Women’s rights activists criticized a cryptocurrency company chaired by Lord Philip Hammond after it hosted a party where guests were served sushi in the hands of scantily clad models.
Shocking leaked images show a group of men in a red lacquered room at the five-star Mandrake hotel in central London, with a partially naked man and woman lying motionless on the table in front of them.
A board had been placed on their stomachs and each had a pillow under his head. Each one seemed to be wearing fine overalls.
Lord Hammond, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, did not attend the private event held by Copper, a company that stores digital assets for its clients.
The man and woman were said to be “wearing bathing suits,” a source close to Copper told the newspaper. Financial times. They added that the event had “a lot of buzz.” . . More performance art than anything sleazy.
But Gwen Rhys, founder and chief executive of Women In The City, said: “Hosts can disguise this in any way, but the bottom line is that if you have to resort to degrading women for sexual arousal, it doesn’t say much about the quality of the financial product. offered.’
The image shows a group of men in the red lacquered room of the five-star Mandrake hotel in central London, with a partially naked man and woman lying motionless on the table in front of them.
An invitation to the after-party, seen by the Financial Times, said it would “transcend the ordinary in the Copper experience.” In the photo: The Mandrake Hotel
The event took place in the hotel’s 20-seat private dining room, set against the backdrop of a huge champagne fridge. The hotel says the room is “Ideal for private meetings, meetings, private dinners and events.”
Meanwhile, S. Monha Sina, director of Equality Now, said: ‘Treating partially dressed women as plates to serve food epitomizes and reinforces a sexist culture that treats women as objects of consumption.
‘It sends the message that women’s bodies are commodities to be exploited for entertainment, which is both unacceptable and deeply worrying.
‘This event was a huge error in judgment and demonstrates the need for greater scrutiny and accountability in corporate culture, particularly in industries that have traditionally been male-dominated and where a lack of diversity and inclusion remains an issue.
‘Describing such degrading objectification of women as ‘performance art’ trivializes gender equality and respect for women. Companies, and particularly their leaders, must demand higher standards and apply ethical principles to ensure they are creating a work environment that is inclusive and respectful for all.’
The after-party came at the end of a large crypto industry conference in the capital.
The event took place in the hotel’s 20-seat private dining room, set against the backdrop of a huge champagne fridge. The hotel says the room is “ideal for private gatherings, meetings, private dinners and events.”
An invitation to the after-party, seen by the financial newspaper, said it would “transcend the ordinary in the Copper experience.” He continued, “Attendees will be able to entertain themselves and explore all five senses.”
Lord Hammond was appointed Chairman of Copper Technologies in 2023, having previously worked for the company as an advisor.
The company builds and manages digital systems for companies that want to invest, trade or use cryptocurrencies.
“As part of our sponsorship of the Digital Asset Summit 2024, we co-hosted an after-party held at the Mandrake Hotel,” Copper told the Financial Times.
It added that the evening “was organized by an external event organizer and open to all delegates as part of the conference.”
A senior company employee also told the newspaper that the event was “not your typical party” and that the industry “is becoming much more civilized.”
After joining the firm in 2021, Lord Hammond said the union of the worlds of traditional and decentralized finance was “going to happen”.
“Most institutions know that, whether we like it or not, it’s going to happen,” he said. CityAM.
“It’s not something anyone running a major financial services company can hide from.”
Former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord Hammond, did not attend the private event held by Copper, a company that stores digital assets for its clients.
Guests queue for the launch of The Mandrake Hotel in September 2017 in London
Copper, Lord Hammond and the Mandrake Hotel have been contacted for comment.
The self-proclaimed ‘crypto bros’ have seen the industry suffer scandals and inappropriate behavior since it was born. Men still dominate larger companies and are often outspoken.
Eating sushi with naked or semi-naked bodies is offered at dinners designed as authentic Japanese experiences.
Nyotaimori, or body sushi, has been banned in China since 2005, citing public health concerns and moral issues. In her native Japan, she is far from popular and is rarely found in the erotic entertainment sector.
Last year, Kanye West raised eyebrows by celebrating his 46th birthday with sushi and sashimi displayed on naked women.
With their nine-year-old daughter in attendance, stars including Chlöe Bailey, Ty Dolla $ign and Freddie Gibbs were expected to dine on the deluxe selection served on female bodies.
“That’s so misogynistic omg,” one furious fan wrote, while another said: “As long as his daughter was around it makes NO sense to me.”
‘What is this exactly? Where’s the fun here? So tomorrow he will be preaching about Jesus Christ and morality,” wrote another.
Women’s rights activist Julie Bindel, who visited a Nyotaimori restaurant in 2010, sharply criticized the use of “human plates.”
Writing about the experience for The GuardianHe said, “Not for the first time that night I wished I was outside in the freezing cold, shouting and waving a banner.”
A Japanese restaurant in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming was banned from offering a “beauty’s body feast” after a firestorm of controversy in 2004.
The health authorities ordered an end to the meals after a health investigation in the restaurant that hired two university girls to lie on the tables. The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Seattle’s Bonzai nightclub was targeted by feminist groups in 2003 when it began promoting body sushi nights.
Kanye West was criticized for serving sushi on naked women’s bodies at his 46th birthday party, where his nine-year-old daughter North was accompanied by his new ‘wife’ Bianca Censori.
“This is definitely not harmless,” said Norma Timbang, executive director of the Asian and Pacific Islander Women and Family Safety Center. NBC News At the time.
‘We are telling men that it is okay to perpetrate the objectification of women. It’s okay to treat women like they’re an object and it’s okay to forget that she’s a human being. “I think that’s the wrong message to send.”
Seven volunteer models worked in 30-minute shifts, dressed in thongs and cellophane.
Naked Sushi also appeared in the crime thriller Rising Sun, starring Wesley Snipes, Sean Connery and Steve Buscemi.