In the latest case of political correctness run amok, the well-meaning ninnies on the Outdoor Media Advertising (OMA) board have banned a beautiful Ella Bache campaign image under the bogus claim it breaches a Code pertaining to the sensitive portrayal of sex, sexuality and nudity because the models therein look too serious and “serious facial expressions… increase the sexual overtones of the image”.
In a letter to Ella Bache, the OMA stipulated that although nudity is relevant to the brand and product line (i.e. skin solutions) the serious facial expressions of the models – including former Australia’s Next Top Model runner-up Kelsey Martinovich – somehow “sexualised” the image. The OMA did, however, approve an identical image in which the models are smiling, a decision that serves to perpetuate an outdated myth that a woman can be either funny or sexy but not both at the same time.
There’s a documented history of women from Rosalind Russell to Goldie Hawn and Hepburns; Audrey and Katherine whose very existence stands as hole-proof evidence that funny and sexy are not mutually exclusive attributes in females. Mila Kunis, Lake Bell and Jennifer Lawrence are the recent descendants from that long line of funny-sexy girls who disprove the funny or sexy fallacy every time they open their mouths.
This is exactly what the OMA board ruled:
Please see attached the two Ella Bache images that we deemed would breach the AANA Code of Ethics Section 2.4 Advertising or Marketing Communications shall treat sex, sexuality and nudity with sensitivity to the relevant audience. We considered that while the nudity was relevant to the product, the serious facial expressions did increase the sexual overtones of the image… We have said that the alternative images where the girls are smiling are acceptable as it is less sexualised and is relevant to the product…”
Here are the two images below; the one deemed “too sexy” is on the right.
Both photos are beautiful, natural and hardly provocative. Maybe the perverts on the OAM board should scoop their minds up from the gutter.
Images provided by Ella Bache.
