Big breasts. They’re ruder than small ones. Or fake ones.

So says the demented logic of American TV censors who have banned a fabulous ad from Layne Bryant plus sized lingerie. Lane Bryant claim the US ABC network refused to air the lingerie ad during Dancing With The Stars because it showed too much cleavage. Here’s the ad:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvdU2xpgvdk&feature=player_embedded

So why the ban? Fox News reports:

“The cleavage of the plus-size models, they said, was excessive, and we don’t think that’s the case,” said the source. “It certainly appears to be discrimination against full-sized women.”

Lane Bryant said Fox, too, had originally balked at showing the ad on “American Idol.” But a Lane Bryant insider noticed that a sexy Victoria’s Secret lingerie spot starring a skinny model had been slotted for “Idol” Tuesday night and complained about a double standard. That caused Fox to change its tune, the source said.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrsrM0DvzyE&feature=player_embedded

“They wouldn’t run the ad, but have you seen the Victoria’s Secret spots? If you saw the Victoria’s Secret spot and our spot, you’d see nothing different,” the source added. Fox bristled at the notion it gave Lane Bryant a hard time, saying it is set to air the ad during Wednesday’s “American Idol.”

“We didn’t treat them any differently than Victoria’s Secret,” a Fox spokesman said. A rep for ABC declined to comment. Fox had asked Lane Bryant to flash less flesh, the source said. But the label said no. Both networks had a first glimpse of the disputed ad last month from Lane Bryant execs.”They sent the storyboards in late March to Fox to approve. Fox rejected them, saying it was too racy, too risqué,” the source said.

Interesting. Like anything you don’t see very often, big boobs on a larger model is surprising, yes. Confronting? Maybe for some. More risque? Well, I don’t think so. She’s certainly sexy and it seems that some people are uncomfortable seeing girls larger than a size 8 in a sexual context. Meanwhile the Lane Bryant lingerie model herself, identified by The New York Post as Ashley Graham (size 16, 38D if you’re keeping track) told them:

“The first thing I thought of was Victoria’s Secret commercials, and how they’re just as racy, if not more racy, than Lane Bryant. [The models are] just a lot smaller than what I am…[ABC] can’t handle bigger on TV, bigger boobs on a normal-sized woman on TV.”

What do you think of the ads? Is one more offensive or less raunchy than the other?

[UPDATE: I was on Today this morning to talking with Lisa Wilkinson about this story…..]