Kingsmill Fruit and fibre advert complaint

[ZigZagWanderer]

This may have been mentioned before but I would like to know how I go about making a complaint about an advert that I have found inappropriate. I really think it exploits teenage girls.

'Is this what you think humans should revert to?'

Why would boys showing off flesh be a retrograde step?

Well my ds does it.
With his shower every morning and his aftershave and the fuss he makes with his hair. It's just about how cool he's going to look.
Kind of what Ghostship said.
We all grew out of that shit once our hormones had died down, I'm so not going to lecture them about it.

Boys do often show off their flesh, boys aspire to have muscles, they wear clothes that show off their muscles and six packs..

The bread manufacturer was not reinforcing anything other than a typical teenage girl and a parents viewpoint.

You should see the teenage lads near me once there's a bit of sun.

Pigeon chests are out, they strut around like they are body builders when in fact they look like Pepperamis.

Look, I'm a secondary teacher- I am not ignorant of teenage behaviour, trust me

I'm not saying that boys never show of their flesh- just that it is one of many ways in which they can attract female attention. Save a few gay clubs, everywhere you look there is far more female flesh on display than male; this powerful message filters down to teenagers and girls are competing for male attention as if it were the only way in which to validate themselves (but that's another thread ) by revealing flesh en masse.

But what I'm trying to say Tethers is they grow out of it. Like you did and I did and like the majority of the posters on this thread did.
I don't think I was damaged hitching up my skirt, they'll live and learn just like we did. .

When I was a teen (2 years ago sob) I wore revealing clothes coz I had an amazing body and I was bloody proud of it.

I felt good and wanted to show my flesh, I don't think I ever thought 'ooo the lads'll love this'.

And before someone says, it's not deeply ingrained or whatever psycobabble someone wants to come out with... we can show flesh for ourselves not just other people :o

DSD who is 14 says that the reason she rolls her skirt up is because it looks good and she is young so why shouldn't she, she will soon be old like me and her mum cheeky cow I'm 29 hardly ancient and will have to wear suitable, long, boring skirts!

That sort of contradicts those saying girls do it to look mature, judging by dsd and her friends its got nothing to do with being mature.

I'm sure it is also to attract boys but its no different than any grown women dressing nicely to go to work, its just that as we grow and develop self-confidence we change our view on what looking nice is.

I still think the advert shows a typical interaction involving a teenage girl, dad and annoying younger brother.

i agree with tethersend.

the image of a teenage girl in a short skirt is not one of rebelliousness. it is a male image of female sexuality. the real life teenagers who roll thier skirts up are also subscribing to a male idea of sexuality.

it is not an empowering message to give to our daughters.

I used to roll mine up because it felt like being a rebel, I went to a all girls boarding school so no contact with boys or men but it felt a bit like sticking to fingers up at the system.

It's the same reason I used to spike my hair up and roll my socks down into donuts, because it was against the rules.

If our uniform was a short skirt spiked hair and donut socks I would have sowed fabric to the skirt to make it longer given myself a basin cut and worn woolly tights.

Why would boys showing off flesh be a retrograde step?

That's not what I said. Do you think females should revert to drab little creatures? Why do you think it would be acceptable for boys to show off flesh if you think girls shouldn't?

the real life teenagers who roll thier skirts up are also subscribing to a male idea of sexuality.

Perhaps it is those who make that assumption who are subscribing to a male idea of sexuality, not the teenage girls.

I'm sick of other women telling me why I did something.

I'm sick of women telling me I've made decisions because of men.

You're the ones doing the disempowering.

it is not an empowering message to give to our daughters.

So, "wear what you like and do not pay attention to what others think" is not empowering, and "you can't wear this because it is perceived by some to be a male fantasy" is?

well said Ghosty.

I go out showing cleavage because I want to.. not because I am subscribing to any sort of male ideals..

The people who look at a girl in a short skirt as part of a school uniform are wrong uns

I didn't see it as sexualising girls. I saw it as something funny tbh.

But then again I find it hard to be offended by adverts and I don't go looking for sexism.

The people who look at a girl in a short skirt as part of a school uniform are wrong uns

so why are they wearing short skirts then?

I've answered that question already basking

^When I was a teen (2 years ago sob) I wore revealing clothes coz I had an amazing body and I was bloody proud of it.

I felt good and wanted to show my flesh, I don't think I ever thought 'ooo the lads'll love this^

And it looked better. Long skirts made my calfs look big. Or so I thought :o

I have worn short skirts before. I wear short dresses when I go out. I don't go out hoping men will fall at my feet though. I wear it as it makes me feel good.

Well, I think I'm giving up here, TBH.

If you really, really believe that we and all other teenage girls hitched up our skirts as an act of empowerment then I'm not sure I have the energy to argue, as it will take a very, very long time.

None of us make decisions in a void. You don't need to look for sexism, it will find you. If you don't believe it's there, fair enough- but expect to be accused of naivety now and again.

But if you'll excuse me, I think I have some jelly which isn't going to nail itself to the wall

FWIW, I am with tethers on this one too. I am coming late to this, I know.

As a teenager some 25 years ago, I never had the inclination to hitch up my skirt. Or the gut tbh, because I was well aware that it would attract male attention - wanted and unwanted; both of which made me equally uncomfortable at the time.

It might be a 'rite of passage' to play with ones sexual appeal as a young woman, but there is no denying that that maybe innocent trying out of different roles is exploited in that ad. It is sexist and a reflection what still is considered 'normal' for a young girl, including the males in her life 'setting her right'.

I must have so much catching up to do with regards to experiencing sexism. I've never had an experience which I would honestly describe as me being a victim of sexism/patriarchal society.

I've got a really really thick skin or am hideously ugly.

well i was a teen around 25 years ago and i hitched up my skirts and worse. i had a very fetching black bin liner that i would wear as a dress. I dont even think it covered my bum cheeks let alone reached my thighs.

And it looked better. Long skirts made my calfs look big. Or so I thought

Ah, but you only worried about your calves looking big because you were being disempowered/sexualised/degraded (delete as applicable) by males.

You can't possibly have had your own opinion, Ghost. Oh no.