Eating Disorder ProAna Blogger Focused on Body Image and Self Esteem

Every morning my family crunches in our bed and wakes up to the Today show. When its not about murder and mayhem, its generally some disturbing story about teens bullying the crap out of each other,  boys jumping on the eating disorder bandwagon, and now — girls asking “Am I pretty?” — on YouTube no less.

During many of these stories, I rant about how I am going to blog about the topic (which I rarely do since my day gets away from me and I forget about my outrage).  But this one stuck. It’s not going anywhere but here.

I cringed as I watched a few of these videos (turns out there are loads of them).  Take a look at this one from WickedLemons1 and then we’ll talk about all the ways that this is not the way to go about gaining approval from your peers;

Is it over? Was that painful, or was that painful? 

Did you see yourself in there?

Did you have the stomach to look at the comments WickedLemons1 is getting since this morning? Don’t bother. I’ll tell you what they say, without even looking, since when you launch a question like this (let alone any video out to the universe) you are asking for it, big time;

Honey, you are gorgeous. God made you perfect. Love yourself! XOXO

Bebe, you are HOT — what’s your numba?

Well, you are PRETTY UGLY actually.

What the !@#$%^*& is your problem. Get a life. Quit feeling sorry for yourself. I’m sick of white bitches whining………..”

Am I right? Of course I am.

So let’s get to the real question — why would anyone, regardless of age, color, class or creed think this is a good idea? What gets into the mind of a teen that decides to get all dolled up and ask if they are pretty or not? What are they expecting?

In this case, I believe WickedLemons knows she is pretty and she just wants to be validated. Not a crime.

I guess its the need for attention and validation that just kills me. One thing my teenage life gave me was a crystal clear perspective on the reality of the world. When you are tall, blond, skinny and a model  – the girls hate you, the guys love you. You’d think that would be fun, but it actually sucks because its fleeting, and fake, not to mention degrading. Yet all I see is young women (or I should say most women) flaunting themselves for the wrong kind of attention.

We just got cable (seriously, last family on earth to cave for it) and I suffered through an eposide of The Housewives of Orange County. What an embarrassment to the female population. I mean seriously, a gang of stretched faced bleached blondes cock-tailing way the hell too much, married for money, and obsessed with one thing and only one thing – themselves.

This life is pathetic so let’s just make one reality show after another featuring these freaks so we all become brainwashed to the point of no return that life priorities are in this order:

1) me

2) me

3 and me.

Don’t be one of those girls. Don’t walk with WickedLemon1 either (sorry kid – truth hurts, delete the damn video NOW before it haunts you forever). Look in the mirror, focus on what you have been GIVEN (like health for example may be a nice start since it is the biggest blessing you have and trust me you will miss it when it is gone). Figure out your passion. Focus on your SKILLS. Be a person not a damn manniquen that gets used, abused, and tossed in the trash.

You are here for a reason. Figure out what the reason is and throw your heart and soul into it. I guarantee you will be happier with this lifestyle, than sitting in your cold, dark, lonely bedroom asking perfect strangers to rate you on beauty scale.

Gotta say I get sick of writing about this crap. But its never ending.

Ok so Demi collapses. Big surprise seeing that she is a skeleton (not attractive). I can’t help but feel so sad for her. She just looks so damn sad. Thin as a rail, rumors of prescription drugs on top of it, and just —a lost soul. A lost soul with the whole world stalking her.

There’s no reason in the world for Demi to be lost. She’s got “it all.” Is it only me who finds it ironic that she had to drop out of a film in which she would be Gloria Steinem? 49 and beside herself. If she is beside herself, what hope is there for us?

So SJP swoops in to save the day. Is she any better? I hope so. I really hope so, she’s a mom for godsake (but so is Demi and that’s not stopping her self pity).

I’m 42 and I see the games aging plays. I’m not going to pretend its easy. But it’s just a facade. Why can’t we see beyond this life?

Trust me I pray, and I pray that I will beat it. I won’t be one of those pathetic stretched faced broads carrying on like a frozen alien face is normal. I’ll just deal with the natural path of things. I’ll use night cream from ALDI. I’ll say wise things. I’ll be happy, and smart, and content. I won’t think about how people are saying “she’s aging well.” I’ll blow off all that crap and live life, fingers crossed.

One thing is for sure. I don’t want to look like Demi — she is the picture of fear to me. Fear of life, fear of time, fear of just everything. And she is stuck, she’s got no choice but to live it, so pop some pills and forget about it all….

But you know, you gotta wake up in the morning. You’ve got to put one foot in front of the other just like the rest of us, and God’s got a plan for you. There’s a purpose. And that purpose is not sitting around worrying that the big 30, or 40, or 50, 0r 60, or 70 is around the corner.

That’s enough depressing talk for the evening.

Good night and good luck -

mv XOXO

—-

“I’m to pretty to do homework, so my brother does it for me.”

This is the tagline sprawled on a “back to school” t-shirt for girls sold at JCPenney. No, I’m serious, this is a real shirt sold in the United States of America in 2011.

I mean seriously people, WTF is wrong with this country?

Who in the hell comes up with this crap? Was it a man or woman? A mother perhaps? And then, who were the JcPenney BUYERS that went for it. What about the stock people that put it out on the shelves. They only all caved due to pressure from the almighty Twitterverse (us, a band of users who cry holy hell until they give)

And finally, I would LOVE to see the parent and/or grandparent who actually purchased this offensive rag. There’s got to be a handful of girls who strutted into school this week, hair all curled up, makeup slathered on, booty shakin’ just the way mama taught her.

How cute and sassy.

Oh, and here is another one that has not been pulled. I guess it’s not offensive enough. 

This really, really bugs me guys. It’s probably because my daughter is 11 years old, and she is so awesome. The kid just amazes me, and it scares me to think about girls who have demented mothers or fathers who would purchase this shirt and allow their dear child to wear it. How would my girl feel about herself if she didn’t have a mom that is always making her aware of how screwed up fashion and media is? Would she be a different person than she is today?

I remember thinking that maybe because I am so passionate about these topics that I would screw her up by talking about it too much, or saying the wrong thing, or exposing her to stuff she is too young to understand. No worries on that, not a one. The key is talking, being open, making all of this a regular part of life conversation — and, without a doubt, being a shining example. An example of how to dress, act, be, believe, think, breathe and see the world.

Many of you ask me “don’t you sometimes just want to give up on all this?” — I always say “No, never, it’s not hopeless, change is coming slowly,” but today, right now, I feel like we are taking gigantic steps backwards into the sewer and the vast majority of girls have zero chance of turning out healthy and happy because the reality is that society doesn’t respect them. Society sure as hell doesn’t respect women as a whole.

Man we’ve go a long way to go girls,

mV

Found this lovely pic on BoingBoing, creepy headless mannequins at Gap. Saggy leggings on anorexic frames. “Always Skinny” branding makes this even more sick.

How exactly are we supposed to be normal with this influence in our face 24/7?

Not all — but a large population of today’s eating disorders stem from our societies focus on body image and weight.

Let’s face it — our society is nuts.

We accept the fact that “Plus-Sized” models are now size 8-16. We accept the fact that magazines airbrush the living crap out of every single image of women within their pages yet we hold ourselves up to that standard. We accept the fact that kids as young as 4 are dieting (yes that is a f-o-u-r). We accept the fact that more lives are lost because of eating disorders than any other mental illness but God forbid we fork over the $ to treat sufferers. We accept the fact that Pro-Anorexia is a lifestyle that has infiltrated every corner of the web and our solution is to “Shut down those sites!” We accept the fact that dieting moms push their issues on their daughters. We accept the fact that sports require restricting food and water for weight requirements and pure vanity. We accept the fact that fat chat is a daily event that takes place in front of our children with listening ears.

But then we sit and wonder;

What’s wrong with our children? Why are they not happy? Why are they cutting? Why is there so much bullying? Why did that child commit suicide?

It all comes as a shock when you don’t open your eyes and walk around this insane planet for one day and notice how totally destructive our society is to our self image and body image.

Do it — I double dare you. Watch prime-time TV tonight. Google the word “thinspiration.” Open a fashion magazine, pick one, anyone and see the walking dead who are hailed the closest thing to perfect that we’ve ever seen. Browse this list of dead women consumed by their disease. Look at the athletes lost who were more dedicated to their sport than their lives. Take a stroll into Victoria Secret at the mall (actually you don’t even need to step inside since the massive promotional images on the outside of the store include a woman’s ass in a lace thong which is so appropriate).

Then go about your lovely little day. Concerned about your lovely little problems. While your children stick their fingers down their throats within earshot while you pretend to not notice. A burden you say. A frickin burden.

mamaV

XOXOXOXOX

**Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, psychiatrist, therapist or counselor. I am however a woman who has recovered (fully) from her eating disorder and I have been blogging on this topic since 2006 which stands for something. Qualified to make these statements? No. Making them anyway? Yes. Ranking like a lunatic? Absolutely.

Ok, who saw the amazing debut of Steven Tyler’s new video on American Idol last night?

There we were, my husband and I, watching our fave show with our 11 and 8 year old children, when on comes this crazy whirlwind of clips of Tyler, first with chimps, then singing to a teenage girl who ends up slowly stripping throughout the video, intermingled with scenes of Grandpa Steve slapping around with  Nicole Scherzinger.

What exactly is a parent supposed to say to their kids in this situation?

Isn’t there something wrong with promoting a 60 year old dude lusting after a teenager? (ok she is probably in her twenties, but c’mon!!)

It’s demented. It’s not normal, or reality, or cool. It’s just lame (and Anon just save your “you are just jealous” b.s. for another day because this is pathetic). And if you don’t think its pathetic, you are not a parent in your right mind.

Do you know what my kids said?

“Mama, this is really inappropriate.”

God bless America, how low can we go?

Remaining rants and questions;

1. What’s up with the beginning shot of the makeup artist chick sticking her finger up his nose?
2. What animal is Tyler’s little friend in the beginning — a seal?
3. Love how he dresses on Idol actually, but the white women’s pantsuit with floppy hat is not cutting it.
4. I mean seriously, did they cut this entire video together in a day or less?
5. I think I am really pissed because I had really grown to like Steven as a judge on Idol, and I started digging his Aerosmith songs — but now I am left feeling embarrassed for the poor guy.
6. I could not find ONE blog ripping the hell out of this video like I am, so I figure I am totally out numbered here but whateva, this is my space to let it rip.

-mamaV

XO

The mother of Isabelle Caro, the anorexic French model who died last year, has committed suicide according to Daily Mail. Read the full story about Isabelle here.

‘[Marie] felt guilty for having put my daughter in the Bichat Hospital. My daughter did not want to go to that hospital,’ Isabelle’s step-father Christian told Swiss newspaper 20 Minutes.

In 2008 Isabelle released an autobiography called The Little Girl Who Didn’t Want to Get Fat in which she wrote that her mother appeared to resent her growing up.

What a horribly sad story. There really is not much else to say is there?

mV

XOXO

Portia DeRossi and Ellen DeGeneres

So what do you guys think about the latest two Hollywood stars to come out of about their eating disorders? Does this help you, hurt you, or do you not give a rip?

Portia De Rossi was on Oprah earlier this week talking about anorexia and recovery to promote her new book ‘Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain.’. De Rossi shared how she exercised to work off the calories from a pack of gum by running around in a parking lot (been there, done that, except I did the stairs at my apartment) and revealing that at one time she weighed 82 pounds standing 5’8. Osteoporoses, cirrhosis, organ failure and the auto-immune disease lupus were the diseases that were a result of her eating disorder. She is now happily married to Ellen Degeneres and credits her recovery to the love and acceptance they share for one another.

This morning I read about Demi Lovato, one of my 10 year old daughters favorites. In case you don’t know her, she was the star of Camp Rock and later landed her own Disney sitcom “Sunny with a Chance.” Lovato just announced she will take a break from touring with the Jonas Brothers to enter treatment for her eating disorder which she says stems from being bullied. The video below shows Lovato talking about her experience, which shows that even being part of the popular crowd doesn’t make you immune from bullying.

How do you feel when you read about these stories?

Do they matter? Does it make you feel less alone?

Or are these people totally irrelevant?

If I had to guess, we are going to have a mixed response on this one. There tends to be those who say their ED has nothing do with Hollywood or anything else, its purely their own control, perfectionism, personal issue. Then there are those who are VERY influenced by the media, Hollywood and fashion (hello pro anas!) who have succumbed to the pressure to try to measure up to weight and beauty standards.

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Original t-shirt on Perez Hilton site

This Jezebel story about Perez Hilton typical of a blogger with no integrity what-so-ever…or so I thought.

Perez was found to be  promoting pro-ana merchandise on his site. But after being called out on it, the shirt didn’t disappear, it was instead revised with the text shown on the next page.

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Trust me, I have many embarrassing images from my modeling days (the worst being when a cokehead “artist” shot an image of me in a black cape, soaking wet, with eyes pitched wide open and evil like some sort a witch kid).

BUT, it wasn’t quite as bad as this, um, fashion statement?

Send your fashion freak images to mamavision@gmail.com

Source: Jezebel

WARNING: I DO NOT DO TRIGGER WARNINGS.

For 4 years I have been attempting to educate the public, parents, mental health professionals and anyone else that will listen about pro-anorexia.

Pro-anorexia is the belief that “anorexia is a lifestyle.” Google the terms “proana,” “thinspo” to be sickened. On YouTube, an average of five videos per day are uploaded filled with images, music, and mantras all meant to keep these proana girls motivated on their goal to starve themselves to be like the Hollywood stars they admire.

Most people turn away and tell me “I can’t handle that, but guess what, we must. Others tell me I should be softer, and nicer to celebs who pave the way for girls. Ain’t happenin’

Check out these links to get a sense of what I am talking about here:

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I’ve never understood why more models do not come forward to speak about the sickness of the modeling industry, they seem to avoid the topic like the plague.

But not Coco Rocha, a 21 year old model, self described as “6 inches taller and 10 sizes smaller than the average American woman, came forward to have her say during NY Fashion Week 2010;

“This issue of model’s weight is, and always has been of concern to me. There are certain moral decisions which seem like no brainers to us. For example, not employing children in sweatshops, and not increasing the addictiveness of cigarettes. When designers, stylists or agents push children to take measures that lead to anorexia or other health problems in order to remain in the business, they are asking the public to ignore their moral conscience in favor of the art.

Surely, we all see how morally wrong it is for an adult to convince an already thin 15 year old that she is actually too fat. It is unforgivable that an adult should demand that the girl unnaturally lose the weight vital to keep her body functioning properly. How can any person justify an aesthetic that reduces a woman or child to an emaciated skeleton? Is it art? Surely fashion’s aesthetic should enhance and beautify the human form, not destroy it.”

Then came the inevitable jabs from the NY Times Fashion Freaks in an article titled A Model’s prospects: Slim to none, which insinuated that Rocha is no longer desirable because she is too fat, and therefore speaking out (which is a pile of BS BTW);

“A lot of designers no longer hire her for their runways. They consider her a veritable behemoth in a business that makes a fetish of being what the actress Emily Blunt once termed “edge of ill” thin.”

The good news in all of this is the Council of Fashion Designers of American (CFDA) has finally come out of their coma to address these issues (I was stalking them way back in 2008 on this topic – even went undercover to their offices to expose how clueless they were).  Supposedly their goal is to increase the sample size and to book models over the age of 16 (I”ll believe it when I see it, but hey at least they are pretending to care now).

Coco Rocha went on to say;

We need changes. I’d prefer that there would be no girl working under the age of 16, but if that has to be the case then I’d love to see teens escorted by a guardian to castings, shows, and shoots. The CFDA has set codes in place for their members and I’d love to see the entire industry follow. Society legislates a lot of things – no steroid use in sports is one example – its only reasonable that there be rules of conduct to keep the fashion industry healthy.

My sincere hope is that through our efforts young models will one day be spared the humiliation, the risky weight loss, the depression that comes along with anorexia and the misery of abandonment by an industry ashamed to see them turn into actual women.

There are natural human standards in how we treat one another and how we treat children. There are those who continue to trample on these standards but there are also champions of a better way. I hope that the continued efforts of the CFDA and all those who hold these values in regard will sway the opinion of those on the opposing side of the industry to ensure a true change for the better.

Amen,

mamaV

Marie Claire dares to place an unairbrushed photo on the cover of their magazine. No one gives a rip, instead focuses on the fact that the model is nude.

I just went on a big long rampage on this story on WeAreTheRealDeal here (part 1) and here (part 2) , so I’ll give you guys a synopsis, along with some specific commentary I want to make specifically to this eating disordered community.

Here’s the gist of it:

1) Former Miss Universe, model Jennifer Hawkins poses on cover of Marie Claire.

2) Hawkins is commended by The Butterfly Association for her efforts to “raise awareness about eating disorders,” (how exactly, no one has been able to figure out).

3) Her unairbrushed photo* supposedly shows “a slightly dimpled thigh.” (I have yet to see it, so let’s do a Where’s Waldo to try and find it).

*a new concept in Magazine production where the model actually appears as a human being “as is.” No computerized program is used to eliminate any/all signs of life.

My point here is the following, which I need to spit out before I have a heart attack:

1) This model does not, in anyway whatsoever, represent the “normal, average” girl/woman — so don’t even START kidding yourself. We live in a demented world.

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“Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels,” yet another genius quote from one of my favorite pro-ana models, the infamous Kate Moss.

So what’s up with this chick? I’ve always found her to be so trashy. Just a ratty-looking-little-nail-biting-drug-addicted tramp. Yet, this society props her up like the Queen of the Prom. Go figure.

In Britain, they honor Kate, in gold, in a twisted posture to accentuate her “features.”

My prediction: Moss will drop over soon. She just seems like one of those people that will end up dead, another life cut short because she opted to promote the proanorexia way of life, and act like a total bimbo.

Harsh but true.

If you think that statement over the top, how would you like to be this womens daughter?

What a nightmare waiting to happen.

Keep it real,

mV

The gorgeous woman at the right went under the knife to firm her butt — and never came back.

A former Miss Argentina and international model has died three days after booking herself in for a buttock lift at a Buenos Aires,  in a tragedy that has thrown the growing national obsession with the body beautiful into the spotlight.

Solange Magnano, a 38-year-old married mother of twins who still enjoyed a successful modeling career, died of a pulmonary embolism.

As a mother, I can’t help but  wonder if she knew the risks she was taking as she went under the knife? There is not a chance in hell I would do this or any other unecessary surgery for the call of beauty if it meant I may not see my children again (FYI — that is why I wear glasses…takin’ no chances with my eyes, can you imagine if I could not SEE my precious kids because of a vanity move????)

“A woman who had everything lost her life to have a slightly firmer behind,” said fashion designer and close friend, Roberto Piazza, in whose runway shows Ms Magnano frequently appeared.

Ms Magnano, who was Miss Argentina in 1994, had gone with a friend to a clinic which  according to reports in the Argentinian press, performs an average of 15 such procedures daily. But after complications developed during the operation, which involves injections of the substance Polimetilmetacrilate, she was rushed to hospital with acute respiratory deficiency.

Polimetilmetacrilate, cheaper than the other techniques and injected into the muscle through a surgical incision, has been used for just two years.

“It can happen that the product enters a capillary,” Dr Carlos Reilly, vice president of SACPER, told the Argentine newspaper Clarin. “It is a procedure which has risks and must be inserted into very specific places.”

//

Here is what that means in plain english: This stuff is like “small glass beads” that when injected can travel to other areas of the body if inadvertently injected into blood vessels.

Safe. Real safe. WTF?

Who in their right minds reads this and things this is normal to inject this crap into our bodies?

“She only underwent the procedure because she thought it was no big deal,” said Guillermo Azar, another associate from the fashion world and a close friend of the model.

Mr Piazza said Ms Magnano had not needed the operation and suggested she had fallen victim to an increasingly beauty-obsessed society.

“Narcissism is in its heyday,” said Mr Piazza. “She was perfect, she didn’t need any surgery,” he continued. “She took care of herself a lot, went to the gym, had everything in its place, perfect measurements, a divine little waist. Last year she had surgery on her breasts and they came out perfect, but she did not need this butt surgery. It was stupid what she did, I don’t understand it.”

Ms Magnano had made the mistake of trusting cosmetic surgery advertisements which promised incredible results with no pain or risk, the designer suggested. “They promise to lift the buttocks and disappear cellulite with an injection, promising women they are going to look stupendous,” he complained, demanding an investigation into the clinic concerned. “This operation on the backside is very delicate.”

Speaking through a spokesperson for the family, Ms Magnano’s husband Gustavo Rosso, dismissed suggestions of medical negligence. “What happened to Sol was a tragedy,” said Luis Nasser, adding there had only been 15 recorded fatalities from the procedure worldwide “We don’t want to talk of malpractice.” (HUH? 15 is not enough??)

But Argentine experts suggested the operation may not have been performed correctly. Juan Carlos Seiler, the former president of an Argentine plastic surgeons association, queried whether the doctor who performed the procedure was “a real professional from an approved” cosmetic surgery centre, while surgeons explained that such complications, though rare, were possible if mistakes were made.

According to the Argentine Society of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery (SACPER), doctors in the country rarely use injections of polimetilmetacrilate in glutoplasties, instead preferring implants or transfers of the patient’s own fat.

Ms Magnano’s funeral, in her home city of San Francisco where she opened a modelling school in 2007, was attended by over 300 mourners and broadcast on national television.

Argentina has emerged as one of the world’s top cosmetic surgery destinations in recent years, with a growing number of foreigners travelling to the Latin American country in search of inexpensive cosmetic enhancements.

“Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels,” yet another genius quote from one of my favorite pro-ana models, the infamous Kate Moss.

So what’s up with this chick? I’ve always found her to be so trashy. Just a ratty-looking-little-nail-biting-drug-addicted tramp. Yet, this society props her up like the Queen of the Prom. Go figure.

In Britian, they honor Kate, in gold.

"I wanna be just like her when I grow up!"

My prediction: Moss will drop over soon. She just seems like one of those people that will end up dead, another life cut short because she opted to promote the proanorexia way of life, and act like a total bimbo.

Harsh but true.

If you think that statement over the top, how would you like to be this womens daughter?

What a nightmare waiting to happen.

Keep it real,

mV

SITE STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION…YOU MAY SEE WACKED OUT PAGES

A poster of a second impossibly thin Ralph Lauren model has emerged in Sydney, landing the exclusive fashion house in more hot water.

See first disaster here.

The blogging website Photoshop Disasters posted an image today of an unknown model with a tiny waist posing in a Ralph Lauren advertisement.

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Former Ralph Lauren model Flippa Hamilton dumped for being too fat. Fake Flippa left, Real Flippa right

UPDATE: 10/15  Another incriminating photo exposes Laurens idiocy –more here 

Not such a Happy 70th Birthday for you today,  huh Ralph-ie?

Earlier this week, Lauren’s freaky-science-fiction like ad campaign featuring an oddly altered image of model Flippa Hamilton surfaced. BoingBoing said it best stating Hamilton’s “head is bigger than her pelvis (dude).”

Now the model herself has come forward to say she was fired for being “too fat.”

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Thanks to tipster Amy for sending me this lovely story about CK. This is a great example of how we all wear certain designer clothes, but we don’t really think about their advertising do we?

Here I mean the bad side of their advertising.

Have you ever boycotted a certain brand because their ads were demeaning, gross, or semi-pornish like this little diddy which was deemed over the top…even in NYC;

Let’s see…that’s 1, 2, 3 guys on what appears to be a teenish-girl.

Nothing new for the designer who has dedicated his career to pushing the envelope starting with Brooke Shields at 15.

I felt odd viewing this one, because from my perspective, EVERY designer has been posing children like this, for decades actually, and no one really cares.

Below we have a “Secret Obsession” ad that can’t mean anything other than – I am into an affair with a kid.

Now this next one is a video, what was literally banned. Banned because it features kids, in a creepy-old-wood-paneled basement answering the questions of some panting pervert (watch the whole thing).

I gotta be honest guys, it kind of scared me that this didn’t freak me out.

But it gave me a flashback.

This is exactly what it was like to be a model, especially in Paris (minus the paneling). You are a piece of meat, with some gross guy telling you how to move, stand up, sit down, nice ass, show me your tits, give me your self-respect, hand over your modesty, don’t be such a prude.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZVk21Pco-c&hl=en&fs=1&]

Ahh, the good old days.
mV

PS I had to end with this dude. Where did they rescue him from – the Circus? They could have at least let him take a shower.

The blogosphere is on fire over Bacardi's "Get An Ugly Girlfriend" Campaign. Barcardi pulled down the web site promoting the campaign and here is the company response:

"Thank you for taking the time to post your story on Bacardi Breezer.

The campaign you are referring to ran in 2008 for two months in
Israel. Even though Bacardi Breezer is not sold or distributed in the
United States, we immediately notified the appropriate Bacardi
affiliate and had this website shut down.

Bacardi proudly celebrates diversity and we do not endorse the views
of this site. We sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended by this
site and thank you for bringing it to our attention."

- Sean-Patrick Hillman of bacardi.com, June 21, 2009 via Sweet Machine.

Ok Mr. Sean nice blanket response, a few questions for you;

1) You are the Bacardi publicist. Where is the Corporate Big Dog that should be responding to this?

2) Your twitter response to this "crisis" was unnecessary….as a publicist we would think you would know to shut your yapper.

3) McCann Digital Israel obviously didn't get any slap on the hand about the Ugly Girlfriend campaign seeing that they submitted it to The Cannes Lions Festival (THE annual event for top advertising creative), even twittering about it on Saturday June 12 to gloat about the catalog. 

4) AXE is also a client of McCann Digital Israel, in fact they just won a Bronze in the Platinum category at Cannes for their work, didn't that give Bacardi a clue they were a real class act?

5) I see Bacardi's female CMO Stella David just got canned after 15 years with the company…I wonder what she thought of this campaign?

Start digging man, this could get uglier.

mV

UPDATE 6/22 4pmCST: Sean Hillmann pulled down the tweet shown above. I wonder why? Maybe because Rachel at FWordblog and I stalked him

I've asked McCann Israel for more info on their award submission for The Ugly Girlfriend Campaign, let's see what they come back with.