Belvedere Vodka is in frantic damage-control mode after an ad that's being called a "horrifying emblem of rape culture" was posted on the company's official Twitter and Facebook page. (See it below.) The ad, which was promptly removed from the social media networks, depicts a drunk frat boy holding a girl who is clearly struggling to free herself from his grip, with an accompanying tagline that reads, "Unlike some people, Belvedere always goes down smoothly" — apparently implying that the man is forcing the woman to engage in oral sex. Critics have blasted the ad as "shameful" and "misogynistic." The company has released two apologies. The first came via Twitter, to "our fans who were offended by our recent tweet." In the second, senior staff aplogized and pledged to donate to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN). Should Belvedere be doing more to atone?
These apologies aren't enough: Belvedere needs to do more to make sure "that something like this doesn't happen again," says Feministe. And "calling for someone's head" is the only proper action. Whoever is responsible for this ad suffers from a "profound lack of judgment" and shouldn't remain on Belvedere's payroll. The company's claims that "this isn't is our culture" is meaningless unless Belvedere actually changes its culture by firing those behind the ad.
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