A fine example of male gauze. An advert for Molly Baz, a chef, recipe creator and food editor, has been censored from giant billboards in the famous Time Square. The reason ? This violated the “ guidelines on acceptable content » according to Clear Channel, the American company responsible for broadcasting New York advertising.
And what did we see in this ad? Molly Baz, pregnant and in her underwear, holds two of her cakes – the recipe of which is said to aid her breastfeeding – in front of her chest – all accompanied by the slogan “ just add milk “.
Molly Baz ad censored
Initially, the spot, developed by Molly Baz in collaboration with breastfeeding start-up Swehl, was supposed to run for a week, from Monday to Mother’s Day in the US, during the first minute of each hour. But on Thursday, just three days after the start of the broadcast, it was replaced by another image from the campaign in which we can see Molly Baz in jeans and a crop top, while she eats one of the famous cakes.
The cool thing is that this advertising space in Time Square is often used by brands like Skims and Michael Kors, for example, to promote underwear. So why was this poster removed? Because there is an obvious sexist double standard here: a sexualized breast is highlighted and accepted, while a breastfeeding breast is not.
What should we understand about the censorship of Molly Baz advertising? That pregnant women’s bodies are not sexy, not marketable and should not be shown to everyone.
The chef, shocked by this highly sexist gesture, spoke to the webzine Maternal :
I think the message sent is quite clear. Women are considered beautiful, attractive, sexy, desirable when – and only when – they are represented in a way that responds to the gaze and desires of a man.
When we appear in our actual body, doing exactly what it was designed to do (incubate human life) which, let’s not forget, is a direct consequence of sexual intercourse, it is somehow considered unattractive and inappropriate.
At a time when women’s reproductive rights are constantly questioned around the world, when breastfeeding continues to be stigmatized, when women, even in France, are excluded from public places for breastfeeding – or even because they slap – it is urgent to make society as a whole understand that women’s bodies must stop being reduced to objects destined for the male gaze. Damn, it’s 2024, when will all this change?
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Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
