M&S launches porn star martini in a can

[amandadecabernet]

Keeping it classy, M&S.

Anyone use the M&S live chat successfully? I've waited to live chat and before anyone answered they ended the chat saying it's not available.
www.marksandspencer.com/MSContactUsCmd?storeId=10151&langId=-24&catalogId=10051&categoryId=282501&byEmail=8

but what part of it is AIMED at women? It's on every cocktail menu in every bar/restaurant I've been in recently

That is exactly the point the OP is, I think , trying to mention. It is the normalisation of porn which is wrong.

I don't want to see "Porn Star Martini" in M&S. I don't want porn being treated as normal, humdrum, nothing out of the ordinary.

I don't want porn being treated as normal, humdrum, nothing out of the ordinary.

Isn't it more referring to the porn star themselves, i.e. the profession rather than the product? It's use, to me, denotes it as not being normal (i.e. a bit raunchy), if using a particular prefix for a drink name were normalising, where are all the Brian Martinis and Linda Daiquiris?

I believe its called a pornstar martini because it was originally served with half a passion fruit, of which the drinker would slurp the seeds out in a cunnilingus-esque manner.

So its a bit rude, as it references cunnilingus but I'm not going to get my knickers in a twist about it, there are bigger fish to fry.

And the M and S tinned one obvs won't come with the half a passion fruit.

It is normalising porn by using the word "Porn star" on an item sold in a shop which is as safe and middle of the road as one could get. Therefore porn and porn star becomes nothing out of the ordinary. Items bearing the word "porn star" are on display to all ages. Children can't buy them but they still see them.

Oh and the fact men can be porn stars too is irrelevant.

Completely agree OP. And Lass.

Here's a link to the Politicshome reporting of the issue of porn being akin to a public health issue and the same in tthe Sun

I'm astounded by how many people are being so dismissive of the OP on this. Just because it's something available in a bar doesn't mean it should be in the most middle of the road high street store there is (I don't know about you, but I take my kids into the M&S foodhall but not AllBarOne). If I do a keyword search on the M&S website for "porn", there really really shouldn't be any hits. The fact that there is now a product stocked by them with this name is a perfect indicator of how commonplace porn has become, and how immune we are to seeing it around us. I don't see this as a good thing

Enjoy your drinks

I agree Olenna-it's become commonplace and that is not good.

God help M&S if they ever start selling a slippery nipple in a can.

PSM is my fave cocktail.

I get it OP.
It's glamourising, not just normalising, porn.
I don't like the name of the cocktail at all. And I especially don't think it fits with M&Ss brand.

I wondered what FWR would fill up with when the consultation ended. Now I know.

So pornstar martini bad, whore's pasta good yes? Or is it OK because it's in Italian?

Keep up the good work!

I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT

And I also think that getting pissed off and writing letters about smaller issues (the naming of a drink for sale in a beloved British supermarket) isexcellent practice for getting pissed off and writing about bigger issues.

One bigger issue you may want to draw Marks and Spencer's attention to is the report, published today, by the Women and Equalities parliamentary committee on the horrifying prevalence of public sexual harassment of women and girls. The committee was particularly concerned with the impact of pornography:

research both internationally and in the UK suggests that there is a relationship between the consumption of pornography and sexist attitudes and sexually aggressive behaviours, including violence.

and

The BBFC told us that it knows through its work with charities that children report that exposure to pornography, much of which is accidental, is impacting on their attitudes and their behaviours. A rapid evidence assessment for the Children’s Commissioner for England in 2016 found that children’s exposure to pornography was linked to unrealistic attitudes about sex, belief that women are sex objects and less progressive gender role attitudes

On place children may see normalisation of pornography might be - ooh - in a beloved supermarket where items are for sale with PORN STAR on em.

This is also interesting from that Women and Equalities Ctee report.

here has been growing focus on sexualisation in government policy, including the Bailey review, ‘Letting children be children’, which led to a series of actions to tackle sexualisation in retail, the media and advertising. Following the Advertising Standard Authority’s inquiry into gender stereotyping in advertising in 2016, there has been consultation on a new advertising code stipulating that “advertisements must not include gender stereotypes that are likely to cause harm, or serious or widespread offence.”The outcome of the consultation is expected by the end of 2018.

publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmwomeq/701/70107.htm#_idTextAnchor054

Just had to check the top of the page to check I’d not dropped into AIBU

Why is everyone piling on the OP like she’s a pearl clutching hysteric?

She nails it thus:

The normalisation of porn fuels rape culture. So yes, I'd call it out at other bars and pubs too

So when your nan’s favourite retailer takes a decision to avoid a sensible title like “passion fruit martini” (the accurate and non naff way to describe this cocktail) and opt for “porn star” instead, I too kinda fucking despair.

There are many greater hills I could die on but I’ll stick with this mound for now, ta.

I'm with you op. I'm fine, I'm not enraged or losing my shit. I'm not dying on any hill.

But it's a bit rubbish that M&S stock an item with pornstar in the name.

^^I completely agree with this.

I've reported your disabilist post Racecar. (My lack of humour extends beyond sexism)

Oh FFS... get a grip!!!

Gail Dines is excellent on porn culture.

.

WHAT Porn Star Martini in a CAN?
What a sacrilege my local M&S closed down so I still have to pay bar prices for agrarian cocktail

Good post PaulHollywoodsSexGut

So when your nan’s favourite retailer takes a decision to avoid a sensible title like “passion fruit martini” (the accurate and non naff way to describe this cocktail) and opt for “porn star” instead, I too kinda fucking despair.

I must be one of the "cretins" racingcardriver is referring to. I didn't know what a porn star martini is. I've always thought martinis and cocktails were supposed to be glamourous and classy, not tacky.

I might buy a passion fruit martini". I would not buy a "porn star martini"

Wow that deletion was fast!

"YANBU" seems the most fitting response.

Gronky I think you may have missed the point. I'm not offended, I believe this is harmful and fuels rape culture in a direct and demonstrable way.

'So pornstar martini bad, whore's pasta good yes? Or is it OK because it's in Italian?' Are you asking me or telling me GhouldaLovesLillies? I didn't post about pasta puttanesca. But excellent whataboutery! And puttanesca is delicious, I'll give you that.

'And I also think that getting pissed off and writing letters about smaller issues (the naming of a drink for sale in a beloved British supermarket) isexcellent practice for getting pissed off and writing about bigger issues.' Exactly that Anlaf otherwise what end-of-the-world scenario are we waiting for before we speak up?

PaulHollywoodsSexGut LassWiADelicateAir NaturalBornWoman ChiaraRimini OlennasWimple PencilsInSpace thanks for your thoughts and links.

BeyondAdultHumanFemale lol, yes I fear aibu more than street activism. (Is this where I need to write ?)

And no one had to die on a hill. :)

Notacluewhatthisis you seem to be repeatedly missing the point so maybe that's deliberate. I've not seen anyone get their boobs out while drinking a cocktail - ? (That came from left field.) I'm interested in the motivations of those selling the product. That is the ugliness. If you don't like it, that's fair enough, but if you don't see that making porn a naughty giggle for everyone is bad for women there probably is no point in me trying to explain it. Your hostility is puzzling.