Beauty Ad Of Woman Getting Stalked Sparks Outrage For Victim-Blaming
Image via Purcotton
An advertisement for makeup removal wipes in China has been pulled from the internet after receiving fierce backlash from social media users.
The spot by Chinese brand Purcotton features a woman walking down a dimly-lit street at night when a man with a mask starts following her.
Afraid that she might be attacked, she immediately takes out a pack of Purcotton wipes and removes her makeup. The scene then shows the man tapping the woman on her shoulder. However, the woman is transformed into a man and is able to escape from the stalker.
The advertisement has triggered many responses from social media users, who are calling it “wrong” and “disgusting.”
“You use what scares women the most for an advertisement, which is beyond comprehension and unacceptable,” a Weibo user weighed in.
Purcotton initially defended the clip, stating that it was a creative way to show the product’s “cleaning function.” However, after the heavy criticism and calls for boycott, it removed the video from its social media accounts and apologized, CNN reported.
“We have set up a team to hold people to account for the problem and, in the meantime, we will improve content production and the review process to prevent similar incidents from happening again,” the company said.
Has anyone seen the Purcotton makeup wipe ad from China? It shows a woman walking down the block, about to be attacked. She wipes off her make up & when the rapist turns her around, he’s scared off by her natural look. WTF? 🤦🏻♀️
— chelsey mary ∞ (@chelseymary) January 13, 2021
(Summary of new Purcotton Ad, video in link)
— The Xing Tian 刑天 (@TheXingtian) January 8, 2021
Ladies, are you worried about being raped? Use Purcotton makeup remover and that pesky rapist will run screaming, cause you are hideous without makeup and no man would want you.
Rape culture in #China, #women https://t.co/ScPrJeWf6Q pic.twitter.com/4NSj7ZkSa9
WHAT class of a moron thought up that campaign!?!
— Beatrice Caball (@BeaCaball) January 12, 2021
I wear very little makeup, so at least I have the reassurance that I repulse decent lads who otherwise might be led astray...
China: Make-up wipes ad pulled over victim-blaming claims https://t.co/3UGljBOsTZ
[via B&T, cover image via Purcotton]
