Johannesburg - A Teazers billboard advertisement which states that the
strip club's dancers "don't need any gender tests", has nothing
whatsoever to do with Caster Semenya, according to Teazers owner Lolly Jackson.
He said the campaign was designed to make it clear that Teazers employees are "100% woman".
An
official complaint was submitted to the Advertising Standards Authority
of South Africa (ASA) regarding the Teazers billboard in Rivonia road
in Sandton. The billboard shows a naked woman, lying in a
provocative position on her back, with the wording, "No gender tests
necessary" over part of the woman's body.
According to Jackson, the giant billboards were erected about three weeks ago, and the order for them to be put up was given two weeks before that.
"It has nothing to do with Semenya. It was also never intended to have any reference to Semenya.
"Long before all of that, I'd started thinking about the ad. It just turned out completely different, because the people high up in Athletics South Africa lied to the country. That was when everything was taken way out of proportion."
According to a response submitted to the ASA in defence of the advert, Teazers owner Lolly Jackson has hit back, claiming he and his company are exercising their constitutional rights and freedom of expression with the billboard. Read the full text of this response here.
"I have the right to freedom of expression through the press or other media... I challenge anyone to show me what the Billboard contravenes in order for my freedom of expression to be so grossly questioned," wrote Jackson.
Teazers' spokesperson Sean Newman has also accused the ASA of failing to read their response to the complaints prior to launching an official investigation into the billboard.
See a picture of the billboard here.
Do you think Teazers has gone too far? Do you think the complainants have a case, or that Teazers' is right in their response. Do you think the Caster Semenya inference is deliberate, or coincidental. Have your say in the comments box below.
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