Perplexing Censorship

WARNING: As you scroll down, this post is not safe for work.

We've posted about Tom Ford's most recent provocative campaign (see here), but Urban Artiste drew our attention to an interesting development. The Italian Advertising Institute has banned one of his ads for being too "vulgar," "sexually implicit," "beyond bad taste," and an "offensive gesture which insults women and the dignity of all" (quotes found at The Daily Telegraph). Which ad?

Not this one (found here):



Nope, not this one either (found here):



Nope, not even this one (found here):



Or this one (found here):



Nope, they banned this one (found here):



To be fair, I can't find out much information on this. I don't even know for sure if the other ads circulated in Italy (though I don't know of any reason why they wouldn't be). I'd love your speculations as to why the last would be singled out for censorship, as well as any additional information you hear about the ban.

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Using American Indian Genocide To Spread Anti-Immigrant Sentiment

Marcello sent us this really fascinating example of political propaganda from an anti-immigrant party in Italy. He translated the text as:

They suffered immigration
Now they live in reserves
Think about it

The implication is, if they let immigrants into Italy, the current residents will suffer the same fate as American Indians.


Marcello writes:

Beside the obvious racist concept i think it's quite ironic that they identify
themselves with people they would probably discriminate [against] if they ever
met any american-native people here in italy and the fact that they criminalize
the role that the very same "western civilization" they stand for (against the
"bastardization of culture from muslim heretics", their words, not mine) played
in the american-native genocide.

Original post, by Marcello, here. Thanks!

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Using Racial Stereotypes To Remind Women That Housework Is Their Responsibility

This Italian ad for fabric dye draws on the idea that black men are physically and sexually superior to white men:



Whereas this follow-up ad, with a surprising twist, manages to remind us that women are always responsible for the laundry:



I found this first commercial via Elizabeth A who found it at Feministing. Nice find!

Also in women are responsible for cooking and cleaning: women love to clean, homes of the future, what's for dinner, honey?, liberation through quick meals, and my husband's an ass.

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Soap Dispenser Allows You To Finger A Hot Chick

That's Italian, no?

Found here thanks to Andrew.


Also in women as things: the bitchcruiser and sinks and urinals.

Blackface Candies

These are Italian candies with chocolate inside. You can read a description of them here (scroll down the page quite a bit). I'm not sure what the point of the shiny dot on the forehead is.

Thanks to Denise H. for finding this image!