The Whaling City Festival in New Bedford, MA has withdrawn
its sponsorship of a controversial WHJY 94.1 FM radio competition many
described as derogatory to the city's heritage — and women in general — after
facing an intense backlash on social media earlier this week, according to southcoast.com.
"I was offended by the connection to our storied
whaling history," said city resident Jennifer Smith, who took to the
festival's Facebook page Monday night to protest its sponsorship of Providence classic rock
station 94.1 HJY's "Show Us Your Whale Tail" contest. "I'm just
glad" they pulled the sponsorship.
A "whale tail" occurs when a thong's Y-shaped
waistband rises over the waistline of low-cut pants or a skirt, giving the
appearance of a whale's tail fluke coming out of the ocean.
HJY's contest seeks to find the "hottest" whale
tail in Southern New England , asking women to
"unleash your sexiest thong exposure" for the chance at a $494
American Express gift card, according to its website. The contest asks for
women to send in their best "whale tail" photos, which will be voted
on by the public after the entry period closes June 23.
The radio station intends to continue the contest without
the festival's sponsorship, which originally was going to pay for the gift
card, organizers said. Festival organizers also defended themselves by saying
the radio station designed the competition, not them.
Neither WHJY nor the station's parent company, Clear Channel
Communications Inc., responded to an email request for comment.
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