These Photos are Not for Discriminating Consumers!
When is the discriminatory treatment of women not really discriminatory? How about when an ad campaign shows women and men being treated exactly the same? Nope: that's still discrimination! At least, in South Africa. But to really judge, you need to see the photos, which follow the story from True's 13 March 2005 issue:
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Gender Discrimination
To call attention to its new Fall line, the Young Designers Emporium of South Africa has a new poster ad campaign in its shop windows. The "Brand Spanking New Fashions" posters feature models in their underwear sporting red marks on their thighs to imply they've been spanked with a paddle. The Law Society of South Africa has expressed outrage over the posters, which go "against the grain of eradicating the trivialization and humiliation of the female body," says Society spokeswoman Nonto Umlaw. "We show a man and woman being spanked," points out YDE Creative Director Sam Coleman. "It is quite surprising that no one said anything about the man." (Pietermaritzburg Witness) ...Well no: obviously he deserved it.
And here are the photos -- one's discrimination, the other is fine:
This advertisement is an outrage. It's horrendous discrimination for a woman to be "spanked" -- why, look at those red marks and everything! The store that ran this ad should be hounded out of business. |
This advertisement, however, is fine -- no problem seen; perfectly acceptable, please carry on. Any redness seen is probably just a color balance problem with the photography. (Photos courtesy YDE.) |
Most Recent Comments
Posted by Herby, Germany on June 20, 2009:
I'll have you know that corporal punishment in South African schools was, until around 1990 or so, quite commonplace. My butt has had the displeasure of being "paddled" on more than one occasion -- the cane, however, was much worse.
Using the metaphorical paddle in an ad such as this would, to most Safricans, therefore be more hilarious than sexist, discriminatory or dehumanising than anything else. One can only assume that there was no trouble with discipline in Nonto Umlaw's schooling days since girls only got rapped over their fingers with a ruler.