Time to write letters...

[wnyrider]

Is there a direct on-line link? I went to Velonews.com and didn't see it, unless the ads change. Do you have a scan of it from your issue that you can post?

[Biciclista]

I have it in my email. Andrea has it on her blog now.

[sundial]

Mimi, send it to me also. I don't get Velonews.

[wnyrider]

I have it in my email. PM me if you want to see it. (I'll need your email address)

Received it... thanks! Yes- it is very inappropriate as it is blatantly erotic. And, if it were of the male genitalia-- well, we wouldn't even have a chance to see it since it wouldn't even have a chance of getting published in a mainstream publication. It isn't even just the nipples I am offended at, it is the areola being obvious as well. Andrea, or anyone else, do you know if this particular shirt is transparent?

[Fujichants]

Thanks Mimi for emailing the picture.

It looks awful. Seriously...what were they thinking?? If this is targeted towards women, why on earth would we be attracted to THAT? "Oooh...I want to buy that shirt now so I can show off my nipples to all the hot racer guys". Seriously. Ugh.

[NJBikeGal]

I second all that was said above. Andrea, if you have a direct link or address, could you post it (or PM me). I'll be happy to write a letter and I'm sure the members of my all-female cycling team would do the same!

[Aggie_Ama]

Thanks Mimi.

I cannot for the life of me figure out what that will accomplish. I don't want that jersey. I hope my husband wouldn't buy it for me thinking I will ride around like that girl! This definitely does not help promote competitive women's cycling. I am not sure what bugs me about it but the whole thing just makes me a little sick.

[Andrea]

I've uploaded Mimi's scan to my blog if anyone wants to see and/or download it. Just click the link in my signature!

You guy rock, by the way...

[Trek420]

And, if it were of the male genitalia-- well, we wouldn't even have a chance to see it ....

Because like the scan it would say "I’ve made it small on purpose. Click for full-size):" ?

[Fujichants]

I just showed it to BF and got no reaction out of him. He just glanced over, and said: cool.

Lol, I slapped his arm and made him look closer and he starts laughing.

Wonder what this means?

[Andrea]

Most guys file this ad under the "who cares" section of their brain.

[Irulan]

I just showed it to BF and got no reaction out of him. He just glanced over, and said: cool.

Lol, I slapped his arm and made him look closer and he starts laughing.

Wonder what this means?

It means, they don't care that a lot of us gals get worked up about this stuff, and that they'd rather put it up on the garage wall. Mars and Venus, ya know?

I've never known a guy to not be interested in boobies.

[Grog]

Dear Pearl Izumi,

I am gaping in awe, disgust, and disbelief at your logo advertisement published in a recent issue of Velonews. On the part of a company like Pearl Izumi, which has a decent selection of products aimed at women and, I thought, some understanding of women road cycling, this comes as a big surprise, and a disappointing one to say the least.

Understand me well: I have nothing against nudity. What I am enraged at is that you are turning a faceless woman into an object to expose your company's logo.

What you are effectively selling is a naked woman body, albeit with some airbrushed colour on it. Of course all the image is really advertising is your logo, which perhaps you hope some men will record in some obscure part of their brain as they gape at the woman's nipples. Are you hoping that, if your investment pays off, some bike mechanics will post it up in their shop?

It is unfortunate that a major cycling gear manufacturer such as PI be so unaware, or so uncaring, about the people who form a significant portion of their clients. Women buy your gear for themselves, but also frequently buy for their loved ones. (It takes a lot of work to get my husband to replace his ratty old bike shorts, and nipples in a magazine are not going to be enough to convince him that it's time to go out and try on a few.)

You HAVE to become aware of how chilly the climate already is for women in cycling, and even more so for women who wrench or otherwise work in bike shops. Pearl Izumi should avoid by all means contributing to the cold draft of slight to open intimidation that women feel on their necks when they get involved in cycling. I've always thought that mountain biking was where most of the bad stuff happened, the road cycling scene being increasingly open to women. And then I saw your ad. What a set back!

Under the current economic circumstances, in which road cycling gear purchases are most likely going to be postponed by many North Americans, I am surprised that Pearl Izumi thought it was in its best interest to further alienate women buyers. If such was not your intention, I sincerely hope that you will amend yourself, pull out the ridiculous ad, and apologize, perhaps by a letter to be published in Velonews and wherever the ad was published? Hopefully Pearl Izumi will, in the future, play an active role in the empowerment of women cyclists, a strategic move that will certainly have more effect on the bottom line than faceless naked women in a magazine.

Yours sincerely,

My signature

[Misandal]

I have this issue of VeloNews and have been reading it, so when I saw this post yesterday, I rushed home to look in the mag to see what I missed. And I had totally missed it - flipped right on past it. So when I found the ad and gave it a good look, not only was I SHOCKED but I couldn't even tell what they were advertising or who they were advertising it to. Whoever their marketing people are really missed it on that one. They made a lot of women mad for apparently no reason at all. Good one, PI!

I way prefer the "Happy Azz" ads.

[badgercat]

This ad is even haunting me in my sleep.

I had a dream last night that I was in a LBS with a bunch of people I know (some whom I haven't seen since high school ) listening to the owner talk, and then he mentioned that he also does advertising and was really proud of his latest creation for Pearl Izumi. I said "Wait, you mean that awful, disgusting one that objectifies women terribly?" and he got this $#!t-eating grin on his face and said "yup!" So I said, "Well, then you've just lost a customer" and stormed out. Then some of the aforementioned high school people who I never really got along with that well were making fun of me for overreacting. That's the last thing I remember from the dream.

*scratches head*