Last week, surfwear brand Roxy released a promotional video some dubbed softcore porn. In the ad, five-time world professional surfing champion Stephanie Gilmore is seen frolicking in bed wearing just her underwear. Later she is seen taking a shower and cavorting on the beach in a bikini. She never actually surfs.
Stephanie’s father, Jeff Gilmore, has shot back against critics who have called the ad sexually exploitive. While Macquarie University Professor Catherine Lumby, advisor the the Australian Sports Commission, has c alled the ad “very voyeuristic” and “more like a lingerie ad” that “seems completely out of touch with modern Australia and has little to do with the sport it is publicizing,” Gilmore said, “We’re (he and his wife) quite happy with it. We reckon it’s cheeky and tasteful.”
Calling the criticism “over the top,” Gilmore added “When she was 16 or 18, we might have wanted her to be a bit more conservative, but at 25, she knows exactly what she’s doing. As far as getting attention for the athletes, I think it’s terrific. We all love to see a beautiful human.”
Amen, daddy. Amen.
While some parents might cringe as Gilmore’s outlook he has no problem with the ad’s sexy approach to selling saying, “I’d like to see more interest in women’s surfing and if ads like Steph’s means more people are going to watch the sport, that’s great.”
