Wednesday, November 09, 2005

BIG BREASTS INCORRECT

The following article appeared in the Brisbane "Sunday Mail" on Nov. 6th., 2005

A beer advertisement championing females with large breasts and a small behind has been slammed as portraying Australians as "a bunch of crude, sexist yobbos". The Foster's beer ad has been seen extensively throughout the Russian Federation. It depicts a bikini with a small top and a large bottom above the caption "the law of life". Below that is a bikini with a large top and a small bottom captioned "the law of Foster's".

The ad has prompted an angry response from Australian women. Women's Electoral Lobby Australia chairwoman Eva Cox said: "It is bloody stupid. "Why would they bother antagonising a whole pile of women who could drink Foster's? "Companies have got to get a bit smarter about this sort of stuff."

Federal Liberal MP Jackie Kelly had the offending ad translated to English after seeing it during a recent trip to Russia. Tabling a copy in Parliament, she also slammed Foster's. "This is our major internationally recognised brand name - and this ad was absolutely everywhere in Moscow," she said. I do not think Fosters would get away with an ad like that in Australia."

Complaints about advertisements in Australia are referred to the Advertising Standards Bureau. But the bureau has no jurisdiction to assess Australian ads running overseas. Australian Association of National Advertisers executive director Collin Segelov said the industry generally acted in good faith. He said complaints about overseas ads were only received "once every couple of years".

"Sometimes the target market requires a little bit of tweaking but the executions are generally those that they believe would pass the Advertising Standards Bureau," he said. Mr Segelov said complaints about Australian ads running overseas could be forwarded to advertising standards authorities in the host country. Foster's did not return calls.



BRITISH FIVE YEAR OLDS TO BE TAUGHT ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY AT SCHOOL

Children as young as five could be taught about gay families and divorce under new Government guidance. The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority says primary schools need to cover a wider range of relationships than the traditional nuclear family of a mother, father and 2.4 children. This could include same-sex families, single parents and children who are looked after in local authority care. But the guidelines, published today, were criticised for undermining the importance of conventional relationships for the sake of political correctness.

They relate to the teaching of personal, social and health education classes. Primary and secondary schools do not have to follow the set curriculum for the subject under an optional framework which also gives parents the right to withdraw their children from sex education classes. The new guidance sets out what pupils are expected to achieve by the end of each Key Stage age group.

At Key Stage One - ages five to seven - the document says children are required to 'describe their own family circumstances, recognising that family patterns are different for everyone'. Suggested teaching activities include talking to children about what a family means. Teachers could 'discuss different family arrangements with them, stressing that there are many different kinds of family - eg both parents present, one step parent, lone parent families, children living with foster parents, children living with grandparents'.

The guidance warns teachers: "Be aware of the diversity of family circumstances in the class and ensure that all types of family are talked about and valued. "This could include children who are looked after in local authority care and children with same-sex parents." The QCA suggests that children produce collages using photographs and magazine pictures to celebrate the 'diversity of family patterns'. This should show "that not all families have a mother, a father and children and that family members are not always of the same religious, cultural or ethnic background".

Family campaigners condemned the QCA's rejection of the traditional definition of a family. Simon Calvert, of the Christian Institute, said: "Parents will be up in arms. It's really up to them how they deal with such incredibly controversial issues. "Children at this age are so young and still only just learning to get to grips with a view of the world. "I think that parents will be shocked to think that the Government believes their children should be indoctrinated into this politically correct view of the world. "A lot of parents will tend to think that trying to force five-year-old children to value homosexual relationships is almost a form of brain-washing."

Hugh McKinney, of the National Family Campaign, said: "This is entirely the wrong message the Government should send to society but also to immature young children. "All right-thinking parents will be appalled by this casual, wanton disregard for any type of value in society. Where does this leave the family? "Yet again the Government has sold it down the river."

Nick Seaton, of the Campaign for Real Education, added: "This is obviously going to undermine traditional families. It must be intended to do that. "There's no real reason why they should be discussing these sorts of things in school at that age. I think that most parents and sensible teachers will think it's entirely inappropriate."

Source

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