A model has had to defend her role as a promoter at an agriculture show after puritanical progressives branded it as “wrong” and a “backward step” for women.
A debate over women’s choice to do what jobs they wanted was sparked on social media after agriculture firm Agrifac tweeted out an invitation for attendees at the Lamma show in Birmingham to have their pictures taken with their hired promoters on Tuesday.
One social media user said this form of promotion “isn’t acceptable any more” while others said it disincentivised “female agriculturalists.”
Others described it as “embarrassing” and “wrong” and “disappointing.”
Chairman of a Young Farmers club in Devon Karen said of the pictures she saw, “It is 2019 — it is frustrating we are still having these conversations.
“I have nothing against the girls. The point is this sort of practice is outdated,” she told the BBC.
While estate manager David Hill, told BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today it felt “like a backward step.”
“A lot of women are wanting to be recognised for their contribution to the industry and want to be taken seriously in a previously male-dominated industry,” he said.
One of the models, Melissa Sharp, was not fazed by the comments and engaged with many of the critics on social media, telling one “female farmer” who compared her outfit to that of a “hooker” that “it’s a uniform… there [is] nothing wrong with it.”
She also denied accusations that she was “decoration” telling one man on Twitter her role was to “promote the brand and to engage with customers as anyone does at a normal job.”
Ms Sharp told the BBC that “People referring to us as blonde Barbie bombshells with no brain cells is disgusting,” adding that she had very positive reactions from people who were actually at the event.
The young women work for promotions company Fan Xperience, and the managing director condemned the cirticism, most of which came from individuals who had not attended the event, pointing out it is “inappropriate for women to be told they are wearing the wrong thing.”
“These women are professionals who did a really good job and got a positive reaction from the people who were there,” Zoe Rutherford said.
“The negativity from people, many of whom weren’t at the event, has been really unfortunate.”
This is not the first time feminists and others have criticised the use of model promoters at events in the UK, with a whole string of women losing their jobs as a result of their roles being ruled ‘sexist.’
Last year, Formula One racing got rid of their Grid Girls, with one of the former promoters condemning the feminists who successfully lobbied to do her out of a job, telling them they are “not defending women.”
Shortly before Grid Girls were scrapped, Walk-On Girls for the Professional Darts Corporation were eliminated because their roles were considered “at odds with modern-day societal norms.”
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