🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 99 (from laksa016)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa099.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/26/distracted-boyfriend-meme-sexist-swedish-advertising\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/26/distracted-boyfriend-meme-sexist-swedish-advertising\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2018\/sep\/26\/distracted-boyfriend-meme-sexist-swedish-advertising","crawl_time":1774747100,"first_indexed_time":1537957375,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,theguardian!www,\/world\/2018\/sep\/26\/distracted-boyfriend-meme-sexist-swedish-advertising s443","src_root_hash":"4161074618625082499","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Distracted Boyfriend meme is sexist, rules Swedish ad watchdog | Sweden | The Guardian","meta_descriptions":["Popular image of man ogling another woman deemed degrading and discriminatory"],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"The popular Distracted Boyfriend meme, based on a photo of a man turning away from his outraged girlfriend to stare admiringly at another woman, has been ruled sexist by Sweden’s advertising ombudsman.\nThe stock image, also known as Man Looking at Other Woman, by Antonio Guillem, a photographer from Barcelona, was named\nmeme of the year in April\nand was one of the most widely shared memes in 2017,\nproviding comment\non anything from music to politics to hit TV shows.\nThe ombudsman said\nrecruitment advertisements posted on Facebook\nby the internet services provider Bahnhof, which labelled the boyfriend “You”, the girlfriend “Your current workplace”, and the second woman “Bahnhof”, were gender-discriminatory,\nthe Local reported\n.\n“The advertisement objectifies women,”\nthe ombudsman, RO, said\n. “It presents women as interchangeable items and suggests only their appearance is interesting … It also shows degrading stereotypical gender roles of both men and women and gives the impression men can change female partners as they change jobs.”\nThe ombudsman said the image objectified the two women by presenting them as workplaces, but the man as an individual, and added that the “other woman” was clearly a “sex object ... unrelated to the advertisement, which is for recruiting salespeople, operating engineers and a web designer”.\nThe Swedish advertising industry is self-regulating, meaning that the ombudsman can criticise ads but it does not have the power to impose sanctions.\nThe ad, posted in April, drew nearly 1,000 comments, many from women who complained it was sexist. “1. You really don’t want to attract women to your company,” one commenter, Susanne Lahti Hagbard, said. “2. You really don’t want to attract sensible guys either.”\nAnother, Sofie Sundåker, said: “It doesn’t matter if it’s a popular meme. If you do not see how this picture is sexist whatever words are on the people, you are clearly not a workplace for any woman who wants to be taken seriously in her work.”\nThe company said on its Facebook page that its aim had been “to illustrate a situation that shows Bahnhof is an attractive employer, and that people who have a slightly duller workplace might be interested in us. This was the situation illustrated in this meme.\n“Anyone familiar with the internet and meme culture knows how this meme is used and interpreted. Gender is usually irrelevant in the context. We explained meme culture to the ombudsman, but it chose to interpret the post differently”.\nIf the company should be punished for anything, it concluded, “it should be for using a tired old meme”.\nWhile it frequently features near the top of world gender-equality rankings, a 2016 study found Sweden was the worst of the Nordic countries at combating sexist advertising. This year,\nStockholm council voted to bar ads deemed sexist or degrading\nfrom the city’s public billboards.","attrs_markdown":"![](https:\/\/sb.scorecardresearch.com\/p?c1=2&c2=6035250&cv=2.0&cj=1&cs_ucfr=0&comscorekw=world)\n\n[Skip to main content](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2018\/sep\/26\/distracted-boyfriend-meme-sexist-swedish-advertising#maincontent)[Skip to navigation](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2018\/sep\/26\/distracted-boyfriend-meme-sexist-swedish-advertising#navigation)\n\nClose dialogue\n\n1\/1\n\nNext image\n\nPrevious image\n\nToggle caption\n\n[Skip to navigation](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2018\/sep\/26\/distracted-boyfriend-meme-sexist-swedish-advertising#navigation)\n\n[Print subscriptions](https:\/\/support.theguardian.com\/subscribe\/weekly?REFPVID=mnb2lnlpi6gw5r4p1gv6&INTCMP=undefined&acquisitionData=%7B%22source%22%3A%22GUARDIAN_WEB%22%2C%22componentId%22%3A%22PrintSubscriptionsHeaderLink%22%2C%22componentType%22%3A%22ACQUISITIONS_HEADER%22%2C%22referrerPageviewId%22%3A%22mnb2lnlpi6gw5r4p1gv6%22%2C%22referrerUrl%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2018%2Fsep%2F26%2Fdistracted-boyfriend-meme-sexist-swedish-advertising%22%7D)\n\n[Search jobs](https:\/\/jobs.theguardian.com\/)\n\n[Sign in](https:\/\/profile.theguardian.com\/signin?INTCMP=DOTCOM_NEWHEADER_SIGNIN&ABCMP=ab-sign-in&componentEventParams=componentType%3Didentityauthentication%26componentId%3Dguardian_signin_header)\n\nEur\n\n- [Europe edition](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/preference\/edition\/eur)\n- [UK edition](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/preference\/edition\/uk)\n- [US edition](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/preference\/edition\/us)\n- [Australia edition](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/preference\/edition\/au)\n- [International edition](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/preference\/edition\/int)\n\n[The Guardian - 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You really don’t want to attract women to your company,” one commenter, Susanne Lahti Hagbard, said. “2. You really don’t want to attract sensible guys either.”\n\nAnother, Sofie Sundåker, said: “It doesn’t matter if it’s a popular meme. If you do not see how this picture is sexist whatever words are on the people, you are clearly not a workplace for any woman who wants to be taken seriously in her work.”\n\nThe company said on its Facebook page that its aim had been “to illustrate a situation that shows Bahnhof is an attractive employer, and that people who have a slightly duller workplace might be interested in us. This was the situation illustrated in this meme.\n\n“Anyone familiar with the internet and meme culture knows how this meme is used and interpreted. Gender is usually irrelevant in the context. We explained meme culture to the ombudsman, but it chose to interpret the post differently”.\n\nIf the company should be punished for anything, it concluded, “it should be for using a tired old meme”.\n\nWhile it frequently features near the top of world gender-equality rankings, a 2016 study found Sweden was the worst of the Nordic countries at combating sexist advertising. This year, [Stockholm council voted to bar ads deemed sexist or degrading](https:\/\/www.thelocal.se\/20180613\/stockholm-bans-sexist-advertising-in-public-spaces) from the city’s public billboards.\n\nExplore more on these topics\n\n- [Sweden](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/sweden)\n- [Internet](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/internet)\n- [Advertising](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/media\/advertising)\n- [Photography](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/artanddesign\/photography)\n- [Europe](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/europe-news)\n- [Discrimination at work](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/money\/discrimination-at-work)\n- [Work & careers](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/money\/work-and-careers)\n- [news](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/tone\/news)\n\nShare\n\n[Reuse this content](https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2018%2Fsep%2F26%2Fdistracted-boyfriend-meme-sexist-swedish-advertising&type=article&internalpagecode=world\/2018\/sep\/26\/distracted-boyfriend-meme-sexist-swedish-advertising \"Reuse this content\")\n\n### Most viewed\n- [![](https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/3f09e42d46d785d5662fa52992d13e17e770d5d2\/633_0_4790_3832\/master\/4790.jpg?width=75&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none) No Kings protests: millions rally in cities around the world against Trump and his administration – as it happened](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/live\/2026\/mar\/28\/no-kings-protests-us-trump-administration-latest-updates)\n- [![](https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/227452e2585a7a09bb0525e2573b379ed70fe890\/1026_0_4474_3579\/master\/4474.jpg?width=75&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none) LiveMiddle East crisis live: Houthis carry out ‘second military operation’ against Israel and vow to continue in coming 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All rights reserved.\n\n(dcr)","attrs_readable_markdown":"The popular Distracted Boyfriend meme, based on a photo of a man turning away from his outraged girlfriend to stare admiringly at another woman, has been ruled sexist by Sweden’s advertising ombudsman.\n\nThe stock image, also known as Man Looking at Other Woman, by Antonio Guillem, a photographer from Barcelona, was named [meme of the year in April](https:\/\/knowyourmeme.com\/memes\/distracted-boyfriend) and was one of the most widely shared memes in 2017, [providing comment](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/media\/2017\/aug\/30\/the-team-that-made-the-distracted-boyfriend-meme-have-split-up) on anything from music to politics to hit TV shows.\n\nThe ombudsman said [recruitment advertisements posted on Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/B4hnh0f\/photos\/a.100545326741705\/1464743516988539\/?type=3) by the internet services provider Bahnhof, which labelled the boyfriend “You”, the girlfriend “Your current workplace”, and the second woman “Bahnhof”, were gender-discriminatory, [the Local reported](https:\/\/www.thelocal.se\/20180925\/distracted-boyfriend-meme-is-sexist-rules-swedens-advertising-ombudsman).\n\n“The advertisement objectifies women,” [the ombudsman, RO, said](https:\/\/reklamombudsmannen.org\/eng\/uttalande\/bahnhof). “It presents women as interchangeable items and suggests only their appearance is interesting … It also shows degrading stereotypical gender roles of both men and women and gives the impression men can change female partners as they change jobs.”\n\nThe ombudsman said the image objectified the two women by presenting them as workplaces, but the man as an individual, and added that the “other woman” was clearly a “sex object ... unrelated to the advertisement, which is for recruiting salespeople, operating engineers and a web designer”.\n\nThe Swedish advertising industry is self-regulating, meaning that the ombudsman can criticise ads but it does not have the power to impose sanctions.\n\nThe ad, posted in April, drew nearly 1,000 comments, many from women who complained it was sexist. “1. You really don’t want to attract women to your company,” one commenter, Susanne Lahti Hagbard, said. “2. You really don’t want to attract sensible guys either.”\n\nAnother, Sofie Sundåker, said: “It doesn’t matter if it’s a popular meme. If you do not see how this picture is sexist whatever words are on the people, you are clearly not a workplace for any woman who wants to be taken seriously in her work.”\n\nThe company said on its Facebook page that its aim had been “to illustrate a situation that shows Bahnhof is an attractive employer, and that people who have a slightly duller workplace might be interested in us. This was the situation illustrated in this meme.\n\n“Anyone familiar with the internet and meme culture knows how this meme is used and interpreted. Gender is usually irrelevant in the context. We explained meme culture to the ombudsman, but it chose to interpret the post differently”.\n\nIf the company should be punished for anything, it concluded, “it should be for using a tired old meme”.\n\nWhile it frequently features near the top of world gender-equality rankings, a 2016 study found Sweden was the worst of the Nordic countries at combating sexist advertising. This year, [Stockholm council voted to bar ads deemed sexist or degrading](https:\/\/www.thelocal.se\/20180613\/stockholm-bans-sexist-advertising-in-public-spaces) from the city’s public billboards.","meta_canonical":null}

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Meta Title	Distracted Boyfriend meme is sexist, rules Swedish ad watchdog \| Sweden \| The Guardian
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Boilerpipe Text	The popular Distracted Boyfriend meme, based on a photo of a man turning away from his outraged girlfriend to stare admiringly at another woman, has been ruled sexist by Sweden’s advertising ombudsman. The stock image, also known as Man Looking at Other Woman, by Antonio Guillem, a photographer from Barcelona, was named meme of the year in April and was one of the most widely shared memes in 2017, providing comment on anything from music to politics to hit TV shows. The ombudsman said recruitment advertisements posted on Facebook by the internet services provider Bahnhof, which labelled the boyfriend “You”, the girlfriend “Your current workplace”, and the second woman “Bahnhof”, were gender-discriminatory, the Local reported . “The advertisement objectifies women,” the ombudsman, RO, said . “It presents women as interchangeable items and suggests only their appearance is interesting … It also shows degrading stereotypical gender roles of both men and women and gives the impression men can change female partners as they change jobs.” The ombudsman said the image objectified the two women by presenting them as workplaces, but the man as an individual, and added that the “other woman” was clearly a “sex object ... unrelated to the advertisement, which is for recruiting salespeople, operating engineers and a web designer”. The Swedish advertising industry is self-regulating, meaning that the ombudsman can criticise ads but it does not have the power to impose sanctions. The ad, posted in April, drew nearly 1,000 comments, many from women who complained it was sexist. “1. You really don’t want to attract women to your company,” one commenter, Susanne Lahti Hagbard, said. “2. You really don’t want to attract sensible guys either.” Another, Sofie Sundåker, said: “It doesn’t matter if it’s a popular meme. If you do not see how this picture is sexist whatever words are on the people, you are clearly not a workplace for any woman who wants to be taken seriously in her work.” The company said on its Facebook page that its aim had been “to illustrate a situation that shows Bahnhof is an attractive employer, and that people who have a slightly duller workplace might be interested in us. This was the situation illustrated in this meme. “Anyone familiar with the internet and meme culture knows how this meme is used and interpreted. Gender is usually irrelevant in the context. We explained meme culture to the ombudsman, but it chose to interpret the post differently”. If the company should be punished for anything, it concluded, “it should be for using a tired old meme”. While it frequently features near the top of world gender-equality rankings, a 2016 study found Sweden was the worst of the Nordic countries at combating sexist advertising. This year, Stockholm council voted to bar ads deemed sexist or degrading from the city’s public billboards.
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[Tips](https://www.theguardian.com/tips) - - [Search jobs](https://jobs.theguardian.com/) - [Holidays](https://holidays.theguardian.com/?INTCMP=holidays_int_web_newheader) - [Digital Archive](https://theguardian.newspapers.com/) - [Guardian Licensing](https://licensing.theguardian.com/) - [Live events](https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-live-events?INTCMP=live_eur_header_dropdown) - [About Us](https://www.theguardian.com/about) - [World](https://www.theguardian.com/world) - [Europe](https://www.theguardian.com/world/europe-news) - [US news](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news) - [Americas](https://www.theguardian.com/world/americas) - [Asia](https://www.theguardian.com/world/asia) - [Australia](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news) - [Middle East](https://www.theguardian.com/world/middleeast) - [Africa](https://www.theguardian.com/world/africa) - [Inequality](https://www.theguardian.com/inequality) - [Global development](https://www.theguardian.com/global-development) ![One of the many versions of the distracted boyfriend meme](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/b8ff4ff58612ad101bcdd888abb039864ae4f637/0_69_1200_720/master/1200.jpg?width=465&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none) One of the many versions of the distracted boyfriend meme Photograph: Antonio Guillem [View image in fullscreen](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/26/distracted-boyfriend-meme-sexist-swedish-advertising#img-1) One of the many versions of the distracted boyfriend meme Photograph: Antonio Guillem [Sweden](https://www.theguardian.com/world/sweden) This article is more than 7 years old # Distracted Boyfriend meme is sexist, rules Swedish ad watchdog This article is more than 7 years old Popular image of man ogling another woman deemed degrading and discriminatory [Jon Henley](https://www.theguardian.com/profile/jonhenley) Wed 26 Sep 2018 12.06 CEST Last modified on Wed 1 Jul 2020 18.25 CEST Share [Prefer the Guardian on Google](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=theguardian.com) The popular Distracted Boyfriend meme, based on a photo of a man turning away from his outraged girlfriend to stare admiringly at another woman, has been ruled sexist by Sweden’s advertising ombudsman. The stock image, also known as Man Looking at Other Woman, by Antonio Guillem, a photographer from Barcelona, was named [meme of the year in April](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/distracted-boyfriend) and was one of the most widely shared memes in 2017, [providing comment](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/aug/30/the-team-that-made-the-distracted-boyfriend-meme-have-split-up) on anything from music to politics to hit TV shows. [![The ‘distracted boyfriend’ meme could even apply to this article.](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/43b3638704d7ebfadddd4be59d06b49bf8901b0e/0_72_1200_720/master/1200.jpg?width=460&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=38647b65ca83c8a208ac6f13ce775820)I didn't know what a meme was, says Distracted Boyfriend photographer Read more](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/aug/30/the-team-that-made-the-distracted-boyfriend-meme-have-split-up) The ombudsman said [recruitment advertisements posted on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/B4hnh0f/photos/a.100545326741705/1464743516988539/?type=3) by the internet services provider Bahnhof, which labelled the boyfriend “You”, the girlfriend “Your current workplace”, and the second woman “Bahnhof”, were gender-discriminatory, [the Local reported](https://www.thelocal.se/20180925/distracted-boyfriend-meme-is-sexist-rules-swedens-advertising-ombudsman). “The advertisement objectifies women,” [the ombudsman, RO, said](https://reklamombudsmannen.org/eng/uttalande/bahnhof). “It presents women as interchangeable items and suggests only their appearance is interesting … It also shows degrading stereotypical gender roles of both men and women and gives the impression men can change female partners as they change jobs.” The ombudsman said the image objectified the two women by presenting them as workplaces, but the man as an individual, and added that the “other woman” was clearly a “sex object ... unrelated to the advertisement, which is for recruiting salespeople, operating engineers and a web designer”. The Swedish advertising industry is self-regulating, meaning that the ombudsman can criticise ads but it does not have the power to impose sanctions. The ad, posted in April, drew nearly 1,000 comments, many from women who complained it was sexist. “1. You really don’t want to attract women to your company,” one commenter, Susanne Lahti Hagbard, said. “2. You really don’t want to attract sensible guys either.” Another, Sofie Sundåker, said: “It doesn’t matter if it’s a popular meme. If you do not see how this picture is sexist whatever words are on the people, you are clearly not a workplace for any woman who wants to be taken seriously in her work.” The company said on its Facebook page that its aim had been “to illustrate a situation that shows Bahnhof is an attractive employer, and that people who have a slightly duller workplace might be interested in us. This was the situation illustrated in this meme. “Anyone familiar with the internet and meme culture knows how this meme is used and interpreted. Gender is usually irrelevant in the context. We explained meme culture to the ombudsman, but it chose to interpret the post differently”. If the company should be punished for anything, it concluded, “it should be for using a tired old meme”. While it frequently features near the top of world gender-equality rankings, a 2016 study found Sweden was the worst of the Nordic countries at combating sexist advertising. This year, [Stockholm council voted to bar ads deemed sexist or degrading](https://www.thelocal.se/20180613/stockholm-bans-sexist-advertising-in-public-spaces) from the city’s public billboards. Explore more on these topics - [Sweden](https://www.theguardian.com/world/sweden) - [Internet](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/internet) - [Advertising](https://www.theguardian.com/media/advertising) - [Photography](https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/photography) - [Europe](https://www.theguardian.com/world/europe-news) - [Discrimination at work](https://www.theguardian.com/money/discrimination-at-work) - [Work & careers](https://www.theguardian.com/money/work-and-careers) - [news](https://www.theguardian.com/tone/news) Share [Reuse this content](https://syndication.theguardian.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2018%2Fsep%2F26%2Fdistracted-boyfriend-meme-sexist-swedish-advertising&type=article&internalpagecode=world/2018/sep/26/distracted-boyfriend-meme-sexist-swedish-advertising "Reuse this content") ### Most viewed - [![](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3f09e42d46d785d5662fa52992d13e17e770d5d2/633_0_4790_3832/master/4790.jpg?width=75&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none) No Kings protests: millions rally in cities around the world against Trump and his administration – as it happened](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/mar/28/no-kings-protests-us-trump-administration-latest-updates) - [![](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/227452e2585a7a09bb0525e2573b379ed70fe890/1026_0_4474_3579/master/4474.jpg?width=75&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none) LiveMiddle East crisis live: Houthis carry out ‘second military operation’ against Israel and vow to continue in coming days](https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/mar/28/middle-east-crisis-live-iran-war-updates-trump-us-negotiations-israel-strikes-lebanon-tehran-syria-explosions) - [![](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/97304fe5f498025f770c163525413048c2db9dd1/456_554_2991_2393/master/2991.jpg?width=75&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none) The moment I knew: It felt like the end of the world – then he smiled at me on the dancefloor](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/mar/28/moment-knew-adelaide-fringe-dancefloor) - [![](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/95062cdf621e469c6e910d09e8e7e75b65e56154/829_130_3171_2537/master/3171.jpg?width=75&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none) Sugar high(st): more than twelve tons of KitKat’s ‘new chocolate range’ stolen in Italy](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/28/kitkat-stolen-italy-f1-bar) - [![](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/099f5d366920f244463df87abd40e2ef02698ce0/749_381_2981_2385/master/2981.jpg?width=75&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none) No Kings protests across the world: in pictures](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/gallery/2026/mar/28/no-kings-protests-across-the-world-in-pictures) ## Related stories ## Related stories - ![](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/55aff9930ec35839fbee1ec61e1f31ee20f8dee5/80_411_5915_3549/master/5915.jpg?width=220&dpr=1&s=none&crop=5%3A4) ### What is DEI and why is Trump opposed to it? 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Readable Markdown	The popular Distracted Boyfriend meme, based on a photo of a man turning away from his outraged girlfriend to stare admiringly at another woman, has been ruled sexist by Sweden’s advertising ombudsman. The stock image, also known as Man Looking at Other Woman, by Antonio Guillem, a photographer from Barcelona, was named [meme of the year in April](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/distracted-boyfriend) and was one of the most widely shared memes in 2017, [providing comment](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/aug/30/the-team-that-made-the-distracted-boyfriend-meme-have-split-up) on anything from music to politics to hit TV shows. The ombudsman said [recruitment advertisements posted on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/B4hnh0f/photos/a.100545326741705/1464743516988539/?type=3) by the internet services provider Bahnhof, which labelled the boyfriend “You”, the girlfriend “Your current workplace”, and the second woman “Bahnhof”, were gender-discriminatory, [the Local reported](https://www.thelocal.se/20180925/distracted-boyfriend-meme-is-sexist-rules-swedens-advertising-ombudsman). “The advertisement objectifies women,” [the ombudsman, RO, said](https://reklamombudsmannen.org/eng/uttalande/bahnhof). “It presents women as interchangeable items and suggests only their appearance is interesting … It also shows degrading stereotypical gender roles of both men and women and gives the impression men can change female partners as they change jobs.” The ombudsman said the image objectified the two women by presenting them as workplaces, but the man as an individual, and added that the “other woman” was clearly a “sex object ... unrelated to the advertisement, which is for recruiting salespeople, operating engineers and a web designer”. The Swedish advertising industry is self-regulating, meaning that the ombudsman can criticise ads but it does not have the power to impose sanctions. The ad, posted in April, drew nearly 1,000 comments, many from women who complained it was sexist. “1. You really don’t want to attract women to your company,” one commenter, Susanne Lahti Hagbard, said. “2. You really don’t want to attract sensible guys either.” Another, Sofie Sundåker, said: “It doesn’t matter if it’s a popular meme. If you do not see how this picture is sexist whatever words are on the people, you are clearly not a workplace for any woman who wants to be taken seriously in her work.” The company said on its Facebook page that its aim had been “to illustrate a situation that shows Bahnhof is an attractive employer, and that people who have a slightly duller workplace might be interested in us. This was the situation illustrated in this meme. “Anyone familiar with the internet and meme culture knows how this meme is used and interpreted. Gender is usually irrelevant in the context. We explained meme culture to the ombudsman, but it chose to interpret the post differently”. If the company should be punished for anything, it concluded, “it should be for using a tired old meme”. While it frequently features near the top of world gender-equality rankings, a 2016 study found Sweden was the worst of the Nordic countries at combating sexist advertising. This year, [Stockholm council voted to bar ads deemed sexist or degrading](https://www.thelocal.se/20180613/stockholm-bans-sexist-advertising-in-public-spaces) from the city’s public billboards.
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