‘The View’ Hosts Admit They Can’t Even Show Balenciaga ‘Fetish Themed’ Ad With Children

Katie JerkovichNovember 28, 2022

“The View” cohosts admitted they couldn’t even show the Balenciaga “fetish themed” ad on their show Monday during a discussion about the fashion house’s marketing campaign featuring children holding teddy bears that were wearing bondage gear.

During a panel discussion on the ABC daytime talk show, Joy Behar talked about how the the fashion company “is under fire” for its BDSM-themed ad sexualizing children as her cohosts called them “distasteful.” Balenciaga has apologized and has blamed the production company, which they are suing, for the ad.

“I found this ad campaign particularly distasteful in this moment,” Alyssa Farah Griffin explained.

“Yeah,” Sunny Hostin replied. “I mean, we can’t even show the picture because it’s so distasteful. But what’s also very distasteful is Balenciaga lately, I mean, their stuff is just ugly. I mean the bag that that little girl is holding is ugly. Do you remember when Kim [Kardashian] was dressed in Balenciaga for the Met Gala.”

The clip then went to a snap of the reality star covered head to toe in a black outfit, and Hostin remarked that Kardashian “looked like a bat.”

WATCH:

BALENCIAGA PULLS AD CAMPAIGN AFTER BACKLASH: The luxury brand has issued an apology for its recent advertisements featuring children with sexualized teddy bears – #TheView co-hosts react to the controversial ads and Kim Kardashian’s response. https://t.co/Lf4LGBCI2E pic.twitter.com/j7QUbiYu3Q

— The View (@TheView) November 28, 2022

“So they are, I don’t know what they’re doing,” she added. “I don’t know if their intent is to be subversive and draw attention to the issues. Or are they just making ugly things.”

Ana Navarro asked how Balenciaga could now “sue somebody when they designed a bag for their holiday season.”

“The bag is shaped like a teddy bear wearing bondage gear,” Navarro added. “Now, it takes hundreds of people in a fashion house like Balenciaga to approve a design. To approve an ad campaign. So, I’m sorry you guys, I know you’re trying to cover your a**, but you got bigger problems then… you got to look inside your house, because you’ve got people who are not doing their job well. Who have no damn common sense.”

At one point, the cohosts talked about how Kardashian has since spoken out about the ad and said it might be time to re-evaluate her relationship with the fashion house, as previously reported.

“As a mother of four, I have been shaken by the disturbing images,” Kardashian shared previously. “The safety of children must be held with the highest regard and any attempts to normalize child abuse of any kind should have no place in our society — period.”

“I appreciate Balenciaga’s removal of the campaigns and apology,” she added. “In speaking with them, I believe they understand the seriousness of the issue and will take the necessary measures for this to never happen again. As for my future with Balenciaga, I am currently re-evaluating my relationship with the brand, basing it off their willingness to accept accountability for something that should have never happened to begin with — & the actions I am expecting to see them take to protect children.”

The fashion house apologized and is taking legal action against its production company, Hostin noted. She then shared that the set designer released a statement saying “everyone” at Balenciaga was on the shoot” and “worked on the edit of every image.”