A newspaper advertisement headlined “Prostitutes Required” for a club “downstairs at The White House” has riled US officials in New Zealand. The crossed Stars and Stripes and bald eagle logo may appear to suggest the Bush administration has branched out, but the advert is in fact for a brothel in Auckland looking for new ladies for its nightclub, Monica’s.
The US Embassy has sent a letter to the business complaining that the advert, especially the logo, is in poor taste.
We believe that any likeness of a national government symbol in a commercial advertisement is in extremely poor taste. We are sending a letter to the advertiser that expresses our disappointment and displeasure about their choice of symbolism.
The brothel’s theme is unashamedly American and the building even has white columns outside similar to the US President’s residence. During the previous US administration the women working at the complex wore blue dresses like that of former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. The bordello’s owner Brian Legros was unrepentant.
They don’t own the White House. They should get on with the affairs of their country and not worry about little old New Zealand…”It’s my crest. “It might look like theirs, but it’s not.”
I agreee, this is in bad taste. I see the humor, but I still find it offensive and rude. But then again, what do you expect from whores?
Absolutely nothing to be gained – and usually much face to lose – going after a parody. It never ceases to amaze me when a celebrity or political figure makes this mistake.
Bush tripped over this one early in his campaign, trying to strong-arm a parodist who’d registered a domain name that was some variant of “george bush”. It made my spidey sense tingle.
But then again, what do you expect from politicians?
In poor taste, but funny.
I don’t want the US to make a big deal about this. Can’t we take a joke?
-Absolutely nothing to be gained – and usually much face to lose – going after a parody. It never ceases to amaze me when a celebrity or political figure makes this mistake. –
Or as Churchill put it, “A man has never increased his dignity by standing upon it.”
On the other hand, the EU is looking around for some state symbols I hear:
How about a prostitute.
Now *that* would be appropriate.
Fred
Adam, I take offence to your use of the term “whores”. Indeed the only “whores” here are the ones that suck off the public teet. The Politicians and Bureacrats are the ones with no moral right to exist. On the other hand the Prostitutes represent hard working proffesionals who actually engage in one of the very fundamental industries of capitalism.
Pham, a whore is whore. Selling one’s body is little better than selling one’s soul. I agree many politicians and bureaucrats also have earned that ignoble title. Even so, calling prostitutes “hard working professionals” is a laugh. And I never questioned anyone’s right to exist.
” Selling one’s body is little better than selling one’s soul.”
there’s a huge difference… plus where does that stop? do you believe models (who sell photographic access to their bodies) to be soulless strumpets too? Live & let live… if people can handle being prostitutes, that’s their business. I’d say the average prostitute is most probably nicer than the average politician for a start!
If I have a soul, I’m not using it. I’ve certainly never seen it. Any offers?
A_t, models sell their image, not their bodies.
Fuck-em if they can’t take a joke.
Oh yeah…
Pham, a whore is whore.
Of course, of course…… =8)
Selling one’s body is little better than selling one’s soul.
Maybe from a Moralist stance, however from where I stand you sell your body & soul right now. You sell your body & soul for eight hours a day to the company you work for. A Prosititute is no different. Be honest your body and soul are little more than commodities that you trade for money every day. As long as that trade isn’t done under the use of force you can honestly say you engage in a economic value. So it is the same with legal prostitutes, who engage in the industry willingly. Calling them “Whores” as you did is disrespectfull, and IMHO not at all fair.
I agree many politicians and bureaucrats also have earned that ignoble title.
Those who engage in the unjust use of force on others for money deserve to be called no less.
Even so, calling prostitutes “hard working professionals” is a laugh.
Try it sometime, and then tell me that isn’t a hard job, or to do it doesn’t take a lot of proffesionalism.
And I never questioned anyone’s right to exist.
Your right, I did.
The obvious solution to this problem would be to open up a Kiwi-themed bordello in Nevada.
Come to think of it, there are better candidates for a theme…
“A_t, models sell their image, not their bodies. ”
models sell visual access to their bodies.
prostitutes sell visual & tactile access to their bodies.
To do either without letting it screw you up requires strength of character; models have it easier because they have the praise, rather than condemnation, of (most of) society at large to help them along.
My understanding is that prostitutes certainly work pretty hard; you may think they’re overpaid for what they do, but then i could name you plenty folk i think are overpaid. Prostitutes certainly wouldn’t be first in the list.