Pakistani restaurant comes under fire for sexist ads, apologizes with sarcasm

An Italian restaurant in Islamabad has come under fire for a sexist ad campaign which implied that making sandwiches is a woman’s job. Table No. 5, which has since apologized in a number of Facebook posts, has been the target of a boycott campaign on social media, with users expressing their outrage at the “deeply problematic” advertising strategy.

Girls at Dhabas - a feminist non-profit which aims to make public eateries safer for women, especially in Pakistan - took the lead in calling the restaurant out for its misogyny, reminding them that "[h]umor at the expense of an identity that is historically subjugated, is not humor - it is another form of oppression."

Take a look at some of the adverts and reactions below:

Despicable advertizing by Islamabad restaurant Table 5. #BoycottTableNo5 https://t.co/uHyIJ57GV1

— Tanqeed (@TanqeedOrg) November 11, 2015

It's highly disconcerting knowing that the owners think it's 'funny' to name their sandwiches after rapists and abusers. #BoycottTableNo5

— Samina Naz (@NazSamina1) November 10, 2015

Not only did the restaurant run with the extremely sexist adverts, the menu they initially posted had their sandwiches named after a list of celebrities who are not exactly known for being female-friendly. The names ‘Kris Browne’, ‘Shawn Pen’ and ‘Myke Tieson’ might give you an idea of what they were aiming for. Unfortunately, the comments under the adverts were not all in support of the feminist backlash, with many users praising the restaurant and its sexism.

After a torrent of condemnation, they issued a number of apologies which many believe are sarcastic. Take for example their new drawing board which they claim took hours to create:

Table No 5 backtracks: How sincere is the eatery's 'apology' for its misogyny? https://t.co/nQd6PRF0Ej

— The Lodhi (@AnnamL0dhi) November 12, 2015

By Kane Hippisley-Gatherum