Washington, DC (May 2, 2012) – Two weeks ago Morality in Media called public attention to Groupon’s shameless promotion of Kink, a San Francisco-based pornographer that produces films depicting sadomasochistic torture and rape, bondage, and hardcore fetish sexual acts. Today it appears that Groupon has doubled down on porn, supporting an event at the mansion of the world’s top sexual exploiter, Playboy. (http://www.groupon.com/subscriptions/new?division_p=washington-dc)
Morality in Media continues to urge Groupon to end its support of the sexual exploitation of women and girls, but despite MIM’s national boycott of the company, resulting in more than 10,000 of Groupon’s customers discontinuing the service, the company has not done so. Why is that? Perhaps we have an answer.
“Morality in Media searched Groupon’s online information to learn the names of the company’s female senior management executives so we could appeal to them,” said Dawn Hawkins, executive director of Morality in Media. “Guess what? Groupon doesn’t have any!” Hawkins said. (http://investor.groupon.com/management.cfm) “Perhaps that explains why the company is so insensitive to the sexual exploitation of women and girls, she added.”
“Playboy has done more to promote female sexual exploitation than any other entity in the world,” said Hawkins. Kink takes such exploitation to new, lower level. Kink, which offers live pornographic performances and porn videos, states on its site that, ‘Girls are … pulled in and out of cages, their tongues clamped, their bodies pinned, and their arms and legs strapped.’” They also claim to employ “contraptions used in countries such as China for torture” as well as “machines, water, metal, wood, electrodes, hooks, needles, and urination, all for the sexual persecution of women and ‘young teenage girls.’”
Groupon has defended its support of extreme, violent pornography, claiming that Kink is an ‘active, good member of their community,” said Hawkins.
“Morality in Media has some advice for the all-male management of Groupon,” Hawkins said. “Porn harms women and girls. You should be ashamed instead of celebrating and profiting from this exploitation!”
The “Boycott Groupon Project” page can be found at http://pornharms.com/mim/boycott-groupon/. There boycott supporters may also email all top Groupon executives, and help put an end to deals that glamorize the exploitation and abuse of women and girls.
About Morality in Media
Founded in 1962, Morality in Media, Inc. is the leading organization focused on opposing pornography and indecency through public education and the application of the law. www.PornHarms.com.