Goodbye boys... the EU killjoys are at it again
Wonder woman: Eva Herzigova in the famous bra ad
Just how stupid are you? Come on, don't be defensive, you must be fairly stupid. Because we're all a bit thick. And we need people, clever people, astute people, to look out for us. Because, frankly, they know better than we do and someone has to protect us from our own stupidity. Which is why we have organisations like the EU.
What was initially meant as a post-war, placatory common market working under the clever concept that countries are less likely to invade each other when they are trading partners, has somehow morphed into a giant Nanny, with cane in hand, who wants to tell the rest of us what to think, what to believe and, as we have seen in the wake of the Lisbon Treaty, how to vote.
But the latest example of the EU -- or 'the EUSSR', as one Euro-sceptic memorably described it -- legislating how we should think comes from a Swedish politician who wants to ban all commercial advertisements which could be construed as "sexist, demeaning, stereotypical or offensive".
Eva-Britt Svennson, the joyless MEP -- surely a job that is nearly as pointless as being a member of our Seanad -- is outraged that some commercial advertisements use, can you believe it, sexualised imagery. And she's having none of it.
This woman, who none of us voted for, yet she has the power to impact on how Irish society governs itself, says that she wants "a zero tolerance policy against sexist insults or degrading images of women in the media."
Of course, one woman's 'degradation' is another woman's idea of being titillating and sexy. But in the insane world of the European Union, where politically correct cranks and lunatic feminists have long taken over, anything which shows any life, or vibrancy or fun, is not to be trusted and must immediately be banned.
Ms Svennson's argument is typical of the rubbish we have to put up from these people, and provides further evidence for the argument that we should leave this increasingly insidious and powerful and intrusive organisation.
According to our heroine, sorry, heroperson, "Gender stereotyping in advertising straitjackets women, men, girls and boys by restricting individuals to predetermined and artificial roles that are often degrading, humiliating and dumbed down for both sexes."
Frankly, I'm surprised she didn't bring in gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender people into the mix. And if she's looking at "stereotypes", will she try and ban the Andrex ads next because the cute puppy is a stereotype of a friendly Golden Labrador?
While Ms Svennson mentions "both sexes", what she really means is women. After all, she is on the exclusionary "Women's Rights Committee", which you and I pay for, even though we have no control over it. Interestingly, I checked the EU website and there's no mention of a "Men's Rights Committee".
Not only is she against the portrayal of women as sexual beings, she is even against the portrayal in commercials of women being housewives and cleaning the kitchen because: "When women are portrayed in a stereotypical way, the consequence may be that it becomes difficult in other contexts to see women's resources and abilities in areas other than those of the traditional gender roles."
So, forget about just banning the likes of the Eva Herzigova -- and you just know that any bloke who started reading this column soon drifted off to simply stare at the picture -- she also wants to ban the notion of woman as housewife.
If it wasn't so insulting, it would be laughable.
Because what Ms Svennson and her ilk think is that if you see a picture of a good-looking woman looking provocatively into the camera, you will immediately assume that all woman want to be objectified, or if you see an ad where a woman is making gravy for the family dinner, you will immediately assume that all woman are simply kitchen-based functionaries.
The irony is that the gender most defamed by the advertising world is the male one. After all, no advertiser would dare portray women to be as monumentally thick as the men we often see on our commercials. Most of these ads are harmless, some are funny and some are bloody infuriating -- I'm thinking particularly of the Old El Paso ad which features some shrewish harridan being amazed that her boyfriend could cook a fajita without burning the house down.
But somehow, miraculously, society managed to continue in the face of these commercials and there were no gender riots, or strikes or mass suicides in reaction to these ads. And that is because people, contrary to what the likes of this daft woman believe, are not stupid.
We can see rubbish when it's in front of us, and we can discern for ourselves what is acceptable and what isn't
But that kind of individual thought process is anathema to Ms Svennson, who is, quelle surprise, a socialist.
But she is not unique, merely the most recent case of someone who thinks we must be protected from ourselves.
Only last week, new laws were brought in here restricting the rights of junk-food commercials to advertise on television. Why? Because the self-appointed powers that be assumed that you were too stupid and gullible to decide what you or your kids eat and, therefore, they had to step in to protect you.
It's this pathetic infantilisation of our country which allows quango after quango -- all paid for by us, let's not forget -- to issue edicts which impinge on our daily lives.
And believe me, these people really are as arrogant as they seem.
In fact, after taking part in a debate about the rights of the individual to choose their own path, one Government minister took me aside and said that while he and I had enough brains to make the right choices, he felt that he had to "protect" the general public.
It was an astonishingly patrician argument and one that was profoundly insulting to, well, to everyone in this country. But it showed the mindset of those who would govern and instruct us.
And how should we respond to these people?
It's simple, really -- smoke that cigarette, eat that burger, have that fifth pint, make that sexist/racist/insulting joke, go about your day living the best life you can and simply ignore these people.
And maybe one day, they shall simply go away.
Although I wouldn't bet on it.
