A few days ago MTV News editor Jessica Hopper noticed this bizarre, boob-filled ad for guitar pedals by the company Valeton. Obviously, it made a lot of women in music pretty pissed off.
There’s a long history of gear and guitar brands creating sexist ads, not to mention Guitar World’s “Bikini Gear Guide,” an annual spread of scantily clad women holding guitars which they only recently stopped publishing.
Jezebel reached out to Valeton to explain the ad, which was first published to its Facebook page on March 26. A representative for Valeton responded that the company is pulling the ad, and also sent this explanation:
We work with music and musicians, from all genres, religions, colors, sex, and backgrounds…and we support freedom, plurality and equality across the board.
Funny enough the photographer and designer behind that ad is a girl (A-Jing), and she was really surprised too. I asked her thoughts regarding this and her answer was: “Contrasting the straight lines of the product and the cool metal against the beautiful curves and warmth of the human body is art, and I had no other intention besides but to show that contrast, and the desire [to] “take” that away to see the complete beauty. Some people may want to see something different, it’s up to them… I’m a girl and of course I’m against women taken as an object. I think this is sexy and beautiful… ”
Do you think this Boob Pedal is “sexy and beautiful?”
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Still here. Still without airbrushing. Still with teeth.
