Amusing issue: artwork at certain dealer's site way too sexy

[jacktadoussac]

There's a beautiful letter on Mercenary Audio's Feedback page from a fellow who feels that it would be inappropriate for his organization to order from a spawn of the devil. In particular, this chappy was disturbed by the provocative bikinis and bustiers.

Mercenary Audio - You Guys Suck

I would say that there is a certain devilish way to all the modified Harley Davidson and chopper images -- but really, isn't this bog-standard American art? They had that stuff painted on WWII bombers.

[bobwarren]

I'm a christian and not at all bothered by the imagery. He probably never watches tv or movies, looks at magazines, or for that matter walks outside. He should either grow up a little or try to boycott the universe. It's not the images that are the problem; it's what you do with them. IMHHO

[joelpatterson]

Fletcher and those guys have alot alot of class. That's the heart and soul of the matter.

[jindrich]

i agree with the letter.

the first time i entered into mercenary's website -many years ago, i was apalled by what i saw, which i consider of extremely bad taste and nothing but denigration of women being treated as simply (sexual) objects, and therefore compared to the equipment an hypothetic machist engineer likes to use (or abuse).


it must be an american thing. i cannot imagine such behaviour ocurring in europe. women lobbies would step up furiously to publicly condemn it.

that's why women are prime ministers, queens, majors and such things at this side of the pond (and walk half or completely naked on our beaches if they want to)

[markk]

Originally Posted by bobwarren

I'm a christian and not at all bothered by the imagery. He probably never watches tv or movies, looks at magazines, or for that matter walks outside. He should either grow up a little or try to boycott the universe. It's not the images that are the problem; it's what you do with them. IMHHO

I totally agree
Im a Christian also and it does not offend me at all. I see more scantly clad girls on the beach or on a poster in the train than whats on the mercenary site. This person must get offended at every corner he turns if this bothers him. This is the kind of stupidness that drags true Christianity in the mud.

[synthoid]

Speaking as a devil worshipper, I've got to say that those images are not up to our usual standards.

-synthoid

[danasti]

I'm sorry but I might have a different view of Europe. I didn't happen to see any MEN standing in the "hole in the wall" sex spots in the red light district selling their bodies after being imported by pimps and criminals. Nope, they all seem to be severely repressed women from eastern europe or other developing countries who are completely objectified and used for others profit.

This is the mystical land where all are treated equal (UM?!!!) and there is no racism or sexism right? Except for European sporting events where the crowd routinely throws bannanas at the black/african players and makes monkey noises. This happens all the time all over Europe... Europe is much less "advanced" than some would like us all to believe. Unless you are looking for perfect union of hypocracy. I'm sure European's would all cry out in one voice over Mercenary's using a pin-up girl and some fairly standard rock n' roll artwork. Funny enough, I like Europe but I don't like to see it spun as a "superior" and more civilized society because of some businesses artwork.

[reid]

IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT HERE, CLEAR OFF BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM!


....oh.....Oooops - you already did.



Ahem. As you were gentlemen, as you were.

[reid]

Originally Posted by danasti

I'm sorry but I might have a different view of Europe. I didn't happen to see any MEN standing in the "hole in the wall" sex spots in the red light district selling their bodies after being imported by pimps and criminals. Nope, they all seem to be severely repressed women from eastern europe or other developing countries who are completely objectified and used for others profit.

PS - clearly you were looking in the wrong sex spots in the red light district. If imported, severely repressed, eastern european men is what lights your candle - no problem, we've got plenty of them too. Us Yurpeeans have centuries of experience in catering for the peccadilloes of mildly perverted foriegn visitors - next time you're over, be sure to call into a tourist information bureau for advice before you hit the red light district. You'll save yourself a lot of time!

[lespaul666]

I think that the person who wrote that has some personal issues that would be best dealt with therapy. I see nothing tasteless or abusive to femininity on the Mercenary site.

[Joe Porto]

I believe the lost 5 commandments (according to Mel Brooks) are as follows:

Thou shalt not worship the balls of animals other than the dog
Thou shalt not use the balls of the dog in vein
Honor thy right ball and thy left ball of the dog
Thou shalt not covet the balls of thy neighbors dog
Thou shalt not chin the balls of the dog

[robd]

Pinups and demons and dog balls, oh my!!

Seriously though, if women's lobbies would get that worked up over a few pictures on a website (that are pretty damn tame, not only by compared to a lot of stuff on the internet, but compared to a most of the magazine covers you see in the checkout line at the supermarket these days) then their priorities are way out of whack. I mean, seriously, if it bothers you, don't buy from them, getting any more worked up about it than that would be incredibly pathetic. There are a lot bigger women's issues out there than pinups, even in oh-so-enlightened Europe. (Especially among muslim communities , but by no means exclusively.)

[bcgood]

Originally Posted by jindrich

it must be an american thing. i cannot imagine such behaviour ocurring in europe. women lobbies would step up furiously to publicly condemn it.

that's why women are prime ministers, queens, majors and such things at this side of the pond (and walk half or completely naked on our beaches if they want to)

A website that has some 1950's bikini models is being likened to bad behavior in America that would never occur in Europe? That is some strange thinking.

I've been all over Europe from England to Scotland, Hungary, Switzerland, France etc. I really liked it in Europe but I don't think that the men are immune from male chauvinism.

Also, there are plenty of women with power in America. Oprah probably has more money and influence than any queen in Europe.

[bombasterd]

I can't fathom how anyone would get offended by that. I find it quite lighthearted and fun. The folks that have a problem with this simply need to take a chill pill and put things in perspective. I see crazier shit going shopping with my grandma ...at target ...in an old folks neighborhood. Women and men are different, embrace it and move on.

[numrologst]

that email had to have been a put-on from some dork with nothing better to do

[James Meeker]

I can say one thing for certain--whoever is complaining is *NOT* a REAL recording engineer. If they were a recording engineer they wouldn't have time to notice the pin up girls--they'd be too busy drooling over sexy Gefell microphones, Great River Preamps and figuring out how they can afford an GML 8200 by next year.

[Grumblefoot]

Originally Posted by jindrich

i agree with the letter.

the first time i entered into mercenary's website -many years ago, i was apalled by what i saw, which i consider of extremely bad taste and nothing but denigration of women being treated as simply (sexual) objects, and therefore compared to the equipment an hypothetic machist engineer likes to use (or abuse).


it must be an american thing. i cannot imagine such behaviour ocurring in europe. women lobbies would step up furiously to publicly condemn it.

that's why women are prime ministers, queens, majors and such things at this side of the pond (and walk half or completely naked on our beaches if they want to)

[The Alamo]

Originally Posted by jindrich

i agree with the letter.

the first time i entered into mercenary's website -many years ago, i was apalled by what i saw, which i consider of extremely bad taste and nothing but denigration of women being treated as simply (sexual) objects, and therefore compared to the equipment an hypothetic machist engineer likes to use (or abuse).


it must be an american thing. i cannot imagine such behaviour ocurring in europe. women lobbies would step up furiously to publicly condemn it.

that's why women are prime ministers, queens, majors and such things at this side of the pond (and walk half or completely naked on our beaches if they want to)

What side of which pond?
If that were true, I would've moved by now...

[Animus]

There's far worse stuff on tv nowadays. I personally always thought Mercenary's website was way cool.

[Bryan Talbot]

It has always struck me as a play on dumb male chauvinist attitude, which there's no shortage of in this biz. Nineteen-fifties Vargas girls, "demonic" characters salivating over the extra-good stuff.

Parody, self-deprecation - see?

[biggator6]

that email had to have been a put-on from some dork with nothing better to do

Sadly.. in the south, it's completely common.

[Doublehelix]

I remember being in the Mercenary web site once when my wife walked into the room and wondered "what the hell I was doing!"

Once she took a closer look, she laughed, but from a distance she thought I was surfing some porn site!

Classic!


BTW, I am a Christian too, and I see nothing offensive on Merc's site, and have bought from them many times.

[dbbubba]

If you are so up-tight that the Mercenary site bothers you then you must have a tough time negotiating the rest of the world.
That would call for A LOT of letter writing!

The check-out line magazine stands at even good old, WWJD, Walmart are full of magazines that make women look like nasty, sex dogs.
Since those magazines obviously sell quite well it would seem that someone, somewhere actually ENJOYS that stuff.

I am sure that there is no equivalent in the rest of the world outside of the U.S.
In these places children occur spontaneously or are birthed by powerful, half naked virgins who are TOO SMART and SOPHISTICATED for nasty sex.

As far as europe being more "mature" or having "better view of women" goes...
Isn't there a thing called the "2nd page girl in a popular NEWSPAPER? in England"
I would venture to say that newspaper is viewed by way more people than the Mercenary website.

[Soulbrother]

"I'm sorry but I might have a different view of Europe. I didn't happen to see any MEN standing in the "hole in the wall" sex spots in the red light district selling their bodies after being imported by pimps and criminals. Nope, they all seem to be severely repressed women from eastern europe or other developing countries who are completely objectified and used for others profit.

This is the mystical land where all are treated equal (UM?!!!) and there is no racism or sexism right? Except for European sporting events where the crowd routinely throws bannanas at the black/african players and makes monkey noises. This happens all the time all over Europe... Europe is much less "advanced" than some would like us all to believe. Unless you are looking for perfect union of hypocracy. I'm sure European's would all cry out in one voice over Mercenary's using a pin-up girl and some fairly standard rock n' roll artwork. Funny enough, I like Europe but I don't like to see it spun as a "superior" and more civilized society because of some businesses artwork.

Look "Europe" as you seem to like to style it, is a collection of several vastly different countries and civilisations, which have different languages, cultures, customs and in some cases religions, you cant talk about it like it was one country. Most countries in Europe are even more different to each other than the U.S. is to Canada.

Now, Im not one who beleives that Europe is "superior" to the United States, (though coming from Ireland, I do happen to think Sweden is superior to just about everywhere!)

The things you mentioned are no more representative of daily life in European countries than some of the insane lunatic-fringe stories you read about things that happen in the U.S.. I wouldnt see an article about say , God Hates Fags, and then assume them to be representative of U.S. culture as a whole.

[Keldog]

me either. No big deal.
I've drooled on my keyboard plenty of times at Mercenary and I'm a Christian too.

Dude/dudette needs to get a life...

[seaneldon]

I think the industrial freezer full of dead hookers in my basement is a way bigger issue.

To be clear though, I didn't kill them. I paid for dead hookers.

[theblue1]

Originally Posted by bobwarren

I'm a christian and not at all bothered by the imagery. He probably never watches tv or movies, looks at magazines, or for that matter walks outside. He should either grow up a little or try to boycott the universe. It's not the images that are the problem; it's what you do with them. IMHHO

I don't know the artwork the letter refers to and won't weigh in on that... but as a general principle -- you might feel different if you were a woman (Christian or otherwise).

I happen to know some women professionals and, while they try to approach this stuff with a sense of humor and a boys-will-be-boys attitude, I know for sure that some of them feel this stuff is representative of a general lack of maturity and inherent sexual bias among some or many in the industry.

Sense of humor not withstanding, it's also clear that these attitudes are corrosive. Some of the women I know are openly contemptuous of some of their male colleagues as immature know-nothings who get by on the good ol' boy network. I have to say that most of the women I've known in the industry have been much sharper and more professional than most of the men I've known in the industry. I guess they have to be.

[big country]

I never bought anything from mercenary but their style is original and a sense of higher class is defiantly their's

I didn't see the pic of the half naked chick
but ether she was fat with a stash
or the guy is gay
(nothing wrong with gays they just hump every thing except women)


maybe mercenary should have on the check out a questionnaire if the customers are religious

maybe they could give 1 free bible verse with the customers purchase

people love that shit when you be-less them

[willythekid]

I think the guy is right. Even though these images are cute & non offensive in themselves, they are still a reminder of (and celebration of) a sexist world where women were looked upon as decoration or sex objects. i would like to see more women in the audio engineering industry and i think we should avoid this kind of imagery to show them our respect.