Ad industry balmes sexism on sick society

JAKARTA (JP): Advertising agencies fended off charges yesterday that they were responsible for the bad taste commercials that degrade women, placing the blame on the "sick society" that clamors for sexually implicit commercial messages.

The executives said they do business by catering to producer and market demands and could not therefore be blamed for the few bad advertisements with sexist overtones. In addition, their code of ethics only stipulates commercial messages be delivered in ways which are "persuasive, desirable and believable".

Koes Pudjianto, chairman of the Association of Indonesian Advertising Companies, said the industry had to relay producers' messages in ways that could be understood by consumers.

He admitted some of the advertisements were in poor taste and contained sexual overtones that degraded women, but he blamed society for wanting them.

"I have to say...that our society is rather sick," Koes said without going into detail.

According to Koes, 95 percent of television advertisements have passed censorship. He failed, however, to specify the criteria advertisements must meet to be considered "decent."

"Our society is heterogeneous, what is accepted by one circle may not be acceptable to others. We cannot please everyone," he said.

Koes shrugged off charges that advertising contributed to sexism. He said advertising is only a small drop in the vast ocean of activities in society that cause sexism.

"What about soap operas that dominate television airing time? Perhaps we should start considering mechanisms for preventing our cultural values from being corrupted by foreign influences," Koes said.

Inge Maskun from the Cabe Rawit advertising group seconded Koes' opinion, saying a message could invite different interpretations depending on viewers' backgrounds.

Social scientists and women activists have frequently voiced concerns about the rampant sexism in advertising which generally portrays women as sex objects or depicts them as inferiors.

Such advertisements, including the obvious ones which expose women's bodies despite the irrelevance of this to the items being advertised, reflects patriarchal values that treat women as inferiors. (06)