6. Good Examples Of Agenda Pushing: Sexvertising?

The eye wear advertisement featured below for Tom Ford Sunglasses, from the risqué designer Tom Ford; was banned earlier this year by Italy’s advertising watchdogs, the Institute for Advertising Self-Discipline (IAP), for being “vulgar”, “beyond bad taste” and "offending the sensibilities of viewers" and The Italian Advertising Institute (IAA); which labeled it as “sexually implicit”. “[It] goes beyond acceptable limits for advertising aimed at the general public”, says the institute.

However, the Tom Ford perfume advertisements(http://www.mimifroufrou.com/scentedsalamander/2007/08/new_ose_advertising_for_tom_fo.html) used in the United States of America were not censored or banned. (I decided not to feature the American advertisements on my blog, as I did not want to offend anyone or push the buttons too far, however, the link featured above would enlighten you. Viewer discretion is advised).

Generally, Europe is viewed as the continent that exhibits the most liberal attitudes toward sexuality and sexual behavior, and is more tolerant in regards to the display of sexual content in the media and society, while the United States, though liberal in many aspects, was founded on a religious foundation, and is considered more conservative (some use the term prudish or puritanical, recap Janet Jackson's Super Bowl controversy in February 2004) in terms of attitudes towards sex. Thus, I find it ironic that these advertisements were banned in Italy, though published widely in the United States.

However, Italy (where 87.8% of the population identify themselves as Roman Catholic) differentiates itself from other European countries by displaying a mixture of modernity and tradition, all fused into its society and culture. The church (including the Vatican) wields a lot of power socially and to a certain extent; politically, in regards to Italian society. Thus, anything deemed too provocative or risqué could be banned or censored by the Italian authorities. This shows that within their culture, paradoxes exist, as Milan is regarded as the fashion capital of the world, and Italy has also produced the world's best in visual art, literature, music, theatre and architecture, and all these cultural spheres encourage freedom of expression and, to a certain extent, sexuality. Furthermore, Ilona Staller, a former Italian porn-star, who became famous around the world for flashing her breasts in public, was even elected to the Italian parliament in 1987 with 20,000 votes!

In conclusion, culture tells us a lot about who we are, what groups we belong to and how we live our lives. In this case, it dictates where to draw the line, reflects the value system of Italy, as well as influences and interprets behavior. In terms of the continent, European culture is dynamic and multifaceted, as identities tend to overlap. These different identities result in different cultural norms and values across the continent. Thus, stereotyping and assuming similarity would jeopardize intercultural communication. I will end this entry with a quote from Ms. Ilona Staller (former porn-star and member of Italian parliament):

"I am here not showing my breasts. Now, I am speaking about poor people so it is not necessary -- not because I don't have beautiful breasts ... even now. But it's not necessary showing because poor people have no interest in my breasts."

(Staller, once a member of the Italian Parliament, campaigning for the common folk in Hungary in 2002).