The Swedish advertising watchdog has found that an ad using the popular 'distracted boyfriend' meme was sexist towards both men and women.
'Distracted boyfriend' is a widely-parodied image online, with web users adding humorous text over a stock photo depicting a man looking back at a passing woman while his girlfriend looks on in disgust.
The image was used in a Facebook post by Swedish Internet company Bahnhof as part of a job advertisement earlier this year.
In the image, the 'distracted boyfriend' is covered with the text "You"; the girlfriend with the text "Your current workplace"; and the passing woman with the text "Bahnhof".
Those who complained about the ad claimed that it objectified women - acknowledging that it's a common image on the web, but suggesting that doesn't mean companies can use it in advertisements.
Complainants also argued that it showed both men and women in 'stereotypical gender roles'.
According to Bahnhof, the ad was intended as a humorous way to "visualise the job search".
The company also argued that the meme "has been used in countless ways to convey as many messages".
However, the Swedish advertising ombudsman found that the woman in red is seen as a 'sex object'.
It adds: "The impression is reinforced by the fact that women are designated as workplace representatives while the man... is shown as an individual.
"The Board finds that the advertisement is gender-discriminatory in this regard."
It also found that the portrayal of a man looking at another woman suggests "a stereotypical picture of men looking at women as being interchangeable in the same way as a change of workplace, which is demeaning... The advertisement is therefore also gender-discriminatory against men".
Internet users, meanwhile, have responded to the ruling with their own takes on the popular meme...
— Angry Exile (@AngryExile) September 26, 2018
— Nathan (@cricketcelt) September 26, 2018
