Today in WTF: Saudi Arabia censors pool ad, replaces woman with beach ball

Saudi Arabia advertisement company SACO photoshops woman into a Winnie the Pooh beach ball, and the internet is losing its mind over it

By: Isha Mishra |
June 7, 2017 1:33 pm

In a shocking incident that came to light when hundreds of people retweeted the misogynist advertisement by a retail company in Saudi Arabia which allegedly Photoshopped a woman in their advert with a beach ball in their online catalogue which provides special Ramadan offers. Reportedly, the picture was tweeted by SACO, a Saudi retail giant promoting swimming pools, to attract the customers with their special offers. The tweet by the company highlights the wide variety of swimming pools pinned with a picture of a family enjoying in the pool.

While the three members of the family – a shirtless man and two children are graphed from top to bottom with their bodies covered and faces slightly pixelated, the woman is entirely cropped out and is turned into an inflated ball with a cartoon of Winnie The Pooh on it.

للمسابح حصة كبيرة ضمن عروضات ساكو! لا تفوتوها وقوموا بزيارة معارضنا #الكل_للكل https://t.co/YwaR99o792 pic.twitter.com/qL16qJOmJr

— SacoOffers عروض ساكو (@Saco_KSA) June 4, 2017

للمسابح حصة كبيرة ضمن عروضات ساكو! لا تفوتوها وقوموا بزيارة معارضنا #الكل_للكل https://t.co/avn71BDrrA pic.twitter.com/FaxPbNbe8A

— SacoOffers عروض ساكو (@Saco_KSA) June 2, 2017

Also Read: Humans of Bombay raises funds for sex worker’s daughter who got accepted at New York University

Appalled by the tweet, one Twitterati found and shared the original uncensored picture. As it turns out, the picture of swimming pool represented in the promotion is actually manufactured by a California-based-company Intex Corp which also deals in swimming pools, airbeds and spas.

وهاذي الأصلية اللي تم تشويها، بدلوا المرأة ببالون كارتون وعتموا على صدر الرجال والأطفال pic.twitter.com/KufT8MUr7T

— أحمد الزياني (@alzayaniAR) June 4, 2017

The striking difference between the two advertisements has left tweeple shocked. People are stunned with such censorship and male guardianship laws in Saudi.

My eyes just popped out. What on earth is this monstrosity?

— VISHAL (@VishalManve12) June 5, 2017

I know it is pointless to say this, but this makes me feel so sad and frustrated because I can’t think of a solution that would truly work.

— Doru (@oresamawadoru) June 5, 2017

Unfortunately, this is exactly what religions can do …

— Good boy (@OlivierFlorent) June 6, 2017

While others went on trolling the nonsensical move by the company:

صححنا الصورة لكم@Saco_KSA pic.twitter.com/Jn6meV6qWT

— “اضحك” مع الاعلام (@LaughWithMedia) June 4, 2017

السوي سيرى صورة عادية لعائلة تسمتمع في المسبح، لكن اذا مصرين ترا يمديهم يجيبون صورة مسبح فاضي بدل لايشوهون صورة الناس ويطمسونها. pic.twitter.com/ij0fosGhCL

— أحمد الزياني (@alzayaniAR) June 4, 2017

Also Read: Vodafone offers unlimited voice, data plans starting at Rs 5 this Ramadan

Laws in Saudi are quite stringent when it comes to women. They are often prohibited from featuring in advertisements.

But a beach ball? Seriously?!

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