There are too many to count. If I posted a picture of every Italian political campaign advertisement, for example, separating them into categories such as “the over-the-shoulder-slung-jacket” and the “chin-resting-on-the-index-finger” portraits, we’d be here all day. Then there are the overtly sexist advertisements for every product on the market. Then there are the commercials almost too ridiculous to describe, like my friend Jennifer’s and my favorite: feminine products with wings fly off into the sunset while grown women in the foreground ride a merry-go-round and grin.
But recently I snapped a picture of two advertisements around town and I’d love to know what y’all think:
Is this racist? Or in bad taste? Outside of a posh cosmetics store on Via Cola di Rienzo, I spotted this advertisement for self-tanning spray (presumably marketed towards white women), featuring an African (African-Italian?) model, naked, eating an apple. The ad suggests that I “Let myself be tempted” by this self-tanner. Is this some kind of post-modern blackface? It was just a few weeks ago that the French magazine Numero got in trouble for using a white model in dark make-up for an “African Queen” spread. And their explanation, that they were trying to celebrate dark beauty, kind of made it worse because then… why not use an actual black model? There are plenty of gorgeous ones. So is this store/advertising agency really suggesting that white women should look like… a different race to be beautiful? Or that it is even possible to get this dark with this tanning spray? I’m not sure it’s racist, but maybe a little insulting and definitely stupid.
Or am I just uptight? Italy doesn’t have the recent history (200 years is recent history) that the United States does, so maybe they just don’t have the same sensitivities that we do. This is, after all, the country whose president said that he liked Obama because he “had a nice tan.” Americans were offended, but Italians just kept voting for him. Maybe we can just write this one off as a cultural difference. But what do you all think of this ad?
Speaking of cultural differences, THIS is what is apparently considered to be “morbidly obese” in Italy. I don’t think this advertisement for obesity surgery is offensive, but just worth posting. I wish you could see it better, the jacket-slung-over-the-shoulder (see political advertisements, supra) makes her look even bigger. I came from Texas. This doesn’t look that big to me. And certainly not a model for “grave obesity.”
I guess it depends on where your eyes have spent most of their time!
That’s a good point about the second picture…I guess Italy still hasn’t “caught up” to the US in terms of obesity criteria. But it seems like they are catching up when it comes to marketing medical services. I don’t necessarily find it offensive, but I do think it’s there are some unfortunate messages here: 1) being overweight is a problem best (most easily) solved by surgery; and 2) that physicians marketing directly to patients is an acceptable business practice.
Yes, and especially when this model is truly not that big and really does not seem to be in a life-threatening situation. I totally approve of weight-loss surgery if is going to save the person’s life and if other traditional measures have failed. But this marketing (you’re right, it’s marketing), makes it seem just about vanity. Distressing!
I think the first advertisement is terribly offensive, but I think on a deeper level it indicates the extremes of a western world movement which aims to embody dark/tan skin. In the old days, paler skin was idealized because it meant that you were wealthy enough to stay inside all day, not having to work outside as many laborers did. Nowadays, tan skin is idealized because it means you’re wealthy enough to spend a lot of recreational time outdoors since a lot of labor has moved indoors. I could be grasping at straws here because I don’t know the actual ratio of indoor workers to outdoor haha. I studied abroad in Southeast Asia and it was very clear they idealized white/pale skin. People used umbrellas every time they were out in the sun and outside laborers attempted to cover every inch of their body even though it was 95 degrees outside. I think you bring up interesting points about the French magazine’s black face fiasco… They’re saying that it’s good to be dark… But bad to be black… See the difference?
I agree completely. I studied abroad in China, too, and found out the same thing you did when I asked why people were walking around in short sleeves and elbow-length gloves. By the way, I also noticed men with very long fingernails, and our professor told us that decades ago, having long fingernails meant that you did not perform manual labor. Interesting.
It’s worth mentioning that some of my Italian friends were discussing this blog post with me (offline! I actually have real live conversations with people sometimes) and they all agreed that the Italians just don’t have the same sensitivities that Americans do.
BTW I eschew tanning, fake or real!
Interesting to hear about the fingernails; who knew a simple bad habit could force my fate! haha
Sitting on my ugly green couch in Rome, laughing out loud. Grazie!
Having read this I believed it was very informative.
I appreciate you finding the time and effort to put this informative article together.
I once again find myself personally spending a lot of time both reading and posting comments.
But so what, it was still worthwhile!