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Dakota Fanning's ad banned

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The British Advertising Standards Authority has banned an ad for the new Marc Jacobs perfume, Lola, featuring an innocent looking Dakota Fanning.

Their reasoning went as follows:

We noted that the model was holding up the perfume bottle which rested in her lap between her legs and we considered that its position was sexually provocative. We understood the model was 17 years old but we considered she looked under the age of 16. We considered that the length of her dress, her leg and position of the perfume bottle drew attention to her sexuality. Because of that, along with her appearance, we considered the ad could be seen to sexualise a child.

Which is exactly the point that Mr Jacobs was trying to make: "I knew Dakota could be this contemporary Lolita, seductive yet sweet.” Lolita (for the uninformed) is a book and film about a man who become obsessed and involved with a 12-year-old girl who he nicknames Lolita.

So is this ad inappropriate and creepy in a world where children are sexually abused and paedophiles are hiding in shadows? It definitely makes me feel uncomfortable...

Is this ad inappropriate enough to be banned?

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