ADVERTISING has come in for criticism in the Federal Senate today with Senator Harradine calling for a public boycott of companies that present demeaning images of women.
Harradine used Senate question time to single out TV advertising for Double A paper and the Fosters Group’s Cougar bourbon as examples of ads he believes are contributing to a culture that promotes “debasing” portrayals of women.
The Double A paper ad shows a young woman kneeling on a photocopier accidentally having pictures taken up her skirt as a man looks on, while the Cougar Bourbon ads feature large breasted women in tight Cougar branded t-shirts.
The Double A ad is currently the subject of complaints to the Advertising Standards Board and will be reviewed at the ASB’s next meeting.
Harradine said such advertising contributed to negative stereotyping of women and to the forming of attitudes that lead to “the kinds of abuses and violence against women which have received significant media attention over the past weeks”.
“Is the Government doing anything to address sexist advertising such as the ad for Double A copy paper which depicts a woman on all fours over a photocopier as ‘upskirt’ pictures are taken and viewed by a young man, and a series of Cougar ads in which men are depicted approvingly as treating women in a sexually demeaning way,” he said.
“Companies like Double A paper and Cougar should be boycotted by consumers until they take up their corporate responsibility to promote positive images of women.”
Senator Chris Ellison representing the Attorney General said he would report back the the Senate on the advertising issue.
