Layers of Inequality Within Media & Resistance

 

Sophie Scholl, a member of the White Rose anti-Nazi student group. She was executed by guillotine after being convicted of "high treason" in 1943 Germany. Her crime? Distributing anti-war leaflets at the University of Munich. She was 21. 

     In George Orwell's science fiction dystopian book, "1984," we come across a quote that tells us whoever controls the past controls the future and whoever controls the present controls the past. If we are to understand anything about the state of the world today, this is a powerful hint. The majority of our readings and discussions end up enabling us to see in depth how advertising and the media is an overlooked instrument of socialization. Jean Kilbourne notes: "Turning a human being into a thing is almost always the first step towards justifying violence towards that person." Women (lately, men as well) can be found almost [e v e y w h e r e] as objects. The worst offenders of all are "luxury brands" like Armani, Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Prada, etc. Their ads are so disturbing that I'm not even going to repost them. It gets worse the longer you look at them. A constant theme throughout these is what Kilbourne, Cortese and Naomi Wolf describe as the stranger-danger or abuse/affection cycle.

     Advertising companies and the media apparatus as a whole may deny that they intentionally do this, but ultimately there are consequences. In "Reading Images Critically" by critical theorist Douglas Kellner, we learn that: "Advertising industry claims that advertising is predominately informative, but careful scrutiny of magazine, television, and other image ads indicate that it is overwhelmingly persuasive and symbolic and that its images not only attempt to sell the product by associating it with certain socially desirable qualities, but they sell as well a worldview, a lifestyle, and value system congruent with the imperatives of consumer capitalism." 

     Our economy is one of the roots of the problem, but there are many layers. A basic understanding of psychology and consistent awareness, specifically of power dynamics, to me, is key in not allowing this majorly immoral force to mess with you or your spirit. Thankfully, things have been changing, though slowly, with techniques Anthony Cortese details in "Constructed Bodies, Deconstructing Ads: Sexism in Advertising" such as subvertising (culture jamming collectives like AdBusters) and advocacy advertising. Though they are closely linked with input from the government, the Ad Council has created a lot of very good public service announcements through commercials tackling environmental issues, abortion, racism, addiction, child abuse, domestic violence, suicide, safety, etc. A recent artistic mechanism to confront some of these problems is street art, see: Banksy.

 

The #LikeAGirl campaign is a good example of advocacy advertising (trying to have an influence on public opinion in regard to social issues and concerns, focusing here stereotyping girls and bullying.)

Reach Out, another organization that aims to help kids, teens and young adults with depression, eating disorders, body image, bullying, stress, conflict & drugs and alcohol also produced a video about suicide prevention.

     

     According to the Association of National Advertisers from 1988, the United States was spending a full two percent of the gross national product in ads, way more than was being invested in education at the time. This alone is staggering and disgraceful, especially for such a powerful country like America, that claims to run on democracy, human rights and opportunity for all. "Mass communication has made possible a kind of nationally distributed peer pressure that erodes private and individual values and standards." says Kilbourne. Because kids in junior high and high school are just beginning to learn about their minds and bodies, the effects of advertising and media on them are deeper but many adults are often trapped as well. It is especially intensified these days with the internet surrounding us from all angles and proof of this is everywhere: bullying upgraded to cyber bullying, selfies trying to look like reflections of ads or celebrities, and so on. Media critic and professor Robert McChesney was asked if any of this negativity gets to the companies and breaks it down well by saying: "No, no. In fact, I think they're in the midst of it. In fact, it's maybe very much the opposite. The entertainment companies are a handful of massive conglomerates that own four of the five music companies that sell 90 percent of the music in the United States. Those same companies also own all the film studios, all the major TV networks, and pretty much all the TV stations in the ten largest markets. They own all or part of every single commercial cable channel. They look at the teen market as part of this massive empire that they're colonizing." Quite a statement, but it's incredibly accurate. If they see us as a market to be colonized, then perhaps we shouldn't feed or buy into them? I identify myself as a citizen of the world, not a consumer.

 

United Colors of Benetton is widely known for taking a different approach to advertising, tries to be all inclusive but some of their past campaigns have been controversial.

   In "Hunger as Ideology" from Unbearable Weight by Susan Bordo, we find that a lot of the ads manipulate problems of psychology and try to conflate social roles with "natural" roles. Basically constant stereotyping. As examples, she highlights how foods and cosmetic advertisements for mascara and deodorant try to equate the "contemporary women" (whatever that means) with being in control. They include texts such as "Isn't it just like us to make waves?" and "You've come a long way, baby." supposedly implying notions of female liberation and independence but there is an underlying message to women about hunger, appearance and discipline. Looking at it from this angle, Bordo takes John Berger's "Men act. Women appear." to another level by finding that "Men eat. Women prepare." bringing to light women's roles as nurturers throughout history. Self sacrificing for women is seen has been a positive. By connecting our insecurities directly with a product they create so many illusions that ignore and reduce societal issues to things that can be eliminated just by buying something. I hope we all know that's not the way things work, but the record so far is awful. Media literacy is important, but without asking ourselves the right questions to improve our lives individually and collectively, progress seems like a faraway place.

References:
— Bordo, Susan: Hunger as Ideology
— Cortese Anthony: Constructed Bodies, Deconstructing Ads Sexism in Advertising

— Kellner, Douglas: Reading Images Critically 
— Kilbourne, Jean: Beauty and the Beast of Advertising

— Wolf, Naomi: Culture from The Beauty Myth