Garbage cans in Malm: whisper overtly erotic messages in an attempt to encourage residents to sort garbage. Their voices are exclusively feminine, և contradictions are maturing.
Two trash cans on the David Hall Bridge in Malmo, Sweden, now greet spectators with short breaks. “Mmmmmm … thank you …”, “oh, yes, right here”, “Mmm, next time a little further to the left”, we hear a whisper when we put the garbage in one of the bins. If the initiative was originally intended to encourage selective sorting of city dwellers through humor, the robotic voice, which appears to be straight from a pornographic film, is now a source of concern. Especially since it is exclusively female.
These sexually explicit messages, with their overtly erotic connotations, quickly angered Swedes, who condemned the project in videos posted on social media. “Oh, the Swedish garbage cans that sigh when you open them so people can throw more on the floor … yes, when do you throw your jacket on us?” “Believing that women are better than not respecting them,” said the user angrily.
For a joke
Faced with growing controversy, the city tried to justify itself in the columns of the Swedish daily. “These expressions are part of the campaign’s intention for people to talk about the dirtiest thing – garbage.” Sidsvenska, Marie Persson, Head of Division, on June 8. And add: “Recording this sexy voice is a fun new way to get our message across, to encourage people to do the right thing by making them laugh.” Sure, but maybe clumsy.
In the video, the Swedish giant H&M collaborates for the first time with the African brand Mantsho
Because this initiative could rekindle the debate over the sexualization of women’s voices in the wider digital world. Indeed, as our colleagues in the magazine put it Neon: Voice assistants, smartphones, connected speakers, GPS, etc … mostly have female voices, sending back a signal that they are more useful, obedient than men.
The 2017 CSA report states that “67% of sexually explicit ads choose to portray women.”
Source: Le Figaro
