[imagesource: Google Maps]

Where is Mavericks?

You know exactly where it is, but for clarity, I’ll say it’s on the corner of Buitenkant and Barrack Streets in the Cape Town CBD.

The Mavericks Gentlemen’s Club, to give it the full name, calls itself “the most sophisticated strip club in Cape Town”.

We’ve all grown accustomed to seeing their banners flying high above the city (sometimes even two planes, nogal), but it’s the billboard outside the CBD location that has set tongues wagging.

TimesLIVE reports that Martie Viljoen made an official complaint against the billboard advertising Mavericks to the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB):

The complaint stated the billboard promotes pornography and, being on public display, was considered completely inappropriate for children.

“And it promotes human traffic. It violates the rights of women,” Viljoen complained.

Image: Supplied to TimesLIVE

In its response, Mavericks pointed out that the billboard had gone up in early December, had received much publicity when the presidential parade for the state of the nation address passed it in February, and yet only one complaint had been received. This was evidence the image was not generally viewed as offensive.

Mavericks also said the photo was shot in such a way “as not to reveal either her nipples or lower abdomen” and her breast is “largely covered by her hand”.

Viljoen had argued that the advert was harmful to children, but Mavericks countered by saying that if children asked questions about the billboard it meant they were old enough to talk about it with their parents:

The board agreed, finding it did “not believe the image will cause mental, moral, physical or emotional harm to a child viewing the advertising”.

The TimesLIVE article also covered a second complaint made to the ARB, regarding Wine Time Online’s vehicle branding.

One of the complainants is named Karen Carr. The jokes write themselves.

[source:timeslive]