Gucci banned for advert

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(Newser) – If anyone has doubts that the United Kingdom's Advertising Standards Authority reads its complaint mail, this should put that to rest. Per Fashionista, a lone detractor submitted a grievance to the British ad watchdog about a Gucci ad campaign, and now it's banned in the UK—because of two "unhealthily thin" models. The brand's already expired promotion of its Cruise 2016 collection was featured in the British Times, and models Madison Stubbington and Avery Blanchard apparently took the complainant's breath away with their slim frames, spurring a challenge against the ad for being "irresponsible" and a ban on it appearing in its "current form" anywhere in the UK, per the ASA ruling. Gucci's rebuttal, via Cosmopolitan, says the ad was geared toward an "older, sophisticated audience" and that thinness is a "subjective issue."




Gucci lists reasons why the models weren't portrayed as too skinny—their "bones" weren't on display, for example, nor was heavy makeup used to make their faces look too thin. "The visual parts of their bodies appeared toned and slim," the argument reads. But the ASA didn't buy that, noting after a review that Stubbington's portrayal was OK, but Blanchard's wasn't. "Her torso and arms were quite slender and appeared to be out of proportion with her head and lower body," the ruling says, adding that her pose accentuated her long torso and skinny waist and that "her somber facial expression and dark make up, particularly around her eyes, made her face look gaunt." Cosmo points out issues with the ASA's ruling: "Even if intended to combat problematic portrayals of the female form, it's worth noting this is a pretty body-shaming statement in itself." (Models in France now need a doctor's note OKing their BMI.)

As long as the models aren't starving themselves I don't see what the big deal is. Some women are just naturally thin.

I'm not thin at all. Some people complain that being overweight is a choice. I'm 229 pounds and am going to lose to 219 so I can wear my old clothes. If women are naturally, I repeat, naturally thin and don't starve themselves than being "unhealthy thin", who eat well than why does everyone raise a fuss?

I don't choose to be a plus sized girl and I don't think very skinny women who eat healthy choose either. Body shaming is atrocious.

^^ The point was the fact it is unethical and the issue is mal nutrition and wrongdoing in the fashion industry allowing size 0 models to be so thin.



The director is still trying to show the ad.


Quote from Huffington Post

The United Kingdom has banned another fashion ad for featuring “unhealthily thin” models.

A complaint was filed with the country’s Advertising Standards Authority over two models who appear in Gucci’s Cruise 2016 campaign. The ASA, which handles complaints across all media, deemed one of the models “unhealthily thin” based on still photos that appeared at the end of a video ad online.

Taking into consideration that the model’s body “appeared to be out of proportion with her head and lower body” and noting her “sombre facial expression and dark makeup,” the organization stated that keeping the model in the advertisement was “irresponsible.”

It's pretty well-known that although most models are probably naturally thin, many of them need to starve themselves or take illegal drugs or other medications to be as thin as the agencies want them to be. Many of the models start out as young teens, and tend to put on weight as they mature. So it's often a battle to remain at a certain weight, which is usually considered to be underweight by medical professionals.

"Thin" isn't usually thin enough for female models and celebrities. So many of them develop eating disorders under the pressure to remain thin. If they put on a little bit of weight, the paparazzi are instantly aware, and the tabloids make comments and criticisms, even speculating that the woman may be pregnant.

I really don't think that it's healthy, and I don't agree with it.

The question is how you tell the differnce between naturally thin and an eating disorder? Many people with eating disorders aren't actually thin, including those with bulimia.

Also being thin isn't necessarily the objective the the eating disorder that starves, it is similar to those that self harm, it is about trying to gain a sense control.

It the same standard going to be applied for those that are morbidly obese?

There is plus size models that are healthy, however obesity is not healthy, whether they think it is or not. There seems to be a double standard with eating disorders.

I don't think this is what the ASA was set up to do. Something should be done, but through getting through to consumers. Not by bullshitting them, but by making them take an interest.

I don't think any kind of extreme body type should be held up as the ideal. It's not good for the public to believe that they should try to look like people of an extreme or unusual body type, because it's next to impossible for most to accomplish. In my opinion, it can cause mental illness such as depression, anxiety disorders, body dysmorphic disorder, or eating disorders. People trying to achieve these extremes may also give themselves health problems in the process.

Obesity or underweight doesn't make a difference to me. Both are unhealthy. I'm not in favor of having obese models either. I'm not a fan of the fat acceptance movement which seems to have decided that it's ok to be very overweight or obese.

In my opinion, everyone should try to be healthy. A bit underweight or overweight is fine.

The way to decide which are naturally underweight, and which are trying to be underweight, would be for models to get physicals periodically. Those starving themselves or doing other unhealthy things to remain thin should have symptoms.

Personally I think this is a problem that is quite a bit to do with women's attitudes to women or themselves.

Women buy these clothes, they buy the magazines. They are in the industry largely run by gay men and women. Also the argument that gay men want boyish looking women is worthy of criticism
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... -designers

There are a lot of female designers and the target audience is women. Ultimately it is driven by that demand.

It is not caused for the most part by cis gendered men. It is not something that men on the whole find attractive.

You might think I'm being curt, but I'm serious. As same standard is placed on men, where it is argued we objectify women in other quarters.

This is objectification of women largely by women, becuase they are the main consumers of this kind of fashion. They compare themselves to other women, and there is a competitive psychology.

Of course this is not all women, but I'm using a form logic often applied in discussion of objectification.

Either objectification isn't such a clear cut thing and this is an over simplistic way of looking at things AND/OR there is far more joint enterprise in the mechanism of oppression than is often made out.

The point of this is not to absolve men or to blame all women, but to establish a more critical approach (than say 'its the patriarchy'). The attitudes we hold about are own, we must take responsibility for them. It is very easy to palm of the blame on an industry and there can be a degree of truth to that, however this behaviour is inherent in us, and there is some behavioral patterns that drive this interest.

The fashion industry employs scouts/spotters. A lot of these are women, they are more than capable of thinking for themselves.

I watched the video. Everyone in that video is anorexic, with the exception of maybe one of the guys who is just underweight.

Holy god, these women look like walking clothes racks! How could they not be starving themselves or have some kind of wasting disease? I would much rather look at overweight people than people who make me instinctively think they have a horrible contagious illness and I must avoid them at all costs.

Sad. That's what it is. Just sad.