Scanner : European Union

Your Daily Dose of Sexism...

Brian Fairbanks — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:50:00 GMT

What are these women going on about? According to Guilia in Italy:

It's an ad for a body lotion that supposedly lifts your tits. The two women are asked their age (one is in her twenties, the other in her thirties), occupation, whether they're wearing a bra ("Of course not!") and whether they've had surgery ("Are you out of your mind?"). And then the interviewer decides to "test" the virtues of the miracle concoction.

Welcome to Italy, where the misogynists run free. If women even tried to complain, we'd be told we're humourless.

They claim a body lotion enhances your bust? Don't they have the equivalent of an FDA there? I mean, can you imagine what American commericals would be like if companies were allowed to say whatever they like, such as "Will.i.am is this generation's Bob Dylan!"

Related:

Disney Denied Work to "Girls"

The 15 Most Promiscuous Countries

Brian Fairbanks — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:18:00 GMT

USA! USA! USA!

Not this time... and that's a welcome change. After all, aren't you beyond bored with the perennial sex surveys that trash our Puritan nation's filthy, condom-buying pervs? Not this time: suck it, Australia, Germany, and the rest!

But not literally, of course, since we're prudes compared to you guys...

Here are the Top 15, according to research published in this week's New Scientist by a professor at Bradley University:

1. United Kingdom

2. Germany

3. Netherlands

4. Czech Republic

5. Australia

6. USA

7. France

8. Turkey

9. Mexico

10. Canada

11. Italy

12. Poland

13. Spain

14. Greece

15. Portugal

The survey queried 14,000 people in 48 countries on their life's worth of sex partners and one night stands, plus a respondent's general attitude toward casual sex and getting it on in general. Particularly interesting is this excerpt from a story about this story in the Times:

The high scores in many Baltic and eastern European states might be linked, Schmitt said, to the fact that women outnumber men and so are under more pressure to conform to what men want in order to find a mate. In Asian countries, by contrast, men tend to outnumber women slightly, so it is men who have to conform.

That doesn't sound very scientific to us, but we'll take it...

Dad Nobly Defends Son Against Rape Charges... Oh, Wait...

No Legal Remedies for "Upskirting" and "Downblousing"

We Present... The Cougar Perv

Mom Films Her Boyfriend Having Sex with Her 13-Year-Old Daughter

The 50 Sexiest Movies of All-Time: 10-6

Carla Bruni Sings Of Sex With 30 Men

Brian Fairbanks — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:30:00 GMT

On French First Lady Carla Bruni's new album, out next month in her home country, the singer muses how she's still a "child despite [her] 40 years and 30 lovers," lovers that include Mick Jagger and Kevin Costner.

Among the album's other revelations-- she likes to talk about doing drugs. A lot. One line we've read a lot of press about is "You are my drug. More lethal than heroin from Afghanistan and more dangerous than Colombian cocaine." The song is not about President Sarkozy... or about drugs... but whatever. The Socialists will still try to bring down her husband's administration-- the country is sick to death of hearing about these two and, unlike in the United States where Paris Hilton seems to grow stronger, bolder with each new guffaw, this kind of publicity and scandal has served to dampen the politican's approval ratings. As of post time, Sarkozy has set the record for lowest approval ratings in French history.

Ouch.

Here's some more about Carla's solo album. Can Michelle Obama's groovy R&B-infused debut be far behind?

Eddie Izzard To Run For Parliament

Brian Fairbanks — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:33:00 GMT

It sounds like Eddie Izzard, the British comedian and star of FX's The Riches, will quit acting at the end of the show's run to launch a career in politics...

We're guessing that, based on his residency and outspoken nature, he'll run for Parliament.

Do you want to run for office?
Yeah. Don't you think I should?

Sure. Why not?
If you think I should and I think I should, then I should. I do like people and trying to make things work. We've got to make it work in Europe. People are very worried about sovereignty and the loss of sovereignty. I think the stakes are if we don't make the European Union work, then the world is screwed. End of story.

Do you have any big ideas for Europe?
Logical governance is the thing. It already exists. It's called subsidiarity, which is based on Catholic theology and is basically the idea that governance happens at its logical level.

Unfortunately, neither Barack Obama nor Hillary Clinton landed the big Eddie Izzard endorsement in the Newsweek piece. The comic simply says, "I want a Democrat to get in." (Ironically, it's the party's non-endorsement of one of the two candidates that will make it so much harder for a Democrat "to get in." Nonetheless, we're really looking forward to the "Stripped" tour, especially since we've never been a fan of his "Dress To Kill"/drag thing, as pictured above.)

Via Newsweek.

Porn Star Runs For Office With Nude Campaign Posters

Brian Fairbanks — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:00:00 GMT

"D'Abbraccio, in her 40s, isn't the first adult entertainer to dip her painted toenails into Italian politics. Ilona Staller, known as 'Cicciolina,' sat in parliament in the 1980s and was famous for her impromptu stripteases."

What would we do without the Italians to make our politics look sane? We were already considering illegally emigrating to Rome when John McCain becomes President-For-Life; now we have a better reason: Milly D'Abbraccio.

"Targeting her male fan base, the veteran of Italy's adult entertainment industry has plastered images of her derriere all around the Eternal City in a bid to win a seat in Rome's city hall.

"If elected, D'Abbraccio wants to create a red light area with strip clubs, erotic discos and sex shops called "Love City" just kilometers away from the Vatican."

With Amsterdam currently cracking down on postitution in its Red Light district, could D'Abbracio lead an orgy-filled Roman Renaissance not seen since the days of Caligula? With campaign posters featuring her ass likely to win over the male population, she could end up Emperor soon enough...

More via Reuters.

Today in Architectural Porn: All Embedded In Ice

Brian Fairbanks — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:56:00 GMT

Spring is finally here this week in New York, so we're able to look at these photos of freezing-ass places without dread.

Freud woulda loved that one.

Now, this is a must-see, via the Finnish. This is a multi-part structure rebuilt every year when the temperature drops to a level we don't even want to see, let alone experience.

"The hotel sits on between 13,000 to 20,000 square metres of ground, depending on which year it is built. Every year, the architecture is completely different. Three features remain however, these are: a chapel, a restaurant and a hotel."

Link and more photos via Environmental Grafitti.

Exclusive: Photos of the Gay Jesus Last Supper Orgy Exhibit

Brian Fairbanks — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:35:00 GMT

"Our country can do without scribblers and agitators like Hrdlicka." So says a guestbook entry at Vienna, Austria's Dommuseum, parked next to a church and owned by the city's archdiocese. The uproar?

Alfred Hrdlicka, is celebrating his 80th birthday this year with a retrospective of his art at the Dommuseum, although various Catholics and censors are outraged that Jesus is depicted in one drawing as having some sort of crudely-rendered orgy after a wine-soaked Last Supper. And here we were thinking that it was usually a Gladiator battle and grapes on a vine that kickstarted a good old-timey sexfest....

(The offending images are including below; they are unavailable elsewhere due to the museum having taken down the most objectionable drawing.)

There are other drawings, including one of Jesus getting groped while nailed to the cross, all included in the following video.

Hrdlicka defended himself by saying that there were no women in Leonardo's rendering of the Last Supper, so he just had to depict men doing the pleasuring of other men. That's about as convincing as the following statement on how taking the picture down is not censorship:

The museum took down the Last Supper piece at Cardinal Schoenborn's request just over a week after the 'Religion, Flesh and Power' exhibition opened, leaving a blank black wall at the entrance to the display.

"This has nothing to do with censorship, rather corresponds with the understood "reverence for the sacred," the Cardinal's spokesman said in a statement.

Via the AP.

How Green Was My Dildo: Are Your Sex Toys Safe?

Katie Halper — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 23:20:00 GMT

Sex Toys should be fun, not dangerous (unless you're into that.) Two years ago, Greenpeace warned us that many sex toys contain phthalates, a plastic softener, which is so hazardous the European Union banned its use in children's toys. Sex toys, however, remain chock full of these endocrine disruptors, which have been linked to birth defects, cancer and obesity. So do yourself a favor and go green where it matters the most. Here's a green gadget you can knock really yourself out with:

The Laya Spot vibrator is water proof, has 3 buzz strengths, and is made out of Elastomer, which is phthalate-free and hypo-allergenic. Like all good lovers, Laya is eager to reciprocate: she gives buzz and gets great buzz from customers who "Love love love love LOVE!" her, for being "fantastic, reliable and silent" and durable even after "heavy, heavy use." You can buy her from Babeland (the sex toys empire formerly known as Toys in Babeland) for $48.

Scanner readers, we want to hear from you. Whether you're old friends with Laya, are just getting to know her, or are inspired to get to know her now, let us know what you think of her.

And check back next week for the next eco-sex toy of the week!