Ladies’ Voices v/s Ladies’ Show
Car show, you say…. or ladies on show ? Mauritians had the privilege of attending car shows recently. There were many cars on display and there were even more ladies present too. The shows pulled consequential crowds and the rational conclusion that us ladies can draw is that Mauritians are very much interested in motor vehicles and went there to have a good look. Ah ! Who are we kidding ? The vehicles were relegated to background and there was a lot more of flesh on show than anything else. And here, we are referring to the 'hostesses' who have been carefully handpicked to complement or enhance the vehicles, which would no doubt have sunk into the quicksand of oblivion ! What other reason could there possibly be then ? Wearing tiny shorts, tiny vests, body-hugging outfits and high heels, many of these 'hostesses' were prancing around, pouting, posing non-stop in front of the vehicles. There were more 'hostesses' than vehicles !
The use of women for advertising purposes goes way back. Adverts can be very tricky : they have to send messages quickly but effectively. Therefore, TV adverts and billboards make extensive use of women to attract attention. Who cares about our intellectual abilities ? Let us just be objects of sexism ! One can almost recall the famous words – “Sois belle et tais-toi !”. It does not only attract male attention but female attention as well, therefore, success guaranteed from an advertising point of view. Men gawp and women either sulk or aspire ! Let's not even start with the size zero issues !
To be brutally honest, in an era where women have been given the opportunities to rise from the slumbers of economic, socio-cultural and political dark-aged dungeons of stereotypes and subservience, it is indeed a sad, even tragic state of affairs, to find that in practice, women are still being considered as 'sex objects. ' We cannot deny that women have been able to break away to a great extent from the chains of patriarchy. We ladies are arguably freer than we were decades ago. We have had waves of feminists fighting for our rights, fighting for our freedom. These efforts must be acknowledged. Even though there is nothing wrong in a woman choosing to expose herself as an individual, there must be a clear understanding when one is being used as an object of lust and marketing ! However, in the present context, we have to ask ourselves this : the objects on sale are cars ; women are only being used from a marketing standpoint : but what is the subliminal message that is being sent here ? 'Come and see the car as well as the women ? ' So, by extension, we are going back to the use of the woman for showcasing, without focusing in any way on her individuality, personality or intellect. Moreover, the car industry is disregarding a big portion of its customers : women themselves ! There are countless women who are able to buy and drive their own cars without relying on men. So, how about some marketing for them ?
Some may say that we are ranting here. But let's bring everything back into the Mauritian context. We are still a country bound by traditional values and norms. We respect our elders and we have deep-rooted traditions. We wonder whether this was indeed a 'family' show. Are we stopping so low that we are losing our moral values ? What is more interesting is that there were many women in the organizing committee. It is worth asking whether these women had no qualms in getting those 'perfect-looking dolls' to come and market the event.
Ladies, don't you have a part of responsibility in all of that ? Female bodies will continue to be viewed as sex-objects because you are continuing to feed in that frenzy. Those of your agreeing to expose yourselves should understand when you are being used as commodities. Fashion can be tasteful without being submerged by tackiness.
We urge all you ladies out there to raise your voice against degrading and sexist adverts, pageants, music videos etc. Stop feeding into the misogynists' greed ! Whilst there are women out there fighting to bring an end to sexism, we in Mauritius are encouraging it ! Let's pay tribute to women like the Australian Prime Minister, Julian Gillard, who last week, had the courage to rise up to the Leader of the Opposition and denounce his sexist approach. Why are we encouraging the lust industry ? First, it was the carnival and now the so-called 'motor shows' !
We should remember that women can be each other's strongest allies as well as strongest foes. Be the former. Next time you are asked to be a mere object of display, please SAY NO !
Forget the eyes ! Beauty always lies in the soul of the beholder !
Commentaires
This is exactly the type of debate that sets back feminism and relegates it to us v/s them. I respect your opinion but please get off your high horses and not impose your point of view and personal bias on the rest of us. Ene ti grog de temps en temps is good for missie et madame? ..yup.
Isn't drinking haram btw?
Haram for all, save for the one sitting in the UK !!! En passant, ena 1 parti politique ki fine former mais pena dimounes et p rode dimounes pou election municipale la. To pas envi apply Canuck?, pena longue la queue pou attane nanrien, vite vite gagne ene siège sa..
For my march against CT power, i will definitely hire these Girls, so that i attract a maximum number of people...
Hahahaha Cornet gets it...there is hope yet
Excuse me ladies, but it seems that you have no idea what you are talking about when you make reference to the Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard. As a Mauritian resident in Australia, let me inform you that Julia Gillard is the most unpopular Australian prime minister ever to hold office in Australia and in her desperation, used the sexism card against her opponent. You should also do some research on how Julia Gillard became Prime Minister. You will find that Julia Gillard backstabbed a popular elected Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd to take his place. Never in Australian hpolitical history has a serving prime minister been removed in his first term in office. For that reason, many Australians like myself are waiting with baseball bats for next year's election so we can give Julia Gillard the mother of all lessons and put her in the bin of history.
I just want to tell the author-ladies that if they were so against women using their bodies for show (which I don't like either - but hey, as long as it's not my body and the people are happy with what they are doing, who cares)... then they should be more prude or humble and not show their own (fashion shoot for some) photographs in their Forum articles. Cheers!
Wa wa A Snake, sanla nous pas ti conner sa !! Fer gagne link Forum la man nous peep ene cout. Envi guette sa banne mines ki p ecrice zaza la. seryer part. Mo attane toi.
Rastaman, to fine reussi gagne link la? fer passer man. pas perdi letemp.
Quote from (Late) Christopher Hitchen: "majority of feminists and their allies have stuck to the dead ground of 'Me Decade' possessive individualism, an ideology that has more in common than it admits with the prehistoric right, which it claims to oppose but has in fact encouraged".
Summary sa lartik la et so 23 commentaires:
Primo: Quand ene femme servi so attributes ( 24-36-24 etc) avec ou sans bikini ou boxer shorts etc, c'est so droit , li fer seki li content avec so lecorp! No Problem!
Secundo : Quand ene zomme encourage ou paye ene femme pou faire meme zaffaire, lerla li SEXIST et li exploitation de la femme !
CONCLUSION a la Mauricienne ( to be politically correct , a " le Mauricien" hahaha):
L'HOMME PROPOSE, LA FEMME CASSE POSE , DIEU DISPOSE !!
I looking forward to the first "Miss" Mauritius Zom !!!
Dear all, merci for the entertainment ! Play it again , Girls !
Sa ene bon causer PloumPloum2 ! Nous nous bizin nous mamzelles dans car show nous. Si kan to acheter ene loto to gagne ene 35 en cado, lerla ti capave apel sa p exploite femme ou p servi femme pou fer la vente !!
Shame on you Mrs. Ramano; you who are the future aspirant leader, as you anticipate, of the paradise Island of the Republic of Mauritius, is writing so much rubbish with thoughtless analysis and disgustful critics. So, if I base on your writings, can it be deduced that you will be abolishing the bringing into play of models in any type of show in case you become a Mauritian leader, of course, as you dream?? I can only now understand that’s why you and your affiliates were banned on the official page of a well-know political party in Mauritius ! This is because of your kind of psychoanalysis of things and the way you be doing politics, I mean, writing pompous garbage on the net, inviting the readers for nattering, and that's all. This is not politics but politoctoc. You have much to learn. Let others do their job for I firmly believe that they consented to be present at the referred specific “Show” which I trust has and is continuing to drive you barmy so much...
je souhaites que svotre epouse ou votre fille se defile un jour en top moulant et boxer( avec consentement,puisquelle sera grassement remunreree) devant des hommes durand un car Chaud
Patriarchy requires that with each generation of women/girls their second class status needs to be reinforced. One of the ways in which this operates is to continue to insist that women are objects to be 'slathered' over by 'normal heterosexual men' . This fabricated sexuality as pescribed by patriarchy is as poisonous as it has always been. Paying adult women ( calling them laidies is a perjorative term denoting otherness and reduces mens fear of useing the acurate term women, women are full human beings, ladies are a patriarchal construct) to strut about while attempting to display and sell ' boyz toys' , is an old well worn cliche but seems to draw the crowds, so that type of meat market is legitamised based on the logic that we 'are selling cars'!
I would imagine that many Mauriticien women do have power over their own money , few, unlike the boyz, would blow it all on a luxury car! Few women would feel the need to bolster their egoes in such an exspensive manner. The phallic symbol that is now a boyz toy still somehow has to be complimented by the fantasy that a half naked teenage women arrives at their feet merely by the aquisition of a personal form of transport!
This car show is nothing compared to the language and attitude used on private radio and various adverts. That is where the real "meat" is sold ! .... and cheaply too! "Buy two for the price of one" kind of things!
Seems you do not know Mauritian women Laila. Which planet are you from. Seems you write from the other side of the fence hence so many preconceived ideas. At first glance, you seem to spin the bad cotton of feminism. I am not surprised of your stand since you back up wherever Miss R falters. But if you should choose to wear goggles, do not think that we Mauritian women need to be taught lessons in how we choose to live. Your accent is on suppositions. You are very pejorative yourself in your expressions, vile and insipid. I would rather stay away from you than from the women on the show. You weird women are mixing reality with fiction as pictured by your twisted minds. Authors and supporters, you need to understand a concept before discussing it. Mixing your emotions with reality as its not is the work of people who misunderstand a lot and yet talk a lot. empty timbals. lol
Hasseena B, if that is your real name, your comments, words and way of writing seems very familiar.
The fact that this article has rattled so many so-called women who are FOR the use of women as display objects is very interesting. Miss Raman, ALONG with the 3 other ladies, ARE absolutely SPOT ON. Those who have a problem, go and protest against the article. Continue to make a fool of yourself haseena whatever and do not insult others. accept the freedom of speech and MOVE ON. Build a bridge. I am awaiting for more articles from these women who seem to know what they are saying.
Modelling / Mannequinat, c'est ene profession tout a fait légale et reconnue. Cotte zotte probleme la dans si bannes filles la ti présents dans car show?? Si ou pas content, ena majorite ki content. A moins ou ti p envi gagne ene ti role dans show la ou aussi ! Kind advice: Next time, do apply well before..
Mo daccord ki mannequinnat ene profession. No Problems.
Mais kifer bisin faire mannequinnat dimounes kan l'autos ki pe exposer??? What is the link??? Drole net! Si mo suivre logic de Miss Zolie, nimporte ki show ki ena, ki li Animal/Plant/Furniture Show,bisin tout le temps met tifis en petite tenue ladans. Hahaha!
I think that dirty minds think dirty things even when they look at beautiful things :p The same woman who speaks about evolution et dire qui femme gagne droit fer seki zot envi are zot lecorps lor radio p vine fer sa kaliter remarks la lor banne femmes qui p zis faire zot travail de modelling?
Miss Raman, mo coire ou bisin ena cohérence quand ou causer.
Our society is full of misconceptions with regard to women and how they choose to live their lives. Surtout avec sa banne Feminists ki condamne tout display of beauty and sensuality and giving women themselves a bad name... zot bisin conne appreciate the finer things of this life et pas nec saute saute pou nanrien. sa kalité l'article la rode créer issues cot péna issues. Mank role... Role Petrole. Azoute zepices dans banne ti la vies pena sarme.... Commien d'entres sa bannes tifi ou madame kinne ecrire sa larticle la mette jilbaab et niqaab (couvert de la tete jusko pieds)? aukene? ene d'entre zot couvert la tete, trop top bien bon, mais eski sa donne zot droit tag sa banne tifi la de sex objects??? Zot p déraper ou quoi? Ki fer p arrive sa? eski zot les auteurs trop vilains zot pu fer modelling sa meme zot p cose coumsa? sa l'article la p puer la jalousie. Live and let live. Ena femme p servi banne monsieurs couma sacs de couchage pu arriver dans la vie, au moins lesse sa bannela trankille, zot p travaille comme dans n'importe ki genre advertising. si coumsa efface sa zimaze publicité savonette EVE la depi l'histoire de la MBC ou encore fer BAN tout adverts cot ena la femme dans le monde, dessane tout billboards, kill tout magazines :p La femme représente la beauté et l'attirance, et sa rhyme avec ene loto so grace et allure. Célébrer les voitures en compagnie de belles femmes, keskil ya de mal dedans... Mo pa trouver. Hey Gals, grandi imper non? mo sure dans zot group ena ki plis sexcentered ki sa banne tifi dans sa show la, selma zot couvert zot jeux avec zot gros manteau fourrure ki sorti depi l'Angleterre. La marre p moque la boue :) WELL DONE TO ENGEN MOTORS PU SA DISPLAY OF CLASS AND FINESSE LA. BRAVO.KEEP IT UP et pa lesse banne feminists gache la scène.
When women are simply placed as objects of display next to inanimate objects such as cars, furniture, houses etc, what does this mean? Mind you, catalogue modelling and catwalk are different altogether and I do draw the line between clothing modelling and phony modelling.
However, I do agree on some on your points: In an ideal scenario, all the adverts using the woman's near-naked form should be banned. :-D Bisin descende tout sa! Haha!
And I fail to see your point about manteau fourrure depi L'Angletterre or our being sex-centered or what the issue of the veil has to do in all that! Unless, you have a super-powered telescope to know what we do in our daily lives. Hmmmm. Plus, couma nou pou grandi? We are only growing older!
And we are not jealous...Beauty is skin-deep...There are no ugly people, only ugly personalities!If you think we are too ugly for modelling, so be it! You seem to know what beauty is and humbly forgive our ignorance on that matter.
Many kind thanks for your valuable input although our furry coats are too warm for the mildness of the Mauritian winter!
Mais calmez-vous! Ce n'est qu'une prise de position! Tout comme vous défendez la cause des femmes qui ont droit de faire ce qu'elles veulent, nous avons aussi le droit de dire ce que nous voulons à ce sujet!
Ou permette ou insulter femmes et après ou dire ou gagne droit? mais c'est grave.
Cot insultes la eter? Mo pa pe truver ki nou pe insulter dimounes ici!
Insulte? Mais où se trouve l'insulte?
... zot p ecrire kitchose lor ene show ki zot pane mem assister but p guette photo p ecrire larticle.. eski bane vrai journalist zot base lor facts or hearsay. bane madam, foto c hearsay n can b manipulated. sa mem zordi ou trouve bcoup jurnal so lavente p baisse. p donne rasoir dan la main zaco. please a small reflection can u compare a car show to that of animal or watever was stated before... la mem trouve zot bane shortminded people.. kan pa coner ki pou repond pls pa repond just for the sake of giving a reply zot p ridiculise zot mem mover kaliter.. entant ki mauricien baser dan leurope mo ti bizin fier ki maurice in reussi fer ene motor show with international standard rather than sitting infront of ur computer p done nu pay ene mover limage comme ki nu p servi fam comme sex objects.. si zot envie vine bane future dirigeante pays arret critiker vine avek bane brilliant idea pu aide nu pays monter. Zot p trop contradir zot dan zot reply.
Pou ou l'info, mo ti alle Car Show la. Mo ti labas pou trouver ki pe arriver. Eh non, mo pa journaliste. Mo pe donne mo l'opinion simplement. A show is a show. When there is 'clothes show', li normal ki mo attende dimounes pe defiler...mo worries about it. Mais kan ena Car Show, bisin trouve CARs! Eh, moi aussi mo ti based dans Europe, so I know what am talking about BUT whatever the location, this practice is rubbish. And there are no contradictions in our replies!
FYI, this is Forum, a space of expression for the public. As members of the public, a reaction to something has been written, not as journalists!
zot pas trouve clair ki zot ine insulter valeurs morales banne madames lor sa committee organisation la ainsi que sa bane tifi la? mo pa bisin alle explique zot seki zot ine ecrire, tout dimoune conne lire et comprend. 4 dimounes pu ecrire ene l'article la si pa p conner ki zot ine causer ou pas. Grave!
Oui, nou comprend ceki nou fine ekrire. No insults, just the bitter truth as it is!
I understand the authors concerns. I will not try to contest their validity.
Without these semi naked sexy women prancing and dancing around what would be the worth of the salon?
What would the 'pique plumes dans derriere saga' of the Ministry of Tourism have been without the semi naked ladies?
There will always be supply where there is demand.
So ask your brothers, fathers and any male species you know of to please abstain looking at ladies. Demand will dry out and so will supply.
Good luck.
There's a difference between admiring an elegant lady AND looking lustily at some babe wearing tiny, body-hugging clothes and posing, at what is supposed to be a 'family' event.
Thanks for the luck.
For you may me, not for men in general. The line between admiring and looking lustily is quite thin.
Keep cool.
Is it? Now, that's news to me! I didn't know that the line was THAT thin.
Oh yes, we need to keep cool now that summer is coming in full swing!
These "signataires" are dumbfounded. Coca-Cola was modelled after a woman, Picasso found women to get inspiration, BMWs are also modelled after women. Finally, there are a few beautiful women in this world and men should be happy, not angry with a few "zoli fam". They make our world beautiful. Please be seated on cars and give us nice posters in bikinis. Tell me who would like to see male models like our ministers with a boxer short on a BMW. The family would run away.
Dumbfounded? Between women providing inspiration and women being there for pure show, there is a big difference. Handsome men also make the world beautiful, so why not bring in some handsome male models in these shows as well? We, as women, would love to see our needs catered too, after all, we are also potential customers.
The survival of the sexiest: Where has the sexual revolution gotten us? Universal commodification is itself a worldview - a conceptual scheme - that, if left unchecked, might threaten to vitiate competing ways of understanding and creating our world ... speaking of everything from sex to babies in the market terms of goods with exchange value would coarsen our world, slowly chipping away at the non-monetizable aspects of life.
Seen for what it is, economic deregulation is about the self-interested production and distribution of "goods and services." Not surprisingly, sexual deregulation transforms human beings - including women - into goods and services.
We accept the cut and thrust of deregulation for televisions and haircuts, which neither bleed nor cry. But after four decades of sexual freedom, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that right-wing individualistic sexual deregulation rewards those with irreducible market power and oppresses those - including children, unattractive people and sexual addicts - who lack that power
Very well said ladies.
This is totally right!
I find it very embarrassing to go to these so called "family events".
We should keep our traditions and cultures! It is what makes us Mauritians- This is our identity!
We should not let our cultures dissolve by the influence of westernization.
We are a society of respect and dignity.
If we don't have self respect how do we want others to respect us?
I agree you can import the cars but leave the exploitative advertising on the western shores of sexisim......
mo refer moi are ou larticle e ou radio one speech Miss Raman. Mo bien apprecier ou larticle mais mo trouve li go against saki oune dir lor radio one ki ene fam ena droit faire saki li envie avek so le corps et mo ti pensee ou impe pli intelligen car pa only maurice kan ou guette dan le monde en entier dan tous motor show ki exister c toujours fam et loto ki met en valeur. encore ou bien appreicier ki fam ena sa privilege pou associer li avek loto ou eski ou ti prefere trouve zom ki p promote loto.. aster ban madam la zot la part zot propre gre pena personne kine force zot pou vine dan show la mo penser..En parlant de la fam mo ti pou content ou fer ene larticle lor fam avek la boisson alcholic e cigarette mo penser bane fam pou pli apprecier gagne ou view lor la.. hope that my msg will not be deleted or hidden.. merci e poster li lor ou page facebook osi
Fumer pas bon pour la sante mais ene ti-grog se pa trop mauvais. Sa li valide pour madame comme pour missie.
Miss/Mrs/Mr Anonyme
Premierement, mo remercier ou qui ou pe suivre moi de pres. Ou fine ecoute moi lor Radio one et aussi ou pe lire nou lor forum. Ca fait vraiment plaisir.
Mo refere ou a l'article la pou ene ti moment.
'Even though there is nothing wrong in a woman choosing to expose herself as an individual, there must be a clear understanding when one is being used as an object of lust and marketing ! However, in the present context, we have to ask ourselves this : the objects on sale are cars..' - this is exactly what I said on the radio and it has been mentioned again herewith...madame fer seki li envie are so lecorps en prive. Le contexte a la radio etait sur l'avortement...c'est ene private procedure. Ici, nou pe cause ene 'exposition' - la question qui se pose c'est which is which and what is being exposed...donc, mo esperer qui ou comprend la difference. We are still bound by cultural norms and values. And the other question that we ask is why only women are used for this sort of events? Why not men too! If we are being so open-minded about it that is...
Ene l'article lor la femme et la boisson alcolic et cigarettes? why just women? Allow me to give you my views here itself. People are entitled to their private lives. Men and women. Hardly worth hogging the space of Le Forum.
I hope that our views expressed here are clear. Women should be able to do what they wish as long as they respect others and keep it private! and those ladies that are so happily and willingly accepting these jobs should perhaps stop and think about our traditional society for a minute.
Ey, Shabana et Bhawna... I didn't realise there were so many people commenting here. Zot ti p tape lor moi sur facebook quand mo tout seul, un homme sans defence, ti p reply zot!
C'est simple, il y a plus de mec qui visite ou frequente les cars shows. Les participants qui exposent sont la plus part des mecs. Les proprios des magains qui exposent sont aussi des hommes. Donc c pour cela qui femmes ti faire hotesses. Imagine enn pub de sous-vetement femme faire par enn zomme poilu et muscler!!! Yuk yuk!
Ena beaucoup de pubs qui sont faitent par des hommes. Mais nous nous plaignons pas qu'on nous utilise comme des "objets".
Cultural norms and values?! Who dictates those? I dictate my own! C'est pas la societe hypocrites ou pouritaine.. I mean puritaine qui va me dicter mes normes et valeurs! ;)
Very well said Delboy, all the well-reasoned people are with you and you're not "sans défence"! I've just found that a few of the Authors themselves use to post their pictures / photo shoots on the net inviting men to stare and comment. They are using FaceB to attract male and I am actually anticipating a very hot chat conversation / exchange of messages from a good friend of mine which he had with one of the Authors, who is in fact in a genuine relationship. Are all these permissible or applicable only to them ? Please girls, don't come now to teach us what good morals, norms and values are !! Look at yourselves in the mirror first and know yourselves before you write or speak nonsense.
Bhai Looker net do! Hahahaha!
Ala palabres lor base!
Mo p trouver avec sa banne reflexions ki p derouler la, bizin dire organisatrice Miss Mauritius pense lors organise Miss Mauritius Zommes aster coz Femmes nepli bon pou exposer d'apres seki mo p comprend de the learned Authors !!! Vraimeme mo penser ki c'est ene privilege aux femmes de presenter les bolides dans les shows et c'est ene pratique Internationale en plus ki mo croire pas encore contester jusqu'a present. In any way, I found nothing disrespectful for the ladies to dominate around the cars and bikes as banne 35 ki p marche lor chemin tous les jours la plis pire encore ! The Authors pas fine trouve nanrien pou dire lors la ?
Mo kroir ou bizin relire sa lartik la. Eski sa ban modeles la ti pe 'presente' ban lotos? Si ou deman zot kitsoz lor loto la so ban fonctions, eski zot ti pou conner? Oui li ene pratique international, mais pou sa rezon la, nou oblizer emulate? De plus, ou point ki ou souleve a propos ban '35' lor chemin, zot lib pou fer seki zot anvi en tant ki individu, mais kan zot pe laisse zot servi pou pure marketing la li ene lot zaffer! By the way, ene Miss Mauritius Zommes, ou plitot ene Mr Mauritius ti pou ene welcome change aussi, pourquoi pas? OU bien ban Mauriciens, ban zommes tro prudes?
Mo meme mo penser ki bannes competitions baser lor aspect physique purement derogatoire ek d'ailleurs, mo ti ecrire ene article lor sa dans Le Mauricien. Ek, mo pa peur pou met mo nom ouvertement pou reponde ou, contrairement a ou. Aster, si ou penser ki nou 'learned', c'est ou prerogative. Nou pa penser ki nou konne plis ki lezot dimounes. Ek sorry pou contredire ou: Kan ena motor show, mo attane mo meme trouve l'autos, pas banne tifis en petites tenues ki pe casse pose. Pareil kan mo alle Animal show, mo attanne moi trouve zanimo, pas banne tifis ki pe poser avek chat et chiens!