Laura Perrins asks why a television advertisement about consent, built around a hug, provoked such an angry reaction in Ireland. She notes that she may be the only conservative in the country who thought the ad made an important point. The spot encouraged people to ask before physical affection such as hugging, a message that many viewers apparently found grating. In the parlance of the time, plenty of people were 'triggered' by it. Perrins uses her piece to pick apart the backlash rather than simply joining it. Her argument is that the ad's message, whatever its tone, contained a point worth hearing. The controversy shows how debates over consent and personal boundaries split opinion along cultural lines in Ireland.