It’s Carl’s Jr. all over again!
Is Hilton too hot for Brazil? A Brazilian beer ad featuring American socialite Paris Hilton is raising the ire of South American officials, who want the commercial banned for its sexually suggestive overtones, reports said Thursday.
The controversial spot is for national beer brand Devassa, and shows Hilton prance around a Rio apartment in a tiny black dress while a peeping-tom neighbor snaps pictures of her bending over in a series of provocative poses.
According to Rio newsmagazine Veja, the ad is being slammed as both sexist and demeaning to women. Is this the same Brazil where nearly every ad as far as the eye can see features barely-clad young women in string bikinis?
Conar, the nation’s watchdog commission on the ad industry, as well as the government’s women’s rights coalition are investigating the commercial and will issue a decision on its fate sometime in the coming weeks.
“It’s an ad that devalues women — in particular, blond women,” according to a spokeswoman for the Women’s Secretariat, who says it has received numerous complaints about the Paris ad.
Lots of Brazilian beer ads feature women in bikinis — but a key difference is that those are set on the beach, says Eduardo Correia, a spokesman for the regulator Conar, which has opened three separate investigations into the Paris Devassa campaign.
“The problem with the ad isn’t a lack of clothing, but its sensual nature….A woman in a bikini on a beach isn’t necessarily sensual; it depends on the context.”
Take a look at Paris’ Devassa ad and let us know what you think! Is the Brazilian government overreacting?