16800: Belated Overreaction Of The Week.

 

Yesterday—October 9, 2024—was Ageism Awareness Day.

 

The United Nations commemorates International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination; National Association of Chronic Disease Directors marks National Day of Racial Healing; St. John’s University–School of Law acknowledges Anti-Racism Day; British Columbia salutes Anti-Racism Awareness Week.

 

Maybe Adland should launch Systemic Racism Awareness Day. Or Cultural Cluelessness Awareness Day—which sounds like an oxymoron.

13402: U.N. WTF.

Advertising Age reported U.N. staffers took offense to Wonder Woman serving as an ambassador to women, drafting a protest petition that included:

Although the original creators may have intended Wonder Woman to represent a strong and independent ‘warrior’ woman with a feminist message, the reality is that the character’s current iteration is that of a large breasted, white woman of impossible proportions, scantily clad in a shimmery, thigh-baring body suit with an American flag motif and knee high boots—the epitome of a ‘pin-up’ girl.

Yes, how could U.N. officials have selected Wonder Woman over The Pine-Sol® Lady?

U.N. Staffers Petition to Recall Wonder Woman as Ambassador to Women

By Kate Kaye

Actors Gal Gadot and Lynda Carter on Friday made appearances at the Hall of Justice to commemorate the naming of the DC Comics character they’ve both portrayed as the ambassador for the empowerment of women and girls worldwide.

Er … sorry … did I say Hall of Justice? Silly me. I meant the United Nations in Manhattan. You know, the headquarters of the actual real-life institution upholding human rights, international peace and security, economic development and, if choosing a comic book character as an ambassador is any indication, the ultimate destruction of Mr. Mxyzptlk.

Announced last week, the appointment has been received with “Yay Women!” cheers from some, and dumbfounded shock followed by sheer indignation from others. Members of the shock-and-indignation crowd protested at today’s UN ceremony.

It’s possible that the U.N.’s decision wouldn’t have rubbed so many people the wrong way had Aquaman ever been tapped to represent the U.N. Division for Oceans and the Law of the Sea.

Instead there is now a lot of dissent even among U.N. staff. An online petition from “Concerned United Nations Staff Members” calls for the U.N. to reconsider its choice. Despite an embrace of the character as feminist icon at times (heck, she was on the first Ms. magazine cover in ‘72), she is often perceived more as a sex object than a formidable female. As the petition notes:

Although the original creators may have intended Wonder Woman to represent a strong and independent ‘warrior’ woman with a feminist message, the reality is that the character’s current iteration is that of a large breasted, white woman of impossible proportions, scantily clad in a shimmery, thigh-baring body suit with an American flag motif and knee high boots—the epitome of a ‘pin-up’ girl.

Put the sex object stuff aside, and one of the world’s most respected bodies designating a fantastical character with superpowers as a role model for women and girls says to many people, female or male, “Sorry, we just couldn’t find a real woman we thought was worth looking up to.”

The petition’s authors say as much, offering to supply a “list of incredible extraordinary women that would formidably carry out this role” if the Secretary-General were interested.

One has to wonder, why Wonder Woman? If the U.N. really had to go with a fictitious character, why not Barbie? At least she’s had real professions—surgeon (1973), firefighter (1995), even UNICEF Summit diplomat (1990). Well, let’s just hope the U.N. has enough magic lassos to distribute to women and girls in its next aid convoy.

6662: US RSVP 2 UN NG.

From USA TODAY…

U.S. to boycott U.N. racism meeting

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration will boycott “with regret” a U.N. conference on racism next week over objectionable language in the meeting’s final document that could single out Israel for criticism and restrict free speech, the State Department said Saturday.

The decision follows weeks of furious internal debate and will likely please Israel and Jewish groups that lobbied against U.S. participation. But the move upset human rights advocates and some in the African-American community who had hoped that President Obama, the nation’s first black president, would send an official delegation.

The administration had wanted to attend the April 20-25 meeting in Geneva, although it warned in late February it would not go unless significant changes were made to the draft text.

Some revisions — including the removal of specific critical references to Israel and problematic passages about the defamation of religion — were negotiated for which State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the administration was “deeply grateful.”

But he said the text retains troubling elements that suggest support for restrictions on free speech and an affirmation of the findings of the first World Conference Against Racism, held in Durban, South Africa, in 2001 that the U.S cannot endorse.

“Unfortunately, it now seems certain these remaining concerns will not be addressed in the document to be adopted by the conference next week,” Wood said in a statement. “Therefore, with regret, the United States will not join the review conference.”

Despite the decision, he stressed that the United States “is profoundly committed to ending racism and racial discrimination” and “will work with all people and nations to build greater resolve and enduring political will to halt racism and discrimination wherever it occurs.”

Read the full story here.