“Le Beau Mâle,” the perfume that kills
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.
“Le Beau Mâle,” the perfume that kills
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.
