Network: 
Bans on cell phone use while driving have recently spurred legislation in the United States, but in East Africa it's not the ubiquitous communication accessory that has legislators worried. It's women's clothes. A minister in Uganda has said that women wearing miniskirts in the street are essentially walking around naked and that they are responsible in part for distracting drivers and causing traffic accidents. Nsaba Buturo is blaming some male drivers in his country for being "weak mentally." He is trying to get skirts declared "indecent" under Ugandan law, which would allow authorities to fine or otherwise punish offenders.
"If you find a naked person you begin to concentrate on the make-up of that person and yet you are driving," he said. "These days you hardly know who is a mother from a daughter, they are all naked."
Question Raised: What's more distracting to male drivers -- the cell phone or the miniskirt?
We may embrace miniskirts stateside, but we doesn't mean we don't love to ban stuff that's deemed too racy. Check out the banned ads below to see what we mean.
Banned Ads
Britain's Advertising Standards Authority banned this bathroom-friendly ad for being offensive. Designer Tanner Krolle claimed the couple couldn't be having sex because the man's trousers were still on. (That would be news to anyone who lost their virginity at the prom.)
Adpunch.com
Skechers pulled this ad after a nurses's group complained it advanced a negative stereotype of their profession. Yet similar ads with Christina Aguilera appearing as teacher and student and cop and criminal continued to run. (Why Skechers overlooked the titillating Hot Lunch Lady we'll never know.)
ad-rag.com
By digitally modifying a model for the purpose of exploiting her sexuality, this Bicardi ad violated the Canadian Code of Advertising. (Maybe the Canucks were really offended because the ad implied there's something better than beer.)
bestrejectedadvertising.com
This cheeky ad campaign for the Washlet, a heated toilet seat, ran in various magazines but was banned from Times Square when a judge agreed the advertisement interfered with the religious mission of the Times Square Church below.
adage.com
Once New York's Metro Transit Authority realized "get brain" was slang for oral sex, this poster was banned from all city vehicles. (We can relate to the confusion. The model appears to be offering up something entirely different.)
CNN
McDonald publicly apologized for this ad, claiming it had not been aware that the phrase "I'd hit it" is often used to express sexual interest. (We're going to give fast food chain the benefit of the doubt here since the "it" in question is a double cheeseburger. Now if it had been their baked apple pie ...)
wikipedia.com
Auckland International Airport officials nixed this ad depicting former Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins getting "horny" with a stuffed rhino. Debunking, the old sheepherder stereotype that New Zealanders are into inter-species shenanigans.
This poster for the movie "Rules of Attraction" was banned in America for using stuffed animals to, well, turn on a nation of plushie fetishists.
bestrejectedadvertising.com
Concerns as to just where the model's thumb was headed resulted in this print ad getting the thumbs down from British censors. (And the thumbs up from 13-year-olds boys everywhere.)
bestrejectedadvertising.com
Mattel demanded The Body Shop remove this self-esteem poster featuring a rubenesque anti-Barbie because it was insulting to the real Barbie. The ad was actually pulled from some stores in the United States after some people found this doll offensive for different reasons.
bestrejectedadvertising.com
Comments:
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Thursday 18 September
By D.Heilala
Every body should dress like the Amish- It would solve a lot of problems with the Victorian society-
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Thursday 18 September
By D.Heilala
Every body should wear muu-muus- Men wear long robes-
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Thursday 18 September
By Silverstreak
It's my contention that it is male drivers who are ALWAYS thinking about sex who cause the most accidents.
Explanation: When I asked the 3 fellows in my lab if it was really true that men think about sex 10 times an hour as I had just read, they, in unison, said, "oh no, we think about sex ALL THE TIME". So it matters not what any woman is wearing, they are still thinking about sex. Don't put the blame on women.
It's a wonder men can do anything at all what with having to multitask EVERYTHING!
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Thursday 18 September
By Bill Stubbs
Silverstreat, it's obvious that you made up the story that 3 men in your lab said they were always thinking about sex. Why make up a lie to try to prove your stupid point ? They could not do their job and think about sex all the time. If they said that, it was to make a fool out of you. Do you really believe anything people say, then I can wave my arms and fly through the clouds. Bill
Thursday 18 September
By Barbara
Muslim countries have women cover themselves completely because the men can't handle any glimpse without losing it. While it is true that men are dogs, any kind of national "dress code" is dangerous and a slippery slope to more impingement on basic rights.
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Thursday 18 September
By luevis
DONT BLAME MEN BLAME UGANDANS
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Thursday 18 September
By annod
Its a mans world - and women are ultimately the bad guys - just ask any man - you see, we cant even walk down the street - we cause male drivers to get in car accidents - what a crock - now the their male government can dress the women - per the law! Strange - young male joggers on side of road - Ive never lost control...
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Thursday 18 September
By john
Its women who are constantly yapping and yapping on the cell phone who cause most of the accidents. They're the worst drivers as it is, so add a distraction to that and you have a catastrophe waiting to happen. That's what is really going on.
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Thursday 18 September
By john
In Uganda where steatopygia runs rampant, I can understand why they want to ban miniskirts. Drivers approaching from the rear are at great risk of getting into an accident from distraction.
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Thursday 18 September
By Ani
Mini skirts are unflattering, distracting and invites trouble. They do not belong on all women. We should go back to decency.
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Friday 19 September
By Just me
Why not ban driving,should cure problem!
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Friday 19 September
By orionsbow
The only person to blame for an automobile crash is the idiot DRIVING. If you're so easily distracted and downright dumb that you can't get from point A to point B without having to blame some skirt for your reckless abandonment of standard driving form then perhaps you should be riding a bike. Idiots.
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Friday 19 September
By We should have that here
At least some countries recognize that majority of problems are linked to how immoral the society is as a whole... like the u.s. for example is morally bankrupt with the shows on tv and on the radio influencing kids.
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Friday 19 September
By They should have that here
At least some countries realize most of there problems are caused by the immorality of the society as a whole... just look at how morally bankrupt the u.s. is with the tv, magazines, video games, internet, radio, etc. influencing people's thinking. Perfect example is the side bar of advertising on this post.
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Thursday 25 September
By US in moral crisis
At least some countries realize most of there problems are caused by the immorality of the society as a whole... just look at how morally bankrupt the u.s. is with the tv, magazines, video games, internet, radio, etc. influencing people's thinking. Perfect example is the side bar of advertising on this post.
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Friday 19 September
By US morally bankrupt
At least some countries realize most of there problems are caused by the immorality of the society as a whole... just look at how morally bankrupt the u.s. is with the tv, magazines, video games, internet, radio, etc. influencing people's thinking. Perfect example is the side bar of advertising on this post.
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Friday 19 September
By John
In muslim countries they make the women cover up, not because men would lose it as another commenter stated, but because they have a belief that the woman should remain "pure" and she would not be doing so if she didn't cover up. That's just the way it is. As for Uganda, it's not really the miniskirts that are the problem, it's the driving. They should mandate driver education and training in regards to how to deal with and minimize distraction. If there was a crossdresser going down the street wearing the shortest skirt the country had ever seen, there would probably be absolutely NO INTEREST, so logically you cannot say the problem is the skirts....it's the drivers. Enforce stronger traffic laws as they relate to distracted driving and the problem goes away.
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Friday 19 September
By Sue
I understand your point that it is about "purity," John. I have a dear Muslim friend, but I feel their rules for women are very backward. She told me one day during Ramadan that she was not allowed to fast that day because she had her period, and this made her "unclean." It seemed very warped to me that God, who created women's menstrual cycles, in their belief system considered this natural process "unclean." Furthermore, I was appalled that it would follow (according to this rule) that this natural process (created by God) would so diminish a woman in God's eyes that her worship and reverence for Him would be meaningless or even insulting. It seems like a male invented this rule. And yes, I realize that Christian scripture included something similar in their past doctrines about a woman's cycle. Again, I think that was one of many male imposed beliefs that kept women oppressed for many years. So we must ask ourselves, why does a woman need to remain "pure" according to any doctrine but not a man? It's not only Muslims touting this, but all those who claim we have lost all of our morals. Why does the burden to uphold morals fall heavier on women than men?
Friday 19 September
By Elizabeth
Woman's fault? Woman is reprimanded? "TOLD" what she can and cannot wear? ALL because a man cannot keep his eyes on the road, around the wheel, and is distracted from seeing a Woman's legs in a miniskirt?? Would this inability to function properly in a public place in the presence of a woman, not require a special need for a man? Yes, I am thinking it would; and it might be worth the country of Uganda's time to invent "blinders" for these poor, misguided, abused, mistreated, "simple minded," males.... Whom apparently think "every" woman walking their street is there for them to gawk at; it is the woman's fault because the constant warped little mind of the male gender cannot "drive properly" when faced with adversity? lolol... This is about the most ignorant thing I've seen in a long time. I think the minister should change his panty hose, sounds like the waist is getting a little tight, and closing off the oxygen to his pea-brain. And for the other male population who feel this ::cough:: law should be passed? Get a grip,,,, the skirts really are NOT being worn for you; they are being worn because we like them....
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Friday 19 September
By karen
I think all miniskirts should be banned world wide...not only because they supposedly cause accidents, but because it is morally indecent for a woman (& men alike), to prance around in the publics eye in inappropiate clothing...cover up for God's sake, its offensive. Save yourselves for marriage (between a man & a woman, that is)...the whole world does not need to see such indecency. The bible states (Kings James Version)to be holy, for God is holy. How can we be holy and or profess to be a christain,(and a whole lot of us confess to be) if we dress in a way that is unpleasing to God? God is not pleased when he sees a man or a woman walking around half naked for all the world to see...its a straight up SIN...& God hates sin...and because of mans sin God will someday come back for a people who are pure...and the rest of this sin sick world will burn in a lake of fire for ever and ever!
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