An advertisement for John Paul Gaultier’s new perfume portrays a handsome man with the remains of a polar bear.
Polar bears are at risk of extinction. Hunting is specifically aimed at males. Polar bears are also threatened by the chemical contamination of the Arctic, noise pollution, food scarcity and climatic disturbances.
Of course the authenticity of these polar bear parts for advertising purposes is not guaranteed. But this image encourages a belief in the virtues of charm and virility associated with animal trophies. As CITES – the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora – has just refused the proposal to transfer polar bears into Appendix I (1), this advertising is poorly timed.
French designer and stylist John Paul Gaultier and all the distributors of this perfume are promoters of the hunting and trade of endangered animals.
(1) Appendix I : international trade is forbidden
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