Ashley Madison Ads Says 'No Way' To Overweight Women (PHOTOS)

We understand the need to get attention in this media-saturated, 24/7 world. But Ashley Madison, we're guessing you didn't need to go this far.

Ashley Madison, a "married dating service for discreet encounters" (yes, such a thing exists), just released the second of two ads that mock a plus-size model for her look, Jezebel reports.

The dating site, which seeks to connect married or "attached" individuals for affairs, released an ad last week stating, "Did your wife SCARE you last night?" with a photo of an overweight woman lounging sexily in lingerie.

The logic, we presume: with a wife that frighteningly fat, the only solution is to seek sex elsewhere. With married folks on Ashley Madison, specifically.

Now the site has released a second ad that reduces the argument even further to this simple logic: skinny = good, fat = bad. The same image of the scantily clad plus-size model is juxtaposed with another woman, a slender model boasting smoother hair, tanner skin and, oh yeah -- a body half the size.

The ad tagline: "We call it as we see it."

The two ads alone, with their blatant insulting and rejection of overweight individuals in favor of an unrealistic physical ideal, would be bad enough. But what irks us even more is that after the first ad came out, the overweight model in question spoke out against the ads and requested that Ashley Madison not present her photo that way.

Model Jacqueline, who runs a BBW ("Big Beautiful Woman") website called JuicyJackie.com, wrote a first-person essay for Jezebel.com, defending her body and condemning Ashley Madison's treatment of it:

I am a size 32. I am beautiful. I think women of all sizes are beautiful. Beauty is not and has never been one-size-fits-all. I do not appreciate my image being used, without notice or permission, to tell women I have never met otherwise.

Not only is it personally offensive, Jacqueline wrote, but it sends the wrong message to viewers, particularly those who are overweight themselves:

As has been widely reported, teens are committing suicide in shocking numbers all over the world as direct result of this sort of shaming ridicule. Be it directed at race, size, sexual orientation or anything, bullying is a vicious force in this world. Contributing to this widespread and creeping depression by suggesting, blatantly and without pretense, that fat people are patently undeserving of love and loyalty is repulsive. It is incumbent upon advertisers, and society at large, to act responsibly before foisting something like this onto the world.

Ashley Madison's response to Jacqueline's reasonable request last week?

"The best thing that could've happened to this woman is that we used her in our ad. [...] if she can get great publicity from this, all the power to her," the site's CEO told Jezebel.

And then they released the second ad today.

See the spots below... do you find them as offensive as we do?

(Via Jezebel)

Comments

[cityinthesea1990]

09:19 PM on 12/01/2011

Let me get this straight, these people are telling you to cheat on your wife with a skinny woman? Wow, that's all over offensive.

[colamonkey]

07:23 PM on 11/16/2011

Wow. Ashley Madison IS using Jacqueline's image without her consent and profiting from it. She is entitled to damages--she DID NOT sign an agreement with Ashley Madison.

I'd really like to see that release form that she supposedly signed.

[jptstudent92]

05:32 PM on 11/13/2011

No offense, but I wouldn't want to be associated with this as a big girl...I get the underlying message, but I have standards.

[Nicole Mitchell Calhoun]

04:13 PM on 11/11/2011

Somehow I don't think any of the women on AM look like the skinny chick. They prob all look like the other chick, not that that's bad.

[jota786]

03:32 AM on 11/11/2011

Ashley Madison Plus-Size Model Ad Target On Overweight People
Watch more about it http://wp.me/p1J752-gH

[RDX]

09:08 AM on 11/10/2011

I'm not the most politically correct person but this is downright horrible.
I've never heard of Ashley Madison but I hope the bad press hurts them more than it helps.

[sallythewerewolf]

02:00 AM on 11/10/2011

"Ashley Madison"! Did his name come from an '80's "What to Name the Baby" book (girls' section)?...

[J0E1]

09:18 PM on 11/09/2011

Sir-mix-a-lot will pick up the leftovers.

[FlipMode]

11:18 AM on 11/10/2011

I think this is way beyond big butts...

[Absolute]

08:16 PM on 11/10/2011

I guess you forgot that he likes "little in the middle" but with much back.

[JadedNY]

08:39 PM on 11/09/2011

Wait, it's the photo that's more controversial than their goal, which is to make people cheat on their spouses? I think the latter is far worse!

[Frank the Tank]

09:17 PM on 11/09/2011

Good ol' HP headlines.

[Frank the Tank]

08:40 PM on 11/09/2011

If Jacqueline didn't want her picture used in a mocking manner, than she should have modeling with some clothes on. I mean, does she think she looks good in this picture?

[Frank the Tank]

08:40 PM on 11/09/2011

*modeled

[J0E1]

08:48 PM on 11/09/2011

She has a strong resemblance to my wife.

[Frank the Tank]

08:52 PM on 11/09/2011

I, in fact, know your wife and she is the hottest piece of arse around.

[lynterv]

07:16 PM on 11/09/2011

Using someone' s image without their permission,especially after the person requested they remove the image is wrong and unethical.

[DannyGee]

12:23 AM on 11/10/2011

I'm positive she already signed a release.

[colamonkey]

06:57 PM on 11/16/2011

Depends on the specifics. I'd get a lawyer if I were her.

[Absolute]

05:54 PM on 11/09/2011

So let me get this straight. The site promotes and facilitates infidelities, but some people are upset because it is antifat. Curious.

[Canadiananana]

07:11 PM on 11/09/2011

My thoughts exactly!

[bbertaud]

05:00 PM on 11/09/2011

Some people just can't handle the truth

[colamonkey]

07:12 PM on 11/16/2011

You mean opinion.

[LiberalBuzz]

02:15 PM on 11/09/2011

Wellll you know there is no reason there can't be a separate dating service for those who are chubby chasers.

And on the other hand there are a remarkable amount of overweight people in this country now. I  mean just go take a gander at your local walmart.

And being overweight is NOT healthy. So maybe there are guys out there who just are tired of seeing women they are married to that let themselves go to the point of being this overweight. I've been fortunate enough to be slender my whole life so when I see people who are so grossly overweight, I just don't get it.

But it is a private company and they can do what they want.

[Charles Carmichael]

08:58 PM on 11/10/2011

Exactly. Being overweight can lead to diabetes and if not taken care of can cause death and sometimes removal of limbs.
This isn't a bigotry issue, it's a health issue

[JoyShip]

01:53 PM on 11/09/2011

So much wrong with Ashley Madison and their ad. Where do I begin?

If we 'buy' their premise that an overweight wife excuses a husband for cheating -- then what's Tiger Woods' excuse for cheating on Elin Nordregen? What about Jesse James cheating on Sandra Bullock?

Sadly, a number of unhappy husbands may buy into this campaign and feel justified in cheating.

[Absolute]

05:50 PM on 11/09/2011

They didn't imply that it was the only reason, just one of the reasons.

[colamonkey]

07:15 PM on 11/16/2011

Why do they have to hate and alienate an entire group of people in order to advertise?