Controversial nude fashion ad makes statement A controversial new ad campaign featuring a nude anorexic model is getting plenty of media attention, reports The Wall Street Journal. The campaign, from Italian label Nolita, features 68-pound French model Isabelle Caro, an admitted anorexic, with the tag line "No. Anorexia." Using the image of a longtime anorexia subject heightens the debate that began last year when Italy and other countries developed a set of guidelines for the purpose of convincing fashion advertisers to use healthier looking models. Models with a body mass index of 18.5 or less are banned from the runways. The World Health Organization considers anyone with a BMI of less than 18.5 to be underweight. Although some are critical of the ad's benefits, most concede the message is important and impossible to ignore. Luisa Bertoncello, managing director of Nolita's parent company, said she was "shocked" when she first saw the campaign, but proceeded with it because the nude image laid bare the hypocrisy the fashion industry has been cultivating for far too long. Read more . . . 
Mirren "nudist at heart" Academy Award-winning actress Helen Mirren has vowed to continue going nude onscreen and off. The star of The Queen, famous for disrobing in the hit movie Calendar Girls, says she has no plans to grow old gracefully--or cover up. Mirren said in a recent article, "I am a nudist at heart. I have been on many nudist beaches. It is amazing how quickly feelings of self-consciousness disappear." Read more . . . Possible nudity ban on Mr. Everest Mount Everest traditionally attracts record-seekers, including those who earned such titles as the oldest climber, the youngest climber, and the first wedding. Last year a Nepali climber claimed to hold the record for the world's highest display of nudity while standing atop the 29,035-foot summit for a few minutes with temperature at four degrees Fahrenheit. That is one record that may never be topped. Officials are calling for a ban on nudity on Mount Everest, deeming it "disrespectful." According to the Associated Press, the people who live at the base of Everest worship it "as a god," so mountaineering authorities asked the government to ban such stunts on Everest. Other record-breakers that sparked controversy included a climber who attempted to scale the mountain wearing only shorts.Read more . . . Art student's paintings removed from library A city manager in Texas ordered several works by artist Alex Trevino in an art show at Manske Library removed because they contain undetailed frontal nudity and animal violence between a lion and an eagle that represents the immigrant conflict, reports The Dallas Morning News. Besides the animal piece, sketches of shaded outlines of nude subjects that were drawn in Trevino's art class were also taken down, despite disapproval from patrons who criticized the city's decision. Trevino is a fine arts major at Brookhaven College who said some of his works in the exhibit, titled "Clash of Cultures," were inspired by his experiences with racism. City Manager Gary Greer called the paintings inappropriate for children. Trevino is the first artist in 20 years to have his artwork removed from the city library. Read more . . . 
|
