Earlier this year, we launched our Put Porn In Its Place campaign. The idea wasn’t to ban all porn (we had fun at the Television X party). But leading psychologists had shared a very real concern that the proliferation of increasingly dark porn is warping the way children view sex. In fact, many young people have watched hardcore, violent sex on the internet long before losing their virginity.
So it is with a heavy heart that we come to discuss the new Calvin Klein campaign, featuring a knickerless Lara Stone and three aggressive-looking men. The billboards have been banned in Australia, following complaints that they invoke violence against women. And there are calls to ban them elsewhere.
Now, we are not opposed to seeing pictures of semi-naked beautiful people. Last year’s Calvin Klein campaign with Eva Mendes and Jamie Dornan was sexy, arresting and — this is the key thing — Eva looks confident and in control.
Look at Lara Stone’s face. Does she look like she’s enjoying herself? In fact, nobody in the picture looks as though they’re involved in an act that is fun and consensual (the full uncensored video version of the campaign appears more consensual, although still pretty sinister).
Clinical psychologist Alison Gundy says: ‘If we continue to subject future generations of young men to great barrages of aggressive, misogynist, oversexualised, and violent imagery in pornography, movies, computer games and advertising, we will continue to see the rates of sexual violence against women and children that continue unabated today.’
So do you think the campaign should be banned? Or is everyone simply overreacting in a manner that Calvin Klein intended? Let us know your thoughts.
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