No D & G for Me

I do love to shop and even though Dolce & Gabbana are so way out of my price range, I hope they care I can't afford and now don't want to buy any of their to-die-for creations. They've got an ad up in Italy that's got Amnesty International, for god's sake, up in arms. You know you've done something that crossed a line when a human rights organization has to say something.

You can judge for yourself. I mean, the ad's not exactly snuff porn, but it's a little edgy. A woman pinned by a man, surrounded by other men who look on.

Europe seems to be having less and less patience for the fashion industry. First, they're mad the women are too skinny (Spain demanded that women have a healthy BMI in order to walk the runways of their fashion week). Now an ad that's promoting gang rape. The image isn't exactly new -- think back to the 80s with Jody Foster on the pool table in The Accused. In fact, that movie alone seems to end up being the inspiration of ads pushing products. (I wrote for Bitch magazine about a similar ad by Sony years ago.)

There is really nothing new or sexy or breakthrough about this ad. What, buy this dress and you'll be asking for it? Not much of a sales pitch for the modern Italian woman, is it? Yes, it is just a fantasy, but whose? The stale machismo vibe says backlash, not buy this.