Media Release
Spotlight latest addition to anti-sexploitation movement’s blacklist of corporate offenders
Grassroots movement Collective Shout: for a world free of sexploitation (www.collectiveshout.org) has added Fabric retailer Spotlight to its third annual boycott list exposing companies that objectify women or sexualise girls to sell products and services.
Collective Shout’s ‘Cross ‘em off your Xmas list’ campaign aims to help consumers make ethical Christmas shopping decisions and reject companies that have not demonstrated corporate social responsibility.
Spotlight craft and fabric store has made it onto this year’s boycott list for selling pornographic brand Playboy bed linen. Bedspreads come in various shades of pink with bunnies and are featured on single bed displays at front of store.
Spotlight joins Priceline, Adairs and Bras N Things, already named in the blacklist, in promoting the global porn empire. They are complicit in the mainstreaming of pornography- an industry that degrades and abuses women.
Spotlight’s Facebook page was flooded with messages from disappointed consumers.
“Spotlight supporting the porn industry- I’ll be shopping elsewhere and encouraging my friends to do the same.”
“If you’re going to put Playboy porn empire products on your shelves and in your catalogues, you can take my details off your mailing lists. As a mother and a woman (ie. The majority of your customers are too) I am not impressed.”
“Lincraft here I come.”
Spotlight responded by deleting all comments and removing the option to post.
Collective Shout spokesperson Melinda Liszewski said that sales from Playboy’s licensed merchandise had revived the once struggling pornography business. While many associate Playboy simply with its branded items or magazine, Playboy Enterprises own various adult TV channels and websites, broadcasting brutal, hardcore pornography.
“Retailers that stock Playboy branded products are helping Playboy to produce and distribute content that objectifies and degrades women,” Ms Liszewski said.
December 10, 2012.