An ‘etiquette’ song and dance video made by a Japanese rail company advising women against using make-up in trains is drawing a lot of criticism and has been labeled as ‘too dictating.’
The 30-second-video released on September 16, two female commuters are seen applying mascara and lipstick while a woman watching whispers “Mittomonai” or “ugly to see” and then angrily tells them off. The woman says, “Women in the city are all beautiful. But they are ugly to see, at times”.
The online sphere has witnessed people reacting in an angry manner, a Twitter user said, “Of course I’d understand if they’d said, if you put make up on the train the powder might scatter, the scent might be strong, things might soil the car or other people’s clothing and would cause trouble for others,” adding, “But there’s no reason I should be told by a rail company whether I look pretty or unseemly.”
“People are angry not because ‘they want to put make up on in trains’. They’re resisting ‘this society that comes up with so many different reasons to justify misogyny and to oppress women,” said hinase6s.
Her post was retweeted more than 5,600 times and set off a range of responses, both supportive and critical of the ad.
“If the firm wants to clamp down on people who make others uncomfortable, it should create a commercial targeting people with body odors, or people who smell of alcohol or vomit,” wrote @tinasuke.
Tokyu, however, is undaunted.
“We have actually received more positive feedback (about the makeup ad) than negative,” Tokyu spokesman Masayuki Yanagisawa said. He added the railway has no plan to withdraw the ad.
The spokesman said that the no-makeup campaign is part one of an eight-part video series aimed at educating passengers on train rules and manners.
