It’s no secret that provocative ads are risky. United Colors of Benetton, for example, has faced numerous boycotts and lawsuits over its “shock advertising”; Kraft’s use of a nearly nude male model to promote its Zesty Italian Salad Dressing drew strong protests last year (though the company ultimately elected to continue the ad campaign). But there’s another reason marketers should exercise caution: Topics that are too hot often generate no buzz at all—and the threshold for “too hot” is surprisingly low. If an issue is more than mildly contentious, our research shows, the discomfort it inspires usually trumps the interest, and the likelihood that people will talk about it falls.