A Brisbane strip club has come under fire for an advertisement that appears to compare women’s breasts to pizza.
The Advertising Standards Bureau forced The Grosvenor topless bar and strip club to take down the ad – which features a photograph of two pizzas with red-coloured pepperoni circles gathered in the centre, and the words: ‘Pizzas or Jugs? Grab both for just $25’ – from one of Brisbane’s busiest train stations.
Club owner Jasmine Robson slammed the ASB decision as ‘political correctness/censorship gone absolutely mad’.
The Advertising Standards Bureau has forced The Grosvenor to taken down the ad (pictured)
The owner, Jasmine Robson, has slammed the ABS decision as ‘political correctness gone mad’
‘I am shocked that the ASB would determine that this ad is exploitative or demeaning to women in any way, especially considering there isn’t even a woman on the billboard,’ Ms Robson told the Courier Mail.
‘I even removed part of our logo that reads ‘topless bar and strip club. I feel that I went to great lengths to ensure the advertisement was received in the spirit in which it was delivered.’
Ms Robson said she took great care to ensure the ad – which is in full view of thousands of families every day – doesn’t contain provocative imagery or show skin and that the club logo was altered so the words ‘topless bar and strip club’ were not included.
Complaints to the ABS included that the ad condoned sexual harassment of women ‘by suggesting that people can grab “jugs” at the bar’.
The advertising watchdog found the representation of women’s breasts as pizzas reduced women to an object, ‘which was exploitative by way of purposefully debasing women’.
The Grosvenor (pictured) owner Ms Robson is ‘shocked’ that the ABS found the ad ‘exploitative’
In the ABS’ determination, the ad ‘objectified and demeaned women’ and made a ‘sexist reference’ to women’s bodies.
‘In addition, the promotion of being able to grab the deal at a bargain price was degrading by lowering in character and quality women in general,’ the ASB wrote.
‘In the Board’s view, the overall impression was that the image and words did amount to a depiction that was clearly appearing to purposefully debase a group of persons, for the enjoyment of others…And did breach section 2.2 of the Code.’
The decision was met with outrage some customers of the Grosvenor – after Ms Robson posted it to the business’ Facebook page.
‘Isn’t pizza everyone’s favourite food? How then can comparing breasts to pizza possibly be degrading… if anything it’s a compliment,’ wrote one supporter.
One Facebook user commented that the ABS ‘needs to put things in perspective’ if The Grosvenor ad is inappropriate, but an ad for the drink Maximus (pictured) is acceptable
‘The Advertising Standards Bureau needs to start putting things into perspective if that’s the case,’ he added, next to a picture of a double-entendre ad for Maximus.
While one person pointed out that the business had failed ‘duty of care’ towards employees by suggesting punters ‘grab’ their bodies.
But several more pointed out that the ad is clearly being playful because there is a clear ‘No Touching’ sign at the entrance to the establishment.
‘Some people have too much time on their hands and are too easily offended,’ commented another person.
‘It is okay to be offended without expecting the world to apologise to you.’
Ms Robson also defended the advertisement’s levity, writing, ‘I feel that I went to great lengths to ensure the advertisement was received in the spirit in which it was delivered.
‘I am shocked that the ASB would determine that this ad is exploitative or demeaning to women in any way, especially considering there isn’t even a woman on the billboard.’
‘I believe if you ran a poll, most women would find it to be well done and even humorous.’