Monday, April 28, 2008

A lesson in media literacy from Swedes, Norwegians and Dutch

This is why Europeans are so smart and cutting edge with their social policies. It's interesting how the conversation turns not so much into what is sexist and what is not, to when do we limit fundamental rights for the sake of non-patriarchal marketing. Or something like that...

Companies still make sexist ads, but the fact that private and public entities exist to not only address the fuckedupedness of such ads, but to also balance the right of free speech makes me wonder what the hell we're doing over in the US of A.

Take this orgasm inducing statement:

"In Norway, sexist advertising has been banned since 2003. The ban forms part of a much broader package of legal limits on advertising, protecting the depiction of religion, sexuality, race and gender.

"Basically, if something is offensive or it makes the viewer feel uncomfortable when they look at it, it shouldn't be done", explained Sol Olving, head of Norway's Kreativt Forum, an association of the country's top advertising agencies.

"Naked people are wonderful, of course, but they have to be relevant to the product. You could have a naked person advertising shower gel or a cream, but not a woman in a bikini draped across a car."

Or this one from a man no less:

Denmark's advertising ombudsman recounts a recent example of a male underwear company which was forced to withdraw adverts portraying women in low-paid jobs, after outrage from several trade unions.

One ad in the series showed a nurse lying on a bed with the male underpants covering her face, implying that she had just had sex with a patient.

"People in these different occupations already have problems with sexual discrimination," says ombudsman Henrik Oe. "You cannot play on the male fantasy that a patient can have sex with a nurse just to sell a product."

"These areas of employment are already ones where women are already vulnerable to sexual harassment," he added.


It really is that simple. Take note, Madison Avenue, take note.

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