Ad industry balmes sexism on sick society
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)