Glossed Over: Where we take a closer look at what advertisements are really selling.
Dear Environmental Movement,
A naked Playboy centerfold being ogled by dogs as an obvious rip-off on Victoria Secret Angels does not make me more responsive to the countless “give us money” emails, calendars and address labels you keep sending me this time of year.
It does make me wonder why I bother to keep on recycling for you, if we’re just saving the planet so guys can get porn. We vote on your issues, volunteer more time, and give you more money than men do. Please stop hating on women to make your point.
Thanks,
Virginia
[Via: Sirens.]
9 Comments
December 5, 2009 at 3:42 PM
Why can’t PETA get it right? Yes, they need to employ tactics that get people’s attention, so that they can then use their air time to share the facts (which then speak for themselves). But they don’t seem to understand that their tactics have to make sense and relate back to their message. I seriously wonder if every strat meeting they have ends with, “You know the drill guys: sex sells!”
I wish I had the time and dough to create an animal rights organization of my own. It would have a similar mission as PETA’s, but it would accomplish more.
December 5, 2009 at 4:39 PM
Amen. And great post, Damsel (peeps, check out: http://damsel.typepad.com/damsel/2009/12/peta-wants-you-to-go-naked-adopt-a-dog.html).
I clicked through to see those other ads, and argh! That Sexiest Vegetarian contest! Because what we need to fight animal exploitation is another frigging beauty pageant. Sigh.
December 5, 2009 at 9:09 PM
Dear World,
We are living in the 21st century. Find a new theme.
December 7, 2009 at 5:05 PM
Hey Virginia, wondering if it’s fair to equate PETA with “the environmental movement.” Maybe I’m sheltered, but I can’t think of examples of any other environmental or animal welfare groups playing to sexism like this. This type of PETA activism seems so specifically its own thing………. –Maybe worth digging deeper here to figure out what it adds up to. Something like their outrage at what happens to animals resulting in thinking that anything goes for people –maybe even relishing in playing to some basic contempt for women –and men?
December 7, 2009 at 11:22 PM
Oh, I quite agree that PETA is it’s own peculiar brand of activism. Their penchant for naked ladies started with the “I’d rather go naked than wear fur” campaign, which I didn’t object to, since it the message made sense and the featured celebrities volunteered for the photos because they believed in the cause. Plus i liked how it sort of parodied the dairy industry’s milk mustache ads.
Alas, they’ve now lost the plot. While I’m sure Playmate Joanna Krupa does support animal rights, I don’t get why they have to support objectifying women at the same time. (And I’ve never seen a PETA ad featuring a naked man — but commenters, please correct me if I’ve missed one!)
But the reason I lumped the environmental movement all together in this post is that the PETA ad followed fast on the heels of Method’s creepy “Shiny Suds” video, where soap suds ogle a naked woman showering as a way to raise our awareness about chemicals in cleaning products. (See my posts on this at http://beautyschooledproject.com/2009/11/23/glossed-over-people-against-dirty-campaign/ and http://beautyschooledproject.com/2009/11/30/glossed-over-method-says-its-sorry-please-buy-their-soap/)
The environmental movement may not always objectify women, but they’re definitely riffing off that theme at the moment.
PS. Also, check out activist Stacy Malkan’s book NOT JUST A PRETTY FACE for some fascinating history on how the mainstream green movement has consistently dismissed research on chemicals in cosmetics as fluffy and irrelevant to the cause.
December 8, 2009 at 5:29 PM
You are right! Here’s the environmental web site GRIST, treating the PETA ad as something that only crazy Christians and Fox News would object to…..sad to be proved wrong again
http://www.grist.org/article/2009-12-02-peta-on-one-side-fox-on-the-other-boobs
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