April 22, 2004
More Buddhas on Bikinis!
Is there some secret group of swimsuit designers who have Buddha on their minds? Or, in this case, Buddha somewhere else:
Images stolen from Onda de Mar -- that closeup wasn't due to my crop-and-enlarge skills, it was really on their website -- though don't be surprised if the images are taken off soon. (Thanks to Enji (or are you Heidi?) for the link.)
The fetching bikini above is called "Baby Buddha Bikini" on this website, and is described -- mystically, serenely -- as follows:
Totally Zen...And Ondademar can be contacted here, and enjoy the runway music, too. Hey, I'm just providing a link -- I wouldn't dare suggest you fill up their mailboxes with complaints!Take a mystic journey in ths fabulous bikini by Onda De Mar Swimwear of Colombia. Colorful watercolor scenes are embellished with tiny jeweled beads giving it serene beauty.
Meanwhile, Victoria's Secret tries to cover their, uh, behinds (see this forum for the entire thread):
Dear Minh,Someone politely asked me, in a comment to my previous post, to take the image(s) off my website. I fully realize the offensiveness and insensitivity of these depictions -- which is why they're staying on my site so that people remember. (Someone on another list commented that the Buddha himself would probably say that we should instead overcome our own delusion of anger and continue to strive for inner peace and happiness. True, but my point here is that such contempt for religion is inexcusable -- and yes, that goes for my flippant comment about Jesus on a bikini too.)Thank you for your e-mail regarding the Asian print tankini, #173444. We are pleased to address your inquiry.
Based on the information provided to us by our merchandise department, we do not believe that the personage depicted on the tankini is Buddha. Be that as it may, our photographs have offended you and for that we are all truly sorry. Please accept our sincere apologies as our intent was certainly not to offend anyone.
Although we feature this item in our catalogue, we do not manufacture this tankini. If you have additional concerns regarding this tankini, we recommend contacting the manufacturer, Ondademar? directly.
Again, thank you for expressing your feelings about the tankini. We appreciate your candor, and hope you will accept our regrets for any distress we may have caused you.
If you need further assistance, please reply to this e-mail or call anytime.
Thank you for contacting Victoria's Secret.
Sincerely,
Iris I.
VictoriasSecret.com Client Services
(Meanwhile, Bali Dog has a whole line of ugly exercise wear with Buddha, Ganesha, Krishna, Shiva, Durga, Tara -- hey, collect 'em all!)
Posted by the wily filipino at April 22, 2004 10:19 PMwell, i think the main reason no one gives a toss about offending buddhists is because... well, who ever heard of BUDDHISTS GOING OUT AND KILLING PEOPLE COS YOU DISSED THEIR DEITY??? You'd expect to get that from fanatical Christians, Jews, Muslims, and Hindus. So these designers steer waay clear of these other groups.
Posted by: boyong on April 26, 2004 03:42 PMWe are offended and we will have to tell them we are offended
Posted by: MMM on April 26, 2004 05:53 PMFirst, Buddhists are killers too. Look at the Thai state, Sri Lanka, Japan, etc etc. Second, thank you Sunshine for helping me to remember this offensive image. I shall remember it regularly.
Posted by: 103SpringLn on April 28, 2004 02:55 PMQuite true, mysterious 103SpringLn person you. Did you get my e-mail about the Pixies?
I'm sure you remember the images frequently too.
Posted by: the wily filipino on April 28, 2004 09:20 PMIf it's not Buddha, who could it be? Possibly the Jain figure Mahavir, I suppose, although it looks more like Buddha to me.
I have to say I'm not sure what the fuss is about. Is it about the commercial use of a religious image? If so, should we also be upset about every Happy Buddha restaurant in the world? Or is it because of the spot on the model's body where Buddha/Mahavir appears? In that case I understand but I have less sympathy. Surely the cause of compassion is not well served by perpetuating the idea that the female (or male) organs are a source of shame.