"Going Barefaced Is a Bit Much? Hats Should Be Worn Deeper"
Netizens Protest, "Can't Keep Up with the Times"
A controversy over sexism has erupted regarding the Instagram advertisement of the casual brand MLB. Photo by MLB Instagram.
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] On the 8th, a controversy over gender discrimination arose regarding an advertisement posted by F&F's casual brand MLB on Instagram.
MLB posted several photos of female models wearing MLB clothing and hats on its official Instagram account this month.
The issue was with the advertisement text. The photos included phrases such as "A good afternoon to go to the laundry shop, isn't bare face a bit much? Hat deeper, day longer" and "Don't let your guard down just because it's a sunset evening! Protect your bare face! Hat deeper, day longer."
This advertisement was interpreted as emphasizing that women should not go outside with a 'saeng-eol' (bare face), sparking a gender discrimination controversy.
Netizens reacted, saying, "Do women have to wear makeup even for a light outing near home? If not wearing makeup, do they have to cover their face well?"
Hundreds of protest comments appeared, such as "Too blatant gender discrimination," "Got the message loud and clear that women shouldn't show their faces," "What's wrong with my bare face?" "Do I have to buy a hat to cover my bare face?" "Let's boycott MLB for not keeping up with the times," "Wearing an MLB hat will label women as trying to hide their bare face," and "I will never use MLB."
A controversy over sexism has erupted regarding the casual brand MLB's Instagram advertisement. Photo by MLB Instagram capture.
In response, MLB removed the post on the 7th without an apology, which intensified netizens' backlash due to the lack of apology and explanation.
As the controversy spread, MLB eventually posted an apology the next day.
In the apology, MLB stated, "We sincerely apologize for causing concern to our customers due to some content. We deeply regret not carefully considering parts that could be perceived as gender discrimination," and "We have listened carefully to the valuable feedback from our customers and have stopped posting content that may cause discomfort."
However, criticism has not subsided. Netizens commented on MLB's apology post with remarks like "You were told to write an apology, but this is such an insincere apology," and "Rewrite it."
Casual brand MLB posted an apology after a gender discrimination controversy arose following an Instagram advertisement. Photo by MLB Instagram capture.
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