You and Your Silly Equality-Wanting; It's So PC!

A few people have sent me this article in the Times about the European Parliament reprimanding advertisers for "sexual stereotyping" and exhorting the industry to "change the way it depicts men and women."

The concern, according to the committee report, is that stereotypes in advertising can "straitjacket women, men, girls and boys by restricting individuals to predetermined and artificial roles that are often degrading, humiliating and dumbed-down for both sexes."

…The European Parliament took note of [the French government's interest in eradicating adverts that promote or incite anorexia] during its debate last week, calling on advertisers "to consider carefully their use of extremely thin women to advertise products."

Last year, the Spanish government weighed in, demanding that Dolce & Gabbana pull its "fantasy rape" advertisement in a country where headlines about violence against women are all too common.

Wow. I mean…wow. This is what taking institutional sexism seriously looks like—recognizing that sexist imagery contributes to and reinforces a sexist culture, which potentially limits everyone who moves in that culture, and engaging in awareness-raising (and legislation, where necessary) to start moving toward a healthy gender spectrum and a real equality.

So how does the Times address this serious bid at combating institutional sexism?

Clearly, the advertising industry is not quaking in its boots. But the move, however laughable as a gesture of political correctness, may well provoke some debate among agency executives and their clients about the messages they are sending. (That said, the people who approved the gender-stereotype measure are the same ones who suggested that all car advertisements should have warning labels because of the toxic impact of gas fumes.)

Yes, how laughable! How whimsically hilarious is the desire to be unfettered from biases used to demean and oppress you! Aren't social justice advocates just so adorably silly?

And nice dismissive sneer at people who have the zany idea to treat as a public safety hazard one of the primary contributors to the climate crisis. Warning labels on cars?! Oh, how quaint!

I hate the world sometimes. I really do.