Etan B. sent in this ad (found Etan’s blog) that the CDU, a conservative German political party, is using to compare its candidate, Vera Lengsefeld, to Angela Merkel. The ad shows a photo of Merkel on the left and Lengsfeld on the right. Both women are in dresses that reveal cleavage (the photo of Merkel generated a lot of discussion when it first appeared about whether she was dressed too sexily):
The text on the left, across the image of Merkel, says “We have more to offer,” the implication being, of course, that the conservative party has more to rely on than cleavage. Lengsfeld explained the ad this way:
If only a tenth of them also look at the content of my policies, I will have reached many more people than I could have done with classic street canvassing.
UPDATE: Now I’m confused. Elena says,
Merkel is the chairwoman of the CDU. Both women belong to the same party, and according to the ad both have “[more] to offer”.
I apologize for the confusion about Merkel’s party–I read in two different places the account I gave above. So I guess the CDU is basically saying you should vote for it because it has candidates that are sexy? I kinda think that’s actually worse than what I originally thought it was. Elena, thanks so much for the clarification!
You can also read an article about the controversial ad at NPR.
As Etan points out, it’s reminiscent of the scrutiny Hillary Clinton received after she wore this outfit on the Senate floor:
As far as men go, in 2000 Rolling Stone was accused of airbrushing this cover photo of Al Gore to make his crotch bulge bigger (via):
So there are lots of examples of efforts to delegitimize political candidates by focusing on their looks or sexuality, but the Lengsfeld one is the most blatant I’ve seen recently.
Comments 30
Elena — August 23, 2009
I'm afraid that your interpretation is wrong - Ms. Merkel is the chairwoman of the CDU. Both women belong to the same party, and according to the ad both have "lots to offer".
Chris — August 23, 2009
Hm, the ad is discrediting Merkel in a way - yet not by comparison (after all, as Elena pointed out, Langsfeld and Merkel do belong to the same party).
Cute Bruiser — August 23, 2009
Wow. First the "choose black" thing in Germany (that was Germany, wasn't it?) and now this ...
Jennifer — August 23, 2009
If Merkel and Langsfeld are from the same political party, perhaps this ad is actually saying, "We have more to offer because our leaders show their tits"?
Michael Stevens — August 23, 2009
I actually think that making Gore's crotch look bigger is a way to empower him more, not deligitmize him. showing he's a "big powerful man" in every sense.
I don't know if they were true or not but there were reports that Clooney complained on Batman & robin that the crotch in his batsuit didn't look as big as robin's.
The Secret Life of a Manic Depressive — August 23, 2009
Why does their breasts being in the photo automatically qualify as a sex-ploy? Why can't they just be, you know, a part of their bodies?
Eneya — August 24, 2009
Well, at least they are talking about women who are over 30 and they still imply that they too have sexlives.
Which is... I don't know, new?
Usually if talking about women who are above 30 the idea they they are sex active is portayed as something disgusting, laughable or disturbing.
It still doens't make it ok though.
Just pointg out something that caught my attention.
Or, they are potraying them as mommies with big breasts who will take care and feed the needing people?
God, this could have so many meanings that I really can't imagine what they REALLY wanted to say with those posters.
The sad thing - none of the varietys is something that can be defined with the word "positive image".
Andrew — August 24, 2009
Gwen - interesting image, but I think there's a lot more to discuss if you take the time to put it into...you know..Context.
Stephen Colbert managed to get most of the framing right in his comic synopsis of the "Tittenkampagne" that all of Berlin is chuckling at now - http://netzfeuilleton.de/2009/08/vera-lengsfeld-tittenkampagne-bei-stephen-colbert/
But it should be said that Lengsfeld happens to be a conservative running for our parliament in Germany's most progressive district, a seat currently occupied by a (male) Green Party member. This is key to understanding the unusual cleavage decision. In more liberal areas, the CDU is trying - much like the UK's Conservative Party - to rebrand itself as more modern and liberal than the mainstream left, which is widely expected to take a huge blow in the coming election.
Now, while plenty of people associate cleavage with sex, it would be pretty daft to think the CDU would be banking on these women's sex appeal (the very popular Merkel is widely regarded as "matronly"). Rather, they are emphasizing their femininity, and deliberately targeting liberal female voters (in our district, that's over a third of the electorate). In many of her speeches, Lengsfeld draws attention to the fact that she's a single parent from the former communist East Germany as well. This makes good sense; our district has a very young average age and a high concentration of unmarried professionals, but also high unemployment, and it straddles the former border between East and West Berlin.
Feminine, motherly, powerful, pretty - the form-fitting dress does have a lot of meanings that we don't assign to the Power Suit, and they all go against the perception voters would rightfully have of the CDU's domestic policies, which have historically not favored the interests of women, single parents, LGBT people, etc. As for sexy? Well, for examples of posters that have appeared all over the same district of Berlin recently, follow these links:
http://www.helmut-newton-auktion.de/img/detail-big-4.jpg
http://www.sign-berlin.de/level9_cms/images_user/News/news_Schneewitchen.jpg
(Snow White as a naked woman in a bed of apples - there's one to discuss!)
Ekkaia — August 24, 2009
Andrew's explanation is spot on. I don't think you can interpret the poster right without it.
Sue — August 24, 2009
I suppose you could read it as a feminine version of "We've got balls. Come to Mama."
Not in the best taste, but whatever.
Sue — August 24, 2009
I love Stephen Colbert's "Ich bin ein Berliner"/jelly doughnut joke. As he said, look it up.
Megan — August 25, 2009
"Also, another possible reading of “we have more to offer” is “women in power have more to offer than men,” with the breasts being one example of things these ladies have that their main competitors (male) don’t have."
yeah, thats what i assumed the ad was trying to say. its a stupid ad. i also thought maybe the "more to offer" thing had something to do with both of them having rather large breasts.
dorinad — August 25, 2009
Incidentally the photograph of Angela Merkel in a low-cut decolletée evening robe was taken at the opening of the new operahouse in Oslo, Norway. The image was widely published in 2007 and media reactions to it caused discussions already then.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,547512,00.html
Kantorka — August 26, 2009
And for the quota...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fmvqT2eJvw&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.politblogger.net%2Fohne-arwsch-und-titte-bitte-3%2F&feature=player_embedded#t=32
There seems to be a developing tradition ...