Much ado about cleavage and but(t)s

On the one hand I find the green party poster funny and sexy. If they are anything like their Swedish counter part no one will misstake them for sexist or racist.

On the other hand was my first gut reaction: Oh, my Godess. They can't do that.

But after a moment of reflexion I think that we could do with some more humor and sauciness in politics.

My first take on the CDU poster was that either the ad bureu missed it or that some one was joking with CDU And they missed it.

Somehow I can't asociate conservative politicans and humor. I think it's unintentionally funny. And if they withdraw it they risk beeing accused of discriminating big busted women.

Maybe it's me, but I don't get it. I can't see what either of those posters have anything to do with political parties. (I'm taking it their not being used for electoral purposes.)

I do find them racist and sexist, and I'm going to tell you why.

As everybody knows there was a time where Africans were taken from their homes and sold off as slaves - to wealthy white people. From that point of view, and to see a white woman's hands on an African butt, I can imagine some people will cry outrage. Is the white woman claiming ownership (of the owner of aforementioned ass) and is the African person submitting herself to the white oppressor?
In that regard: yea, pretty racist.
From an aesthetic point of view: NICE!
Having said that: the picture and the slogan to go green? I don't get it - and I don't mean that in a thought provoking manner.

I think the second poster is doing women in politics a disservice: is it implying women got as far as they've gotten in politics, because they used their "female charms" to get ahead? And do tell me what more they have to offer, cos judging from the spread it can't be much (no pun intended).
I think that poster is indeed sexist. And not thought provoking either. (Maybe if they'd change the slogan into something actually smart and funny...)

I don't think it's racist or sexist, it's just non-sensical. Kind of thought-provoking though, since I've been sitting here for full 5 minutes trying to understand what the hell they are trying to communicate...

That being said, I rather look at a beautiful backside of a woman than at the face of one of our politicians.

I totally understand what you say about slavery. And when I think about it I understand that many people find the poster to be racist. That I, and many other europeans, don't make that conection can in part be explained by the fact that most of our countries have no or litle history of slavery. It's not an excuse for insensitivy but it maybe explain why I don't see it as racist. I still don't but understand why you do.

Well, I can see why people think it's racist (pretty good explanation by Lil G). The problem in many countries is the underlying racism in everyday life. We do or say something racist and don't even realize it, even if we claim that we aren't racist at all. It happens to the best of us.
And of course the Greens aren't racist. Everybody knows that (I suppose). So I'd say this is just an accident of unconscious racism.
That being said I am absolutely pleased with their once again gay friendly campaign.

As for the CDU campaign: I find it completely confusing. I suppose they want to say that they have even more great female politicians than just our chancellor. But if you put the wrong emphasis on "mehr/more" you could understand that they mean they have a better female politician to offer than Angela Merkel.
Well, I don't like the CDU anyway so I don't care if they are bashing their own politicians ;)

While I can understand that some people might interpret the Green Party's poster as being rascist and sexist, this was an issue only within the Green Party, as far as I can tell. At least, I haven't read any comments by anyone who felt offended - probably because it would never cross most people's minds to associate this party with sexism and rascism.

Now, the CDU poster is just completely ridiculous and can be misinterpreted in so many ways. On the other hand, the party had to resort to these radical means in its desperation to win over that particular district of Berlin.
(Btw, the picture of Angela Merkel was taken at the opening of the Oslo Opera in 2008 and she is the woman in the left.)

It may be a matter of cultural perceptions - within Germany, the Green Party is known as left, pro-integration, pro-LGBT, so within the German context, this poster can work as a witty deconstruction of several racist/sexist stereotypes (even though I wouldn't have chosen "The only reason to vote for black" as a slogan) - it plays with ethnicity and sexuality.

Outside a German context, however, I'm with Lil G: if the background of the green party profile is missing, the pose is sexist and racist. And even though Early Modern Europe may have a less analyzed history of slavery, there's plenty of poor people having been the possession of their landlords for centuries, and all nations with a colonial history definitely practiced racist abuse out of their home country.

As for the CDU poster... if it had been by the Greens, it might have been funny, but the problem may be that nobody associates humor with the CDU.

____________________________

Blogging against windmills:

1 Spaniard. 1 German. 2 pairs of glasses. 3 languages. ...and trying to get married.