The European Commission think that Europe’s Kinder need to know about where they get their milk from and how animals should be minded!
So the Directorate General for Health and Consumers got someone to design a computer game for them complete with a scantily clad French female farmhand. Farmland – The Game looks like it cost a pretty cent or two?
What did we do to deserve Bérenice – pictured right? Surely that’s not suitable Personal Protective Equipment she’s wearing? Not on her feet – look up her torso there a minute!
“Farmland” is an interactive and informative online computer game targeting children aged between 9 and 12, which also aims to help tomorrow’s consumers be in a position to make informed choices about the food they will be buying.”
9 to 12 year olds – starting the pervs young Commissioner Vassiliou?
I expected Pucci wellies at least!
Yikes. I know we can be a little more prudish in Ireland but that hardly represents what anyone in Europe would want our 9-12 year olds to aspire to.
I am aghast. I don’t even know where to start! I wish this were a joke, but it’s not even funny.
Jesus Christ tonight. Nothing like sexualising children to raise awareness of animal welfare.
“In an effort to raise awareness among children about the importance of treating farmed animals in a respectful and humane way”
You could start with treating kids in a respectful and humane way. What next, the Josef Fritzl childcare game?
Ah another sign of governance in touch with real ppl!!!
Why is the tune of that awful song ‘I got a brand new combine harvester’ going through my mind… make it stop already! All that outdoors sex is really not a good idea in this freezing climate too… sorry did someone say perv…
BTW: what think you, MP, of Lenihan’s quip about we’re all living beyond our means?
That’s more than a bit ridiculous.
At it’s most basic level, surely the “Health” directorate-general shouldn’t be promoting an image of someone so clearly mal-nourished?! The full-height picture on the website you linked to is scarily out of proportion.
This game is very familiar. A version was available to play in the ENFO office on the corner of Trinity Street years ago. A kind of SimFarm.
I once played it for twenty minutes and half my cows blew up like balloons because I couldn’t spare the time to milk them.
It really is depressing to see images of unhealthily thin, provocatively dressed young girls on Commission websites. Particularly after the European Parliament passed a report in September calling for a more responsible approach to gender stereotyping in marketing across Europe. We made particular reference in that report to the impacts of body image on vulnerable audiences. Evidently the DG Health was not listening.
I have taken this issue up in Parliament. Yesterday I wrote a priority question to the Commission, asking them to explain why they created this image on the site and how much the site cost. I’m also trying to garner support in the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee so we can take further action.
I will keep you posted of any developments.
Mary Honeyball MEP
Mary,
Thanks for your comment and I look forward to the replies if any that the commission provide.
It is an odd image given that the country girl (well the Irish variety at least) is more noted for her robustness and general hale and hearty physique. More Helga than Heidi. And more power to her for it. We’re surrounded by far too many images of women who couldn’t get milk out of a Tetra pack not to mind a cow.
I get the odd feeling this artwork may have been outsourced to Asia, the eyes are very typical of Japanese animé in particular though a lot of the work is done in Korea.