Has anybody who lives in Toronto seen those billboard ads for Bleuforet tights? I scoured the internet for pictures of them, but they’re nowhere to be found, so I’ll just have to describe them. There’s a series of ads, and in each a sweet young thing in brightly coloured tights and a white sweater bounces in mid-air above a bed. Pretty run of the mill, except that the sweet young things are wearing transparent sweaters.
The first time I saw one of these ads, I actually got off my bike to stare at the ad to make sure that what I was seeing was truly, ahem, nipple, and not just a dirt smudge or my imagination.
The thing is, I just can’t figure out what to think of these ads. I could just say it’s another case of plain old conventionally beautiful women being used to sell products, in a way that 1) dehumanises the model and 2) makes anyone who doesn’t look like them feel anxious about their self-image.
Except for the fact that we live in a country where our unholy fear of our own bodies has created a pretty sick sexual culture. So does that mean that an ad that showcases boobies in such an off-hand, casual, un-pornographic way is a good thing?
I’m confused. Does anyone else have thoughts?
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four comments
Wow Thea, thanks for this. I actually thought the nipples were the result of grafitti.
You're right that the boobie showcase in the instance is completely un-pornagraphic and very subtle in it's "I'm just hanging out in my tights" way. I have a tendancy to mark these types of things as harmless, and even progressive. Society does certainly have nipple fear, so I'm apt to be thumbs up on the exposure.
The fact that the ad sells tights to women and not beer to men certainly helps. It's interesting seeing a casual nipple shot in an image that's meant for me, rather than a fashion spread that screams "wear this and be hot for your man!"
So my vote is yes, nipples are good on a billboard in this case.
Posted by Stacey May
March 16, 2007, 3:56 PM
Maybe it's a cultural thing... a quick internet search revealed that Bleuforet is a Montreal-based company, and here in Sin City street-ads generally employ a pretty healthy dose of sexuality, demeaning or otherwise. There are be-nippled ladies selling health products, jewelry, and the Montreal Opera. There are also well-oiled liberally-clad men selling various things, and a bare-assed (male) actor on the poster for Denys Arcand's film Les Invasions Barbares (I didn't realize until I left the province that his movie had been promoted elsewhere with a less, uh, "provocative" ad). So, progress? Who knows. It might be a bit of a stretch to make a link between Quebec's (generally) progressive social stance on things like gay and lesbian rights, marriage, reproductive rights, etc. and its free-and-easy attitude toward bodies and sexuality. But maybe not... anyway, that's my $.02.
Posted by Anna
March 18, 2007, 8:01 PM
Maybe it's a cultural thing... a quick internet search revealed that Bleuforet is a Montreal-based company, and here in Sin City street-ads generally employ a pretty healthy dose of sexuality, demeaning or otherwise. There are be-nippled ladies selling health products, jewelry, and the Montreal Opera. There are also well-oiled liberally-clad men selling various things, and a bare-assed (male) actor on the poster for Denys Arcand's film Les Invasions Barbares (I didn't realize until I left the province that his movie had been promoted elsewhere with a less, uh, "provocative" ad). So, progress? Who knows. It might be a bit of a stretch to make a link between Quebec's (generally) progressive social stance on things like gay and lesbian rights, marriage, reproductive rights, etc. and its free-and-easy attitude toward bodies and sexuality. But maybe not... I have to admit, my prairie-town sensibility is still occasionally jarred by seeing lady-parts all out in the public domain. And I don't want to drag out that hoary old argument that women's bodies are intrinsically more beautiful than men's, so naked women = art, and naked men = ...uh, naked men? And I still think an ad is an ad, and the basic fact of ads is that they are always looking at the bottom line, not advancing any sort of progressive agenda. But if they happen to broaden people's attitudes on the way, I guess that's quite alright. And that's my $.02. And you should all come to Montreal.
Posted by Anna
March 18, 2007, 8:11 PM
If I had children I would not want them to see the billboard. I'm not a big fan.
Posted by Stacey
April 5, 2007, 7:01 PM
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