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From: chabot@miles.DEC (L S Chabot)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: update on bathing suit
Message-ID: <1362@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 27-Mar-85 14:49:19 EST
Article-I.D.: decwrl.1362
Posted: Wed Mar 27 14:49:19 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 31-Mar-85 04:21:05 EST
Sender: johnsson@decwrl.UUCP
Organization: DEC Engineering Network
Lines: 36

Here's the results of my letters to IEEE Spectrum and Computer Dynamics:

William Saunders, Advertising Director and Assistant Publisher, wrote back
and said they'd watch the advertising more closely.

Susan Priester, Marketing Manager for Computer Dynamics, wrote to "Ms. Chabot"
(I only put the name "L S Chabot"), and defended the use of the picture:

    "We used an attractive female model for one reason -- to get the 
     attention of the overwhelmingly male audience ..."

    "The use of the model is admittedly a direct (perhaps crass) grab for 
     attention, but (perhaps unfortunately for the women's movement)
     it works. Just watch television for fifteen minutes or look through
     any consumer-oriented magazine. I may not approve of it, but sex still 
     seems to sell."


But this still leaves a bad taste.  Overwhelmingly male audience means the
women in the audience have to shut up or conform?  Also, why assume the male
audience wants this kind of ad?  Computer Dynamics was the only company to use
such an ad in that particular set of IEEE Spectrum cards,... perhaps their
marketing is behind the times as well as in the wrong media?  What's the 
morality of using something objectionable because it works? (gasp! and I call
myself an engineer!)

I preferred IEEEs approach--they didn't state any assumptions about me based
on my objection (and I forgot to include my member number, oops).

I haven't exactly decided about a reply or not, or just what to say.  Anyone
have anything to help clarify this?

L S Chabot
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