2017 has been a groundbreaking year for victims of sexual harassment and assault.
Since the New York Times published their damning exposé investigating the now-disgraced film mogul
's history of sexual harassment and abuse, more and more people have felt emboldened to come forward with their own stories.
As such, allegations of sexual misconduct have been hurled against numerous influential figures, such as
,
, Brett Ratner, Terry Richardson, and actor
Now, given that we are finally celebrating this whistleblowing culture, it would make sense that powerful figures and corporations would be vigilant about what they say in regards to sexual misconduct. But now, one of the biggest models in the world, Cara
Delevingne, has been accused of promoting rape culture in a new advertisement for the luxury shoe brand, Jimmy Choo, which sees her being catcalled on the streets of New York.
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The model-turned-actress starred in the new Jimmy Choo campaign, "Shimmer in the Dark", showing off the designer's Cruise 2018 collection. The tagline of the video campaign read, "Starring in the Jimmy Choo Cruise 2018 campaign, Cara Delevingne takes us out on a night in New York City. From the pre-prep to the early hours, it’s a whirlwind of disco, sparkles and great shoes. Click play to come along for the ride."
However, the campaign didn't go down well with many women, as the "ride" that the high-end designer promoted appeared to glamorize street harassment. The video depicts the 25-year-old strutting through the street of New York, while numerous men catcall her and look her up-and-down, telling her that she has "good shoes". Delevingne only looks flattered by this unsolicited attention.
Watch the video below:
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The editorial has since been labelled as "sexist" and "disgusting" by viewers. The feminist author of Sex Object: A Memoir, Jessica Valenti, took to Twitter to write, "Perhaps now is not the best moment to run an ad about how cool and sexy catcalling is?"
While other users expressed similar sentiments, one said, "Because being cat-called and harassed on the streets of NYC is just so cool, sexy and fun! Wow. Read the room Jimmy Choo!" while another corroborated, "Hey ladies, buy our shoes! You'll have to beat men off with a stick! No, really! Buy two pairs now and get a Jimmy Choo man-beating stick absolutely free!"
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Certain individuals, however, didn't see the harm in the campaign. One Twitter user wrote, "I have shocking news for you, this is not the reason cat calling goes on. These kind of ads don't exist everywhere
&
anywhere, for years, yet cat calling existed before. A creepy man will be creepy regardless! Some of them don't bother themselves with fashion to even see this ad".
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And it's certainly surprising that Cara
Delevingne is involved in the scandal. The Paper Towns star has been incredibly outspoken about championing women's rights.
Certainly, she was one of the many women to come forward to reveal details of the abuse she endured at
. Her decision to star in such a campaign, then, reads as a serious moral oversight, and one for which that she will undoubtedly pay for months to come.
