May 05, 2003

got boobs?

I remember innocently watching television, probably some sort of dubbed over american show (we've got it all, from Dawson's Creek, to Party of Five, to old Who's the Boss reruns), and during the commercial break, something caught my attention.

Boobs.

There was a woman, jumping and splashing about in a tropical lake, promoting some sort of showering product, with her naked breasts getting in on the action too. This shocking experience would be found again and again, with commercials of showering women (never men, go figure), and most recently on a billboard for some sort of shower gel.

Now, granted it is realistic. When I take a shower, I am most often naked, and I assume most others are as well. However, if there was to be an entire camera crew in my bathroom, I may very well think twice about stripping down to ye olde birthday suit.

However, you realize just how far you've come when later, watching a french rap video on tv (and don't even get me started about the idea of french rap), you find yourself wondering why the hell they blurred out all the boobies.

Posted by Kim at May 5, 2003 12:21 PM
Comments

I'm so lmao at this. Do you know that the Sanex ad that's currently being paraded on all the billboards here in Paris inspired me to do a blog entry on this issue. But I don't need to now that you've done it. LOL.

I had friends from Australia visiting last week, and they said to me, in hushed voices, "what's with all the blatant nudity?". I'm like, "what nudity?" - obviously I've been here way too long.

I know exactly which song you're talking about too and I thought the same thing. too funny.

and somewhat eerie.

Posted by: Katia at May 5, 2003 03:06 PM

We have breasts on the billboards in Austria as well. The Palmers lingerie company is currently promoting its naked-look product line with an interesting campaign.

You do grow used to it and stop really noticing. It takes me a week or so to get reacclimated when I return after visiting family in the States; until then, driving is dangerous.

There used to be a supermarket near my house with a huge, billboard-sized picture of a naked woman frolicking in the waves, erect nipples the size of shopping carts, advertising shower soap. Every time I went shopping I was reminded I was not in Kansas anymore, Toto.

Posted by: Mig at May 6, 2003 07:52 AM

Just a thought: why does nudity shock you? What's wrong with it? Really? If they were using violence, mutilated bodies etc, in commercials, that would shock me. But these are just people without clothes on.

Posted by: Edwinek at May 7, 2003 05:22 AM

Well Bennetton used violence, mutilated bodies etc. (at least here in Germany, they did) in their ads a couple of years ago and THAT did lead to an outcry!
Although it's hypocritical : after all, most Hollywood movies use violence, mutilated bodies etc. to promote the 'Merkin way of life ;)

Sex sells, but not to prudish Yanks apparently.

Stu Savory

Posted by: Stu Savory at May 7, 2003 06:42 AM

Hurray for Boobies! I'm all for the soft, lucious, cushiony pleasure bags.

Keep em coming.

Posted by: Raven Lee at May 8, 2003 02:43 AM

Edwinek, I was born and raised american, which should really answer the question about why it shocks me :P

and Stu, I think sex sells quite well to us, but such billboards in the states would certainly cause quite a few traffic accidents ;)

Posted by: kim at May 8, 2003 06:39 AM

It's not that the United States is against sex and nudity, I don't think. Sexual reproduction is still more popular than mitosis, and Christina Aguilera *is* an American product. I suspect it's more a matter of private vs public, and a difference of how that is perceived in the US vs in Europe or other parts of the world. That and the fact that nudity does seem more eroticized in the United States than in parts of Europe.

Posted by: Mig at May 8, 2003 06:58 AM

The interesting thing is that a lot of these "boobie" advertisments are not even sexual in nature - they're just celebrating the beauty of the nude body. It's great :)

Posted by: Katia at May 9, 2003 08:05 PM

Public nudity a problem for the Yanks? Yes, the right winged Christians have taken over everything (starting way back with the Puritan pilgrims) and impose their twisted sense of morality on us all. Those of you in other countries not already straight jacketed by these bible thumpers should consider yourselves lucky and always be vigilant. They want to save you, too. People who think they have God on their side are very dangerous indeed.

Posted by: JohnnyR at May 27, 2003 05:05 AM