Lendlease shopping centre Lakeside Joondalup has come under fire for hosting kids school holiday activities just 30 metres from sex shop Honey Birdette, with porn-themed images featuring women’s exposed genitals on display. (We've censored the image below).
Surge Fitness is offering free kids classes at the Perth shopping centre, which will be held approximately 30 metres from the Playboy-owned sex store. How many children will have to walk past these pornified and degrading images of women to attend their school holiday activities?
Lakeside Joondalup responds - defending women's exposed genitals ads
We asked supporters to contact Lakeside Joondalup and ask them to stop facilitating kids’ exposure to porn and BDSM-themed ads at Honey Birdette – and they have responded:
While we understand your concern with these images, retail leases permit tenants to display any advertising within their tenancy as long as it is in accordance with both national and state laws along with industry standards. This advertising is governed by the Advertising Standards as opposed to the landlord, and Ad Standards can request the removal of advertising if they determine it is in breach of the standards.
In a bid to maintain a shopping environment that caters to the needs of our broad customer base, we encourage customers to lodge their feedback with Ad Standards to ensure they are informed of such concerns and can take the appropriate action. Complaints can be lodged with Ad Standards via: https://adstandards.com.au/ Thank you again for taking the time to provide your feedback.
This is not good enough. As Collective Shout supporters pointed out, Ad Standards has upheld complaints against more than SIXTY Honey Birdette ads, but the sex store refuses to remove them or to change. Ad Standards has no authority to remove ads, even where they are in breach of the code. So in passing the buck, Lakeside Joondalup is essentially facilitating – and profiting from – kids’ ongoing exposure to sexist and porn-themed imagery in their shopping centres.
Lakeside Joondalup has hosted many of the images Ad Standards has ruled are in breach of the code of ethics, and not appropriate for an all-ages audience. These include larger than life ads featuring women being sexually choked, orgies, BDSM, sexually violent content and images of women’s exposed genitals. They are landlords – they have a responsibility to act.
Members of the public were not convinced, and shared their objections on social media.
CALL TO ACTION
Contact Lakeside Joondalup and let them know what you think of their hosting pornified images to an audience that includes children.
Call >> 08 9300 3888
Facebook >> https://www.facebook.com/lakesidejoondalup/
Email >> [email protected]
Website >> https://www.lakesidejoondalup.com.au/contact-us/
Let us know if you get a response!
UPDATE - National media coverage, Maggie Dent backs our campaign + Lakeside continues to ignore us
Our campaign attracted national media coverage. Campaigns Manager Caitlin Roper was quoted in news.com.au:
Collective Shout campaigns manager Caitlin Roper said the centre’s Surge Fitness was also hosting kids’ fitness classes just 30 metres from the lingerie store.
“Lakeside Joondalup is both facilitating and profiting from the sexual objectification of women, and kids’ exposure to porn-inspired imagery. We believe the rights of children should take precedence over profits,” she said.
Ms Roper said Ad Standards Australia had upheld more than 60 complaints against Honey Birdette ads, finding them too graphic for an audience that included children.
But there were no penalties for advertisers who breached the rules, she said.
“Advertisers can effectively do what they like and continually breach the code of ethics,” she said. Read more.
Author and parenting educator Maggie Dent backed our call to Lakeside Joondalup, writing on her public Facebook page:
These images silently shape both girls and boys sense of self and expectations of behaviour in negative and harmful ways. Take these images out of main viewing areas please.
Despite countless complaints from parents – which went unanswered – and condemnation from local MP Nick Goiran, Lakeside Joondalup failed to take action, hosting the Surge Fitness kids classes just 30 metres from these images outside Honey Birdette.
See also:
Perth shopping mall under fire over ‘exposed genitals’ Honey Birdette ad - news.com.au
Honey Birdette windows blacked out for Santa parade
Add your comment