{"id":4578,"date":"2018-11-20T17:25:55","date_gmt":"2018-11-20T17:25:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/marks-and-spencer-knickers-display-branded-vomit-inducing\/"},"modified":"2018-11-20T17:25:55","modified_gmt":"2018-11-20T17:25:55","slug":"marks-and-spencer-knickers-display-branded-vomit-inducing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/marks-and-spencer-knickers-display-branded-vomit-inducing\/","title":{"rendered":"Marks and Spencer knickers display branded ‘vomit-inducing’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
<\/p>\n

\"M&S<\/span>

Image caption<\/span>
\n
\n Fran Bailey said the juxtaposition was “grossly, grossly offensive”
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Feminists have described a Marks & Spencer window display that suggests women must have “fancy little knickers” as sexist and “vomit-inducing”.<\/p>\n

The display at the Nottingham store is juxtaposed with one which suggests men must have “outfits to impress”.<\/p>\n

A campaigner altered the window so that it read “full human rights” instead of “knickers”.<\/p>\n

M&S said the displays were part of a wider campaign that featured a variety of “must-haves”.<\/p>\n

Another window display at the same Nottingham store is aimed at women and suggests they, too, must have “outfits to impress”.<\/p>\n

Concern was raised when a photo was posted in a Facebook group<\/a> called Feminist Friends Nottingham.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Image copyright<\/span>
\n Si\u00e2n Steans<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>

Image caption<\/span>
\n
\n A campaigner altered the window so that it read “full human rights” instead of “knickers”
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fran Bailey asked: “Ok, M&S Nottingham, have we really not learned anything in the last 35 years? Or am I alone in finding this, their major window display, completely vomit inducing?”<\/p>\n

Speaking to the BBC, she said the display had “incensed” her for two reasons and had put her off from shopping at M&S.<\/p>\n

“I think M&S using the slogan ‘must-have’ over Christmas fripperies is very distasteful when true necessities are lacking for many working and non-working people; the true necessities being warmth, shelter and food,” she said.<\/p>\n

“I also feel very, very strongly about the representation of women as being preoccupied with fancy little knickers, whereas men are presented as powerful and needing to be impressive.<\/p>\n

“I don’t have a problem with people choosing to wear whatever they want to wear, I just feel like the juxtaposition is what’s grossly, grossly offensive.<\/p>\n

“We are surrounded by sexual images of both men and women. M&S are not by any means the only offenders but that particular window just epitomises everything that’s wrong with current marketing and how far backwards we’ve gone.”<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Image copyright<\/span>
\n M&S<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>

Image caption<\/span>
\n
\n The wider campaign includes an image of model David Gandy washing up
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

M&S said its stores had various combinations of Christmas window displays, but the same two displays would appear next to one another at some other branches.<\/p>\n

The retailer said in a statement: “M&S sells more underwear, in more shapes, sizes and styles, than any other retailer, especially at Christmas.<\/p>\n

“We’ve highlighted one combination in our windows, which are part of a wider campaign that features a large variety of Must-Have Christmas moments, from David Gandy washing up in an M&S suit through to families snuggling up in our matching PJs.”<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/span>

Image caption<\/span>
\n
\n A display at the same Nottingham store suggests women must also have “outfits to impress”
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One reply to the Facebook post alluded to a rape trial in which the defendant’s lawyer suggested a teenage girl’s choice of underwear suggested she had consented to sex<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

You may also like:<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

Another post, from a man, said the window display was “far too provocative and rapey”.<\/p>\n

“It is not the right sort of message especially during this current season when people drink more and their filters are thrown out of the window,” he wrote.<\/p>\n

Si\u00e2n Steans took a photo of the display after it was altered by someone from the Nottingham Feminist Action Network.<\/p>\n

‘Objects to titillate’<\/h2>\n

“As a feminist and a mother to a young daughter I felt embarrassed that I had to yet again explain why women are depicted with so little respect,” she said.<\/p>\n

“When companies insist on men being fully clothed and women showcasing lingerie only, it sends a message about women’s place in society as objects to titillate.”<\/p>\n

Outrage grew when the photo was shared on Twitter by FiLiA, which describes itself as “The Largest Annual Feminist Conference in the UK”.<\/p>\n

They described the response from M&S as “painfully poor” and “ignoring the wider issues and their contribution to maintaining sexist stereotypes”.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

Follow BBC East Midlands on <\/i>Facebook<\/a>, <\/i>Twitter<\/a>, or <\/i>Instagram<\/a>. Send your story ideas to <\/i>eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk<\/span><\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n