I am only one, but still I am one
Doubt anyone outside Ireland has seen the recent Hunky Dory crisps (or chips for you over-the-Atlantic people out there) ads, but they make me so angry I could spit. And people's reactions or lack thereof make me even more angry. JEN SMASH.
Most of the ads in question can be seen here. I'm forced to sit in traffic and stare down the top of some scantily clad woman, oogling a huge set of tits when I really don't fucking want to. It is overtly sexist and makes fun of that fact - a supposedly 'strong' woman, beautiful and sporty, stares the viewer in the eye, both implicating and challenging them, demanding to know if you're objectifying her when clearly we're being MADE to.
How have we taken such a step back that advertisers can get away with this blatantly sexually exploitative, demeaning and debasing shit?? It automatically alienates and objectifies half of the consumer audience. Any other ad that depicts a person of ethnicity or member of a minority with a racial slur attached as a 'funny' slogan would not have made it to nationwide billboards and bus shelters, let alone STAY there. The ads violate the code of advertising as laid out by The Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland by doing all this. And they violate women's goddamn human rights.
I've discussed this with enlightened and level headed friends, thank you nienneh and abydosww, and some who just don't see what's right in front of them. One such friend, who is a staunch animal rights supporter and highly opinionated and motivated on so many things and who I thought would look at this rationally, told me that this advertising was "typical and common", that we've seen it before and shouldn't be shocked by it. Yes, I told her, it is typical, but only because we LET it be. People don't take a stand and just because we're fighting the status quo doesn't mean we should STOP because people won't listen! Apparently her advice is to ignore it and hope it goes away. And for me to get angry about it is to "play into their hands". I just...I just cannot comprehend.
But I decided not to stand idly by for once and to actually make a stand. To chip away at the great (presently) immovable rock that is patriarchy one crisp ad at a time. And I made a formal complaint to the ASAI. While it may not do a bit of difference, I can't sit back and think someone else will do it.
I found this quote today, and it is just perfection:
I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do - Helen Keller
Most of the ads in question can be seen here. I'm forced to sit in traffic and stare down the top of some scantily clad woman, oogling a huge set of tits when I really don't fucking want to. It is overtly sexist and makes fun of that fact - a supposedly 'strong' woman, beautiful and sporty, stares the viewer in the eye, both implicating and challenging them, demanding to know if you're objectifying her when clearly we're being MADE to.
How have we taken such a step back that advertisers can get away with this blatantly sexually exploitative, demeaning and debasing shit?? It automatically alienates and objectifies half of the consumer audience. Any other ad that depicts a person of ethnicity or member of a minority with a racial slur attached as a 'funny' slogan would not have made it to nationwide billboards and bus shelters, let alone STAY there. The ads violate the code of advertising as laid out by The Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland by doing all this. And they violate women's goddamn human rights.
I've discussed this with enlightened and level headed friends, thank you nienneh and abydosww, and some who just don't see what's right in front of them. One such friend, who is a staunch animal rights supporter and highly opinionated and motivated on so many things and who I thought would look at this rationally, told me that this advertising was "typical and common", that we've seen it before and shouldn't be shocked by it. Yes, I told her, it is typical, but only because we LET it be. People don't take a stand and just because we're fighting the status quo doesn't mean we should STOP because people won't listen! Apparently her advice is to ignore it and hope it goes away. And for me to get angry about it is to "play into their hands". I just...I just cannot comprehend.
But I decided not to stand idly by for once and to actually make a stand. To chip away at the great (presently) immovable rock that is patriarchy one crisp ad at a time. And I made a formal complaint to the ASAI. While it may not do a bit of difference, I can't sit back and think someone else will do it.
I found this quote today, and it is just perfection:
I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do - Helen Keller