from London. While on the phone, Biderman said he got a text message saying that the billboard would be taken down, although details as to why, or who was behind the apparent censorship wereunclear.
The billboard featured a photo of Romney making a “Shhh” gesture with his finger over his lips, alongside the quip, “If cheating on your taxes is ok… so is AshleyMadison.com,” a reference to the cheaters’ website, which has been active since 2001, and has had great success hooking people up who are in relationships but are looking to cheat.
The advertisement came on the heels of Larry Flynt’s $1 million offer for damaging information
regarding Romney’s “unreleased tax returns and details of his offshore
accounts.”
“I’m not saying that it’s okay to cheat on your taxes – but if someone is going to be the president of the United States, and behaves that way, then let’s stop judging people who make other choices in their personal lives,” Biderman said, referring to people who have affairs.
The removal of the billboard was no shock to Biderman, who said he didn’t expect the Boston billboard to last long.
“Let’s be honest, these billboards are controversial. If it weren’t (taken down) today, it would be tomorrow, or next week.”
Biderman said he hoped the billboard will bring even more attention to what he calls “Romney’s shady dealings and hidden assets.”
“While we’ve always maintained that how a politician leads his personal life should not affect his policies, Mitt Romney’s aversion to paying his fair share proves he’ll have no problem cheating on the American people,” Biderman said.
With more than 14 million members, Biderman said hopes his stance against Romney could actually influence the outcome of the upcoming presidential election.
Ashley Madison has advertised with similar billboards at the expense of prominent figures, like Prince Charles, Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich.
When asked whether Democrats or Republicans are more likely to cheat, Biderman said: “It’s an amazing question. My guess is that it would be democratic women and republican men.”
