This Sydney Bar Is Under Fire for Using Nude Models as Platters

Overview

Up next, in missed-the-mark publicity stunts, a Sydney bar has rolled the dice on one awkward shuffle of a launch party gimmick. Circular Quay's Cruise bar has come under fire for hiring naked models to stand in for fruit platters at their relaunch in the Sydney Overseas Passenger Terminal on Wednesday night. According to SBS, Cruise bar had female models apparently naked and covered in fruit on large buffet tables, or had them handfeeding guests.

Needless to say, as soon as the images hit social media, people had plenty to say.

Nova newsreader Matt de Groot defended the stunt, saying "everyone was having fun", noting the number of male models on site and that all posing was voluntary.

Myer ambassador and assistant for the Cruise bar relaunch Kate Peck also saw nothing wrong with the stunt.

Cruise aren't the first to use naked humans as plates or glasses. The Japanese practice of nyotaimori/nantaimori, often referred to as 'body sushi', sees sashimi or sushi served on the naked body of a man or woman. Apparently a samurai tradition, the whole practice was associated with geisha houses — yep, a literal feast after a battle. Considered an artform, individuals train to lie down for hours without moving, withstand prolonged exposure to the cold, cold sushi. We'll take landscape painting over this one, but kudos.

Modern artists have seized upon the practice too; food artists Bompas and Parr recently hosted anatomical whisky tastings, in which whiskies were sipped from the bodies of same-aged humans.

But history and art aside, this is the 21st century. Is eating party food from a woman's body something that's socially acceptable, possibly empowering, or straight-up objectifying? What do you reckon — women as fruit platters, yay or nay?

Via SBS.