Playboy Snowboards Win Ire Of Girl Scouts, Support Of Jerks

A Vermont snowboard company is taking heat for putting naked women on its boards, according the the Boston Globe.

Burton Snowboards markets its “Love” boards, bearing images from 70s Playboys, with taglines like “I’m on the market for someone who’s looking to score serious action, no matter where they like to stick it.” Vermonters like nonprofit director Mark Redmond and Girl Scout Brittany Wieland say the boards are inappropriate for ski slopes, where children may see them. Redmond adds that they may contribute to sexual abuse by encouraging the objectification of women. And his employee Nicole Zarrillo says “When you really think about it, it’s a young man standing on top of a naked woman’s body.”

Public nudity isn’t actually illegal in Vermont, and the idea that children will be forever scarred by seeing breasts on the slopes is a little simplistic (Burton’s “Primo” line, depicting “fingers mutilated by razors, a dog’s teeth, and scissors” sounds far more disturbing to little skiers). On the other hand, the boards do encourage an attitude toward women that’s more than a little degrading, as some commenters on the Globe article helpfully illustrate.

“Get a clue,” writes commenter charles-krup, “WOMEN are the ‘desire objects’ that’s how it works.” DCUandRevFan helpfully adds, “this article is much ado about women who are too fat and ugly to be desired that they whine about guys putting hot chicks on snowboards. The broads wish it were them being objectified, but if it can’t be them, it can’t be anyone. […] Hit the gym ladies and someone might want to put you on a board.” And female commenter LizWalkner47 disturbingly opines, “considering that women have used sex and their bodies to manipulate and control men since time began, it seems incredibly hypocritical for them to complain about the boards.”

But perhaps the most apt sentiment comes from BecknBuv-1:

What does it say about a man who buys this board? He is arrogant, likes to draw attention to himself, and doesn’t care what other people feel. It screams, DON”T DATE ME!

Edgy Snowboard Graphics Test Liberal Vermont [Boston Globe]
Playboy Snowboards Arouse Debate In Vermont [Newser]