10 October 2012 - 20H23

A sumptuous new French restaurant in Sydney said Wednesday it would
remove two urinals designed to resemble a woman's lipsticked mouth,
apologising for any offence they have caused.

http://www.france24.com/en/20121010-...e-womans-mouth

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Urinals created by Dutch designer Meike van Schijndel are pictured in
Germany in 2008.

http://www.france24.com/en/files/ima...323465-1-0.jpg
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The Ananas Bar and Brasserie said the bright red-lipped urinals shaped
like an open mouth were "a commonly used European design piece from
female Dutch artist Meike van Schijndel".

"We sincerely apologise if they have caused offence. They are being
removed today," a spokeswoman said in a statement.

The stylish restaurant opened three weeks ago, with the Sydney Morning
Herald's food reviewer describing the urinals as "no real surprise here
at Ananas, merely adding to the extraordinary collision of statements
and intent".

But feminist, former political adviser and writer Anne Summers said the
design was offensive. "Misogyny is very widespread, and this is just an
example of misogyny," said Summers.

"The concept is pretty challenging and confronting. They're asking men
to put their d(expletive) in these mouths as urinals."

Australia is the grip of a fierce political debate about sexism after
Prime Minister Julia Gillard, the nation's first woman leader, accused
opposition leader Tony Abbott of being a misogynist.

The unmarried Gillard said Tuesday she had been personally offended by
many of Abbott's remarks over the years -- from urging her to "make an
honest woman of herself", to his cat-calling at her in parliament.

"If he wants to know what misogyny looks like in modern Australia, he
doesn't need a motion in the House of Representatives, he needs a
mirror," she said in stinging comments.