The disparity between viewpoints and opinions of gender equality and political correctness is far ranging. Over the past couple of years there have been a number of advertising campaigns that have caused controversy, from the Montreal Film and TV Commission refusal for PETA to stage a poster unveiling event in which Pamela Anderson is wearing a bikini with parts of her body marked as if they were pieces of meat and Aliya-Jasmine Sovani's breast cancer awareness video called Save the Boobs, to The University of Waterloo Formula SAE team suspension, due to a photo of a member of the team posing beside the UW Formula SAE car, in a bikini and high heels that appeared online. - http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/516129--uw-shuts-down-student-car-team-over-racy-photograph
In early December it was reported that College Street Dental launched a misleading ad campaign that infringed on the University of Toronto brand and clashed with the university's stance on equity. The series of ads entitled U of T Dental Plan briefly appeared on Facebook, which caused concern among University of Toronto students and administration.
"The university will be contacting the clinic and asking them to cease and desist. It's a breach of copyright." - Laurie Stephens, director of news and media relations, St. George Campus.
According to an article in the Varsity:
"The ads are stamped with the university's logo and crest, which have confused students into thinking that the campaign is run by the university itself." - http://thevarsity.ca/articles/50444
While infringing on brand and breach of copyright is manipulative and unlawful, comments such as those made be Kiera Tremblay, a student at the University of Toronto, Scarborough campus, make sense.
"I think it is wrong for a company to take advantage of the university by basically making it seem like they are in partnership with the school. It is completely misleading to students by pasting our name onto their company. Students will go there thinking they are supporting their school while getting a great deal, but then realize it is really just some random company benefiting from our school's name." - Tremblay
Unfortunately other comments like that of student, Britnee Lam to me seem superfluous:
"I feel like they're exposing females for the wrong reasons. They're using these images for their sex appeal to lure people in so they pay attention to them. These images are hardly appropriate for what they're trying to advertise." - U of T student, Britnee Lam.
While shopping at Sherway Gardens this Christmas season there were two shirtless young men welcoming shoppers into American Apparel, to some this might be seen as controversial, to others, a witty marketing tactic... it encouraged me to increase my workout routine! While gender equality and political correctness is a very sensitive topic and important to me, it is often blown out of proportion. I am not sure if I agree with organizations connecting The Rethink Breast Cancer campaign with event names like The Boobie Ball or The Boobie Innovation Grant and whether or not I can agree with such names empowering survivors. It is discouraging however that the naked human body in all it's beauty causes such controversy.
The University of Waterloo Formula SAE team suspension was blamed on a misuse of the student design centre space for an unauthorized photo shoot.
"One of the bitter ironies of the present situation is that the photo-shoot was intended to promote women" - Stephen Lampert, University of Waterloo Formula SAE team faculty advisor.
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