Balenciaga's New Ad Shows Little Girls With Bondage Teddy Bears; Internet Calls It 'Disturbing'
The new campaign's pictures indicate young child models carrying teddy bears that look like bondage gear, which have gone viral on Twitter.
A new ad campaign for the high-end clothing company Balenciaga has drawn criticism on social media from users who find it inappropriate and distressing to feature children and toys with bondage-themed connotations.
The new campaign's pictures indicate young child models carrying teddy bears that look like bondage gear, which have gone viral on Twitter.
Something sinister is going on here. Just look at their faces. https://t.co/hE5MYvJmMC
¡ª Jeannie Cline (@JeannieCline19) November 21, 2022
Two screenshots from the official Balenciaga website featuring pictures of young girls holding teddy bears were tweeted by a Twitter user going by the handle @DatCatDer. Unfortunately, they aren't.
Balenciaga using photos of little girls playing with teddy bears dressed in bondage gear on their website. Lovely. pic.twitter.com/mYnt0CJuif
¡ª Slarty Bartfast (@DatCatDer) November 20, 2022
In the first image, a little child is shown standing on a pink bed holding a teddy bear while donning a fishnet top, a lockable collar, and wrist and ankle restraints.
In the second image, a young kid is shown sitting on a sofa while holding a teddy bear and sporting a leather collar and chest harness. These two images are used to promote the site's holiday gift shop.
Twitter users have criticized the brand and the campaign and questioned the propriety of the photos showing the bondage teddy bears.
If this situation isn¡¯t the sexualization of children, idk what is anymore. Every day they take a step closer to normalizing pdophlia, & every day there will be people defending it in the name of inclusivity. https://t.co/3ICfmJUgGa
¡ª the Girl Named Blake (@_girlnamedblake) November 21, 2022
Sick. https://t.co/27S0Kag9HU
¡ª Kruzer Kat (@KruzerKat1) November 21, 2022
This is so messed up https://t.co/ASiv9rYKFJ
¡ª Riley Buerk (@jriley215) November 21, 2022
I hate balenciaga for this. https://t.co/y1ZHJkiH2q
¡ª ellie roland (@ellexroland) November 21, 2022
Would you buy toys for children featuring sexual fetish items?
¡ª TransgenderTrend (@Transgendertrd) November 21, 2022
No, of course you wouldn't.
But fashion house Balenciaga seems to think it is just fine. https://t.co/fx2wWgw2K0
Absolutely vile #Balenciaga https://t.co/yN4XxJeTmc
¡ª KissMyPixel (@kiss_my_pixels) November 21, 2022
Stop sexualising children - it¡¯s so wrong. #Balenciaga https://t.co/nNVG0QWwlf
¡ª Pipsqueak (@Pipsqueak1404) November 21, 2022
A netizen called out the brand and wrote,
"Frightening how many adults must have been involved in this... parents, photographers, creative directors, copywriters, web designers, design agency staff, producers, managers, advertisers... and not one of them thought 'hang on a minute?"
Another comment read, "It's the front page of their website. Scared, confused little girls on beds with toys dressed in adult sex shop fetish gear. This photo shoot must have been through dozens of people before being placed in Front Of the House - didn't any of them think it was wrong? Not one?"
Women's rights campaign group Keep Prisons Single Sex USA also reacted to the ad campaign and wrote:
"This destruction of innocence & normalization of fringe behaviors seems like an effort to make acceptable previously unimaginable scenarios (like men in women's prisons & shelters/children having "gender identities" / adult-dancing in libraries). None of this is acceptable,"
(For the latest trending stories, keep reading Indiatimes)
