The famous PSP poster was less disarming than expected. Many people criticized the 'sexist exploitation of the female body'.
During the election campaign of 1971 there was a lot of commotion about a poster of a cow with a stark naked woman in front of it. The Pacifist Socialist Party (PSP) founded in 1957 advocated international disarmament with this poster.
Many people found the display of female nudes shocking. In many municipalities, the PSP poster was banned for "violation of public morals" and "the titillating content". Also within the PSP there was criticism of what was called the 'sexist exploitation of the female body'. The windows were smashed at designer George Noordanus.
Photographer Hendrik-Jan Koldeweij did not take the photo for the PSP. He just wanted to take a typical Dutch photo and photographed the 25-year-old law student Saskia Holleman in a meadow near Nootdorp. “She turned out not to be very photogenic,” Koldewei said later, “hence the blond wig.” Curious farmers watched from a distance. The photo then ended up with Noordanus, who had to design a poster for the PSP. The poster would shock civilians in the Netherlands and gain fame beyond its borders.
The poster did not become a major vote-puller. In 1971, the party lost half of its four seats in parliament. In 1990 the PSP was merged into GroenLinks.