“This may be a you problem.”
A bikini brand is facing backlash after using a male model for a bikini campaign, but they have hit back against the criticism.
Moana Bikini, an Australian swimwear company, defended their decision to cast a male model in one of their recent photoshoots.
Certain shoppers announced that they were “done” with the brand and deemed it “woke”.
“Horrible marketing. Why is it everyone is trying so hard to be ‘woke’ The model is gorgeous but this is not it,” one person wrote.
A second put: “Is that a man? I thought you were about empowering women?”
“This is bad advertising if the target audience is women. A man wearing a piece designed for women….not going to make most women want to buy it,” a third put.
Not everyone thought this was the case, though, as some of the 1,000 plus comments were defending the brand’s marketing choice.
“These comments are weird…the bathing suits are for anyone who wants to wear them. Why does someone in a bathing suit bother you so much lol,” one put.
Another said: “We see plenty of women in Moana swimwear and showcasing an incredible man wearing a piece of literal CLOTHING does not take the empowerment away from women.”
However, Moana Bikini have made it very clear that they don’t care what the naysayers think – they back their decision to use a male model.
“If Jake in our bikini upsets you that much we feel as though this may be a you problem,” they wrote in a statement.
The model in question also addressed the backlash, writing: “There are many different types of women. Women with different anatomy to what you consider ‘normal’.
“I am not a woman nor have I ever claimed to be. This post is simply empowering a minority and I’m forever grateful for that. Your hate is a reflection of your own insecurities, not mine. Thank you @moana_bikini.”
