National Cleavage Day
Encyclopedia
National Cleavage Day is an annual celebration in South Africa held in either March or April and sponsored by the brassiere
marketer Wonderbra
. National Cleavage Day was started in 2002 and held at the beginning of April every year. Wonderbra together with the Cosmopolitan
magazine and 5fm
, a SABC radio station mainly based in Johannesburg
, sponsored the National Cleavage Day.
According to Samantha Paterson, the brand manager for Wonderbra, the National Cleavage Day is started according to a design to solemnise women's independence and power in all facets of life, from their careers to their relationships to their own destiny. Anita Meiring, public relations consultant for Wonderbra, explained the event. "It is a day for women to realise that their cleavage is something unique and that they should be proud of it." Paterson explained "It gives women a chance to be beautiful and glow in the furtive, yet appreciative, glances their cleavage
evokes from men". She also explained "It gives men a legitimate reason to stare at boobs."
Paterson said that the day is intended to be lighthearted amusement; however, she claimed that the gross revenue will be donated to the Sunflower Fund, a non-governmental and non-profit organisation based in Cape Town
with a stated aim to help South African citizens diagnosed with leukaemia and other life-threatening blood diseases. In the wake of the celebration in 2007, Paterson said "We will be donating money for every bra that gets sold in March. We will donate money to the Sunflower fund. We are having big parties, we have special National Cleavage Day cocktails that have been created and for every cocktail bought R2 will be donated to the sunflower fund."
National Cleavage Day is being celebrated at office premises, restaurants and bars throughout the nation. Most people polled on the streets during the celebrations in 2002 expressed positive view on this event. During the occasion of the National Cleavage Day in 2002, twenty local girls in Johannesburg and another twenty girls in Cape Town were called in for the purpose of distributing stickers and G-string
s to selected female drivers. The celebration of the NCD in 2006 started early in the morning of 7 April when women showing their cleavages in Edgars, Foschini and Truworths at La Lucia Mall, Gateway Shopping Centre and the Pavilion handed out Cosmopolitan magazines free of cost to customers. A competition was organised at the Cafe Vacca Matta called the "Best Cleavage." Thousands of women in the province
of KwaZulu-Natal
displayed their cleavages in support of this event. Local manufacturers and retailers of undergarments have joined in support of the celebration of the NCD and it marks some new industry shifts.
In April 2009, references to National Cleavage Day were so popular on Twitter that the term "National Cleavage" was briefly number one on the website's top ten trend list.
, condemned the celebrations, warning women not to be involved in the National Cleavage Day. Siqwana-Ndulo said "This is a pure marketing tool using people's bodies." She added, "The commission is against any person or advertising company which uses people's bodies for marketing purposes be it advertising a car or anything of that sort."
A paper published by the Gender Links depicted an image of two women showing their cleavages during the occasion of the NCD on 5 April 2003, with a caption "These two bosom buddies were all part of the fun in yesterday’s National Cleavage Day, where a number of stunning beauties, their natural assets enhanced by Wonderbra, brought traffic to a standstill in many parts of Joburg
." The paper argued globalisation of the media enforces "globalised norms" of gender and lowest single common denominator in "global" images of gender is "sex sells
" which builds and reinforces stereotypes and bias—both male and female. Vanessa Raphaely, editor of the Cosmopolitan, argued the NCD is not intended to objectify women, but to celebrate in a fun manner.
Brassiere
A brassiere is an undergarment that covers, supports, and elevates the breasts. Since the late 19th century, it has replaced the corset as the most widely accepted method for supporting breasts....
marketer Wonderbra
Wonderbra
The Wonderbra is a type of push-up underwire brassiere that gained worldwide prominence in the 1990s. Although the Wonderbra name was first trademarked in the U.S. in 1935, the brand was developed in Canada. Moses Nadler, founder and majority owner of the Canadian Lady Corset Company, licensed the...
. National Cleavage Day was started in 2002 and held at the beginning of April every year. Wonderbra together with the Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan (magazine)
Cosmopolitan is an international magazine for women. It was first published in 1886 in the United States as a family magazine, was later transformed into a literary magazine and eventually became a women's magazine in the late 1960s...
magazine and 5fm
5FM
5FM is a South African FM radio station that follows a Top 40 music format and is owned by the South African Broadcasting Corporation , South Africa's public broadcaster...
, a SABC radio station mainly based in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, sponsored the National Cleavage Day.
According to Samantha Paterson, the brand manager for Wonderbra, the National Cleavage Day is started according to a design to solemnise women's independence and power in all facets of life, from their careers to their relationships to their own destiny. Anita Meiring, public relations consultant for Wonderbra, explained the event. "It is a day for women to realise that their cleavage is something unique and that they should be proud of it." Paterson explained "It gives women a chance to be beautiful and glow in the furtive, yet appreciative, glances their cleavage
Cleavage (breasts)
Cleavage, anatomically known as the intramammary cleft, is the space between a woman's breasts lying over the sternum. Cleavage is exposed by a garment with a low neckline, such as ball gowns, evening gowns, swimwear, casual tops and other garments....
evokes from men". She also explained "It gives men a legitimate reason to stare at boobs."
Paterson said that the day is intended to be lighthearted amusement; however, she claimed that the gross revenue will be donated to the Sunflower Fund, a non-governmental and non-profit organisation based in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
with a stated aim to help South African citizens diagnosed with leukaemia and other life-threatening blood diseases. In the wake of the celebration in 2007, Paterson said "We will be donating money for every bra that gets sold in March. We will donate money to the Sunflower fund. We are having big parties, we have special National Cleavage Day cocktails that have been created and for every cocktail bought R2 will be donated to the sunflower fund."
National Cleavage Day is being celebrated at office premises, restaurants and bars throughout the nation. Most people polled on the streets during the celebrations in 2002 expressed positive view on this event. During the occasion of the National Cleavage Day in 2002, twenty local girls in Johannesburg and another twenty girls in Cape Town were called in for the purpose of distributing stickers and G-string
G-string
A G-string is a type of thong underwear or swimsuit, a narrow piece of cloth, leather, or plastic, that covers or holds the genitals, passes between the buttocks, and is attached to a band around the hips, worn as swimwear or underwear by women and men...
s to selected female drivers. The celebration of the NCD in 2006 started early in the morning of 7 April when women showing their cleavages in Edgars, Foschini and Truworths at La Lucia Mall, Gateway Shopping Centre and the Pavilion handed out Cosmopolitan magazines free of cost to customers. A competition was organised at the Cafe Vacca Matta called the "Best Cleavage." Thousands of women in the province
Provinces of South Africa
South Africa is currently divided into nine provinces. On the eve of the 1994 general election, South Africa's former homelands, also known as Bantustans, were reintegrated and the four existing provinces were divided into nine. The twelfth, thirteenth and sixteenth amendments to the constitution...
of KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
displayed their cleavages in support of this event. Local manufacturers and retailers of undergarments have joined in support of the celebration of the NCD and it marks some new industry shifts.
In April 2009, references to National Cleavage Day were so popular on Twitter that the term "National Cleavage" was briefly number one on the website's top ten trend list.
Criticism
Dr. Siqwana-Ndulo, provincial gender commissioner in Eastern CapeEastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are Port Elizabeth and East London. It was formed in 1994 out of the "independent" Xhosa homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province...
, condemned the celebrations, warning women not to be involved in the National Cleavage Day. Siqwana-Ndulo said "This is a pure marketing tool using people's bodies." She added, "The commission is against any person or advertising company which uses people's bodies for marketing purposes be it advertising a car or anything of that sort."
A paper published by the Gender Links depicted an image of two women showing their cleavages during the occasion of the NCD on 5 April 2003, with a caption "These two bosom buddies were all part of the fun in yesterday’s National Cleavage Day, where a number of stunning beauties, their natural assets enhanced by Wonderbra, brought traffic to a standstill in many parts of Joburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
." The paper argued globalisation of the media enforces "globalised norms" of gender and lowest single common denominator in "global" images of gender is "sex sells
Sex in advertising
Sex in advertising or sex sells is the use of sexual or erotic imagery in advertising to draw interest to a particular product, for purpose of sale. A feature of sex in advertising is that the imagery used, such as that of a pretty woman, typically has no connection to the product being advertised...
" which builds and reinforces stereotypes and bias—both male and female. Vanessa Raphaely, editor of the Cosmopolitan, argued the NCD is not intended to objectify women, but to celebrate in a fun manner.