Controversy is the new mantra of life these days, some call it a publicity stunt! This time it is a perfume ad that is being claimed for promoting the rape culture. Actually, people are going insane to yield success and are up to anything to any extent to achieve it. In a country where women are still trying to find their feet and where actresses are still fighting for equal pay, sexual harassment, and other issues, a certain perfume ad has created an uproar.
An ad for a perfume brand called ‘SHOT’ recently came under the limelight for all the wrong reasons. Many celebrities, who spotted the ad, took to social media to slammed it and called it a ‘disgusting promotion’ of rape culture. From Priyanka Chopra to Farhan Akhtar along with Richa Chadha, Swara Bhaskar, and Sona Mohapatra, has voiced their opinion regarding the cringe-worthy ad.
Priyanka Chopra took to Twitter to speak about the ad saying, “Shameful and disgusting. How many levels of clearances did it take for this commercial to be green-lit. How many people thought this was ok? I’m so glad that it was called out and now the ministry has taken it down. Appalling!” On the other hand, Farhan Akhtar too added, “What incredibly tasteless and twisted minds it must take to think up, approve and create these stinking body spray ‘gang rape’ innuendo ads..!! Shameful.”
This ad is not an accident. To make an ad, a brand goes through several layers of decision making. Creatives, script, agency, client, casting… DOES EVERYONE THINK RAPE IS A JOKE? Revelatory! This brand, the agency that made this ad need to be sued for the filth they’re serving. https://t.co/M3YjbljAYN
— RichaChadha (@RichaChadha) June 4, 2022
Needless to say, authorities were quick to take action against it. I&B requested Twitter and YouTube to remove the advertisements from their platforms immediately after it stirred a backlash on social channels. And now, Bollywood celebrities too have come out publicly to condemn the advertisement and applaud authorities’ efficiency in shutting them down with immediate effect.
What incredibly tasteless and twisted minds it must take to think up, approve and create these stinking body spray ‘gang rape’ innuendo ads..!! Shameful.
— Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) June 4, 2022
On Sunday actor Hrithik Roshan took to his Instagram stories and reacted to the perfume advertisements that allegedly promoted rape culture. After several celebrities slammed the brand Layerr Shot, Hrithik wrote, “Shocked and appalled by the insensitivity of this commercial.”
This ad is not an accident. To make an ad, a brand goes through several layers of decision making. Creatives, script, agency, client, casting… DOES EVERYONE THINK RAPE IS A JOKE? Revelatory! This brand, the agency that made this ad need to be sued for the filth they’re serving. https://t.co/M3YjbljAYN
— RichaChadha (@RichaChadha) June 4, 2022
In letters, the ministry said the videos were “detrimental to the portrayal of women in the interest of decency and morality” and in violation of Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code). They also added that the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has also found the videos in violation of its guidelines and asked the advertiser to suspend the advertisement, which was broadcasted on TV and the web, on an immediate basis.
A teenage girl was gang raped in Hyderabad-such incidents happen daily in India.. companies like @layerr_shot choose to make TV adverts joking abt & ‘cool-ifying’ rape & gangrape. Beyond disgusting! Not just tone deaf, also criminal! Absolutely shameful! What agency created it? https://t.co/8tRbDTfuez
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) June 4, 2022
Referring to the Hyderabad gang-rape case, Swara Bhasker said that she found the ads “beyond disgusting”. “A teenage girl was gang-raped in Hyderabad-such incidents happen daily in India.. companies like @layerr_shot choose to make TV adverts joking abt & ‘cool-ifying’ rape & gangrape. Beyond disgusting! Not just tone deaf, also criminal! Absolutely shameful! What agency created it (six)?” she tweeted.
Also read: https://english.r9news.in/rape-is-a-crime/
