August 23, 2010

Naked woman and curious cow: election poster of the century

Filed under: Design by Branko Collin @ 8:26 am

In 2006 this poster was elected best political poster of the Netherlands of the past 90 years. It was used in 1971 by the Pacifist Socialist Party (PSP), one of the predecessors of GroenLinks, for the lower house elections. The caption reads ‘Disarming PSP’.

The photo was originally taken for sexual reform magazine Sekstant, but designer George Noordanus surmised that it could also help create a storm of protest among Christians whose political parties supported the Vietnam war, but opposed innocent nudity, thereby exposing their hypocrisy.

Although it did just that, the raised profile did not help the PSP as it lost half its seats in the lower house after the elections. Support for the poster was also divided within the party, as some members considered it sexist. Ironically enough, it was the sexist argument that in the end helped seal the deal. As one member put it, “workers like naked chicks.”

Both Ayaan Hirsi Magan (ex VVD, liberal) and Femke Halsema (GroenLinks, ‘green left’), political opposites, see the poster as a symbol of their ideals.

See also this site about election posters in the Netherlands.

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May 13, 2008

World Naked Bike Ride in the Netherlands

Filed under: Sports,Weird by Orangemaster @ 7:58 am
naked-bike1.jpg

On Saturday 7 June, Utrecht will play host to the World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR) to ‘attract some attention’ to the environment and our bodies by biking around naked. Utrecht was chosen since on the same day there will be a concert entitled ‘Geen halve maatregelen, Klimaatwet nu!’ (roughly ‘No half measures, an environmental law now!’) with performances by De Dijk and Stevie.

Besides Utrecht, more than 15 cities in 20 countries around the world will have people demonstrating for a more positive attitude towards our bodies and the environment. “But no one has to go naked”, according to the WNBR.

And now my two cents: besides posing for Spencer Tunick) or some church calendar, many naked events tend to attract white, middle aged heterosexual men, like at the naked fitness (not really mentioned, but on Dutch TV not a single other type of person could be seen). And if the white, middle aged heterosexual men are not in the event, they are the ones gawking on the sidelines. It’s just an observation, folks. If anyone qualified has a real explanation, I’m very interested.

(Link: frontpage.fok.nl, photo treehugger,com)

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