Censorship or Art

Pamela Anderson is in Montreal and had planned on unveiling her new PETA advert/poster. It turns out the city of Montreal thinks the poster is sexist and is prohibiting its going up. You can judge for yourself, but it all begs the question on who decides what is appropriate and how they decide what is and isn’t in our public sphere. It seems that when it’s a poster for selling phones, lingerie, shoes, or beer, apparently scantily clad women get the green light. When it’s a poster promoting People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, it’s just dirty and wrong.

According to Sky News: A vegetarian advert featuring Pamela Anderson in a string bikini has been banned in Canada for being "sexist". The former Baywatch star is featured in a poster for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) covered in butcher's labels such as "rump", "ribs" and "breast". The creators of the advert, which includes the slogan "All Animals Have The Same Parts", had been seeking approval for it to be displayed in Montreal. But Canadian officials rejected the banner, telling the animal rights group in an email it went against the "battle of equality between men and women".

Anderson, who is a vegetarian and long-time Peta activist, hit out at the "puritanical" decision. The 43-year-old actress was due to unveil the poster at Montreal's Place Jaques-Cartier, but will now introduce it at a comedy festival media conference. "In a city that is known for its exotic dancing and for being progressive and edgy, how sad that a woman would be banned from using her own body in a political protest over the suffering of cows and chickens," she said in a statement. "In some parts of the world, women are forced to cover their whole bodies with burkas - is that next? I didn't think that Canada would be so puritanical."

Peta's senior vice president Dan Mathews added: "I think that city officials are confusing 'sexy' with 'sexist'." Other celebrities who have lent their name to the group's campaigns include Sir Paul McCartney, Dave Navarro and Twiggy.

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