As usual and when I doubt I turn to my daughters for their expert opinions. My 19-year-old, a very talented artist, squealed with delight at the clever use of the human body as a work of art and likened it to a return to the Renaissance period. My 22-year-old, on the other hand, flew in to a feminist rant on the misuse and exploitation of the female body. And there you have it – the two parts of me.
Is it sexist to use naked female bodies as fruit bowls? Well, I am all for the arguement that if this use of naked bodies was not sexist then where are the men? I personally, would rather pluck my juicy watermelon off a finely chiseled set of tanned abs but each to their own. If the issue is with the exploitation of the female body then surely the addition of men would lead to nothing more than their exploitation also and a consequential collaborative hurl off both genders under the moral bus. A fairly non-productive exercise, to say the least.
Image supplied by Instagram account @missholidays
One of the first things that did spring to mind, as it often does with any presentation of a female model is “Why do they have to be so thin?” Whether it be male of female, it would be nice to see a broader representation of body types. Yes, I am aware that I just contradicted myself on my ‘chiseled abs’ comment. Thinking outside the box on a more practical note, however, surely it would be far more cost effective if the models (or platters) were a little larger?
Then there’s those who marveled and admired the creation of this Eva Luna style Aphrodite of the fruit world. Liberal minded folk who are heralding this as freedom of speech and action. Is it any different to nude models parading for life drawing classes?
I must say that after watching this video several times, these delicate fruit platters did not appear overly distressed and seemed to be having quite a nice time. I’m not sure what a human fruit platter gets paid but I have a feeling it would be enough to keep the smile on their dials. In any case, I would argue that this is certainly not an issue of slave labour and that consent was given. My biggest concern if I were them would be insuring that the least popular fruits were placed on my most intimate parts.
Image supplied by Instagram account @stfvppy
Most importantly, let’s not overlook the purpose of this exercise; Publicity! With that in mind, it is fair to say that these resturanteurs are geniuses. As the saying goes, ‘Any publicity is good publicity’ and I have a feeling there will be a show evidence of this in the coming weeks. I certainly had no idea of the existence of the ‘Cruise Bar’ and here I am spending my precious time writing about them. Fair to say that since the launch, I am not alone. Like them or not they have us exactly where they wanted us! Ouch!
This may go down like a lead balloon but I find myself somewhat inspired by the Cruise bar stunt. I have been scratching my head for years trying to figure out how to draw attention to the many charitable causes and galas I support. I have no intention of sparking feminist debates or risking being accused of the degradation of anyone, but that’s not to say that there won’t be the odd giggling fruit platter, or imaginative placement of a pineapple ring or the like in my next attempt to gain much needed exposure and funds.
Main image supplied by Instagram accounts @elstoe & @hapnthings
