Quiet sex and other ways to save the planet

Kate Power
Amanda Gallagher
executive editors
magazine@smcvt.edu

What’s hotter than mosquito bites in December? What about a nice glowing sunburn all year round? Oh wait, that’s not trendy or chic. However, Diesel Jeans, a frontrunner in the fashion industry, has recently made strides to link its clothing line with weather patterns—and it isn't selling raincoats.

A man casually reads in front of an ocean covered Mount Rushmore in one of Diesel's "Global Warming Ready" advertisements. (Photo courtesy of diesel.com)

A new series of advertisements displaying Diesel products have been armed with a slogan claiming its clothing is “Global Warming Ready.” The images in these ads include (among others) a man and woman in bathing suits hanging out with a bunch of Penguins, a girl sitting on the Great Wall of China surrounded by desert, and a couple lounging on a skyscraper that is almost immersed by an ocean. These pictures not only dramatize what could be reality, in a few decades, but they also downplay how serious climate change on earth actually is.

It’s one thing to just believe summers are simply going to be hotter; it’s entirely different to know that someday the states closer to sea level will be under water. In a report released on Feb. 2 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, it was stated that global warming is very much a reality, and dramatically affected by human behaviors. Certain actions, which include clear cutting forests and burning fossil fuels, contribute to rising temperatures on earth, because burning fossil fuels release gasses into the atmosphere that allow the heat of sunlight in, but block it from escaping. This is known as the greenhouse effect.

While Diesel Jeans may be looking at a lighter side of the issue, its marketing ploy is an insult to the issue of the future of our planet. Banana Boat Sunblock is not running commercials using climate change as the vehicle to sell its product. There is a line of sensitivity that should be recognized by corporations, and Diesel has crossed it.

Ironically, on the official Diesel Web site, it is an option to purchase the global warming documentary “An Inconvenient Truth,” as well as a link to the non-profit eco-friendly awareness group, stopglobalwarming.org. How are consumers supposed to seriously consider these valid organizations when they’re situated next to an ad blatantly mocking the issues that these groups are representing? The most insulting aspect of its site, which truly demonstrates their “commitment” to stopping global warming, is a list of the top 10 hints that will help stall climate change. The first thing on the list is (and this is a direct quote):

1. Have sex (quietly): Energetic sex keeps you warm, cutting down heating bills. Afraid of letting out Greenhouse gases when you scream with pleasure? Perhaps you should try gagging one another: kinky, and potentially good for the environment.

Perhaps that tip was released by the Intergovernmental Panel, too. It may have been third on the list, though, right after performing a striptease on a recycled aluminum pole and doing a keg stand with your frat brothers to save solo cups. Those guys sure do promote environmental awareness when they’re drunk.

As with all companies, Diesel and its marketing team have a right to promote their products as they see fit. True, if the climate were warmer, they could sell more tank tops. True, the ads are witty in a twisted sort of way; they’re aesthetically appealing and actually pretty clever. However, the fact that Diesel has a certain amount of intelligence behind the premise doesn’t dismiss the fact that the company was really irresponsible in deciding to run this campaign.

Diesel jeans may be hot, but who’s going to want to wear denim when it’s over 100 degrees out?