The Japanese city of Shibushi is an eel-farming hub. In an effort to boost the local industry, the city made an advert featuring a girl, a swimming pool, and an eel.

Unfortunately, it quickly received criticism for demeaning women.

You see, the advert features a youngish girl swimming around a pool. Narrated by a soft, almost creepy male voice with gentle piano in the background, he says:

I decided I would do anything for her as much as I could.

I fed her with lots of delicious food. I let her sleep well.

During the ad the girl sleeps in a tent next to a fire, plays with a hula hoop and at one point comes up to the camera and says “feed me.”  At the end, before she jumps into the pool, she offers a cheery “goodbye”.

Cut to a scene featuring an eel at the bottom of said pool, cut to a scene of said eel in a frying pan, during which the narrator then says:

We’re growing eels carefully.

Don’t believe me? Please watch:

So what’s the problem? Well, if you can’t see it, one Twitter user summed it up perfectly:

This makes me think of a girl who is being kidnapped and locked up…it’s the delusions of a pervert.

Stung by criticism, city officials pulled the ad, with a local official telling AFP:

We’re aware that some people were offended. We just wanted to make a video that simply explains the city is known for eel farming.

Well that advert will sure make the city well known for one thing, and I don’t think it will be eels just yet.

I said ooh girl / Shock me like an electric eel

[source:theguardian]