Big Fat Gypsy Weddings art director wanted 'dirty kiss' to be in advert

From the Guardian

A Channel 4 art director tried to persuade the photographer working on its censured Big Fat Gypsy Weddings poster campaign to take pictures of "a very young girl pretending to be a bride" and also a "dirty kiss ... with tongue" in a revealing email.

Pablo Gonzalez de la Pena, an art director with the broadcaster, emailed Elisabeth Blanchet, the photographer commissioned to deliver images for the controversial "Bigger. Fatter. Gypsier" ad campaign, in January asking her to "do what it takes" to get the controversial shots he wanted.

In the email de la Pena suggests he wants to see a photograph with "a dirty kiss between a couple, with tongue"; "a toilet, ideally an outdoor one [where] we can see the tail of a wedding dress coming out from it, like a bride has just used"; and "a very young girl pretending to be a bride".

He even suggests that she might stage some of the example situations to get the effect required by Channel 4 saying "If you can make someone literally [do it], that would be great".

The email exchange, which was conducted in January as Channel 4 finalised the campaign, casts doubt over the broadcaster's recent statement that it had "no intention for these adverts to cause offence". Channel 4's apology came earlier this month after the Advertising Standards Authority delivered a damning verdict on the campaign last week, in which it said the campaign was irresponsible, offensive and reinforced negative stereotypes.

One Labour MP said the newly revealed correspondence confirmed her doubts about the broadcaster's campaign for the programme. Helen Goodman, the shadow media minister, said: "I was worried about these ads from the very beginning and had raised this with Channel 4.

"I think this correspondence suggests that the defence Channel 4 made in its submission to the Advertising Standards Authority was disingenuous. They need to ask themselves whether their whole approach to the Gypsy and Traveller community has been responsible."

The photographer, Blanchet, was equally scathing in her email response to the Channel 4 executive at the time of the exchange on 11 January and 12 January. She said some of the girls she took photos of were "not keen" on having more outrageous pictures taken.

Blanchet said that it would not be right for her to ask a girl to pose for the "kiss" or "toilet" shots. "It's not the way I work," she said in the email dated 12 January. "And I don't think any Gypsies will accept to do that and then to have it on a poster."

Channel 4 attempted to distance itself from the email arguing that the exchange was with a "junior" staff member. However when the broadcaster hired de la Pena in December last year it felt his appointment as senior art director weighty enough to issue a press release.

"The email exchange, which was between a new and relatively junior member of the creative team and the photographer, was not representative of Channel 4's approach to the marketing campaign," said a spokesman for Channel 4. "It did not form part of the creative route of the campaign which was agreed fully with the photographer."

Channel 4 chief executive David Abraham and chairman Lord Burns are expected to be grilled about the campaign next week by MPs on the culture select committee, which has received copies of the emails, as part of its annual performance review.

see also: The Huffington Post - 'Big Fat Gypsy Weddings' Ad With Young Girl, Toilet, And 'Dirty Kiss' Is Too Offensive