Sir, - I wish to draw people's attention to a sales promotion run by Brown Thomas in Grafton Street at the weekend. The promotion was for MAC cosmetics sold exclusively at Brown Thomas. The promotion consisted of three "gogo" dancers in the window, one male and two female. The promotion was called Bronze-ploitation. The dancers were extremely provocative and very scantily dressed with the exception of the male dancer who was fully clothed.
The two female dancers were drawing quite a crowd outside. One of the women was wearing a see-through chain mail dress. The crowd that had assembled were pressing themselves up against the windows and using crude and offensive language.
Given that the products being promoted are aimed at women, it is not appropriate to use scantily clad women dancing in a window in one of Dublin's main shopping streets. Although I acknowledge that sex is a tool in advertising, I think that to show women dancing for a crowd's amusement is hardly demonstrating a product, particularly as the crowd were mostly teenage boys and men.
Saturdays are normally family shopping days. I take serious issue with young children having to witness both the dancing women in a shop window and the conduct of the crowd assembled to watch.
It is no longer acceptable to portray women as sex objects to promote a product. I am surprised at Brown Thomas for allowing such a bawdy and indecent display in their windows. I think it was extremely irresponsible of a department store of their prestige to allow a promotion such as this. As far as I am concerned they are sending the wrong message on how much they value their female customers. I hope Brown Thomas realise the offence they have caused and apologise. - Yours, etc., Emma Dowling, Women's Rights Officer, Union of Students in Ireland,
Amiens Street, Dublin 1.