Excuse Me Miss

Hit the Bitch . . . ?!

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 02:08:05 -0500

About a week ago, the Danish orgnaization ‘Children Exposed to Violence at Home’ launched a website and web campaign against violence called ‘Hit the Bitch.’ The interactive website features a woman standing in front of a male hand. The website then prompts you to decide whether you will hit the woman via mouse or webcam. You are then asked to slap the woman repeatedly. With each slap you give her, she becomes bloodied and weak, eventually lapsing to the ground. This simulation of domestic abuse and/or violence against women was supposedly launched in an attempt to combat violence against women.

The Danish organization claims that the website is part of an anti-violence and anti-misogyny campaign. Their final bolstering fact: if you continue to hit the woman till the very end of the simulation, you will be told that you are not a “Gangsta” but that you are, in fact, an idiot.

I’m positive that I’m not alone in my shock and awe at the stupidity and hypocrisy of this web campaign. A supposedly anti-violence campaign built on the premise of allowing people the perverse pleasure of enacting violence without facing the reality and the actual ramifications of that violence? Right….very effective indeed.

The website has been limited now to residents of Denmark, for reasons of site traffic (supposedly). But for those who can tolerate it, you can see enactments on youtube. Be careful though, this is intense imagery.

We need to fight images like this in the media and more importantly, we need to fight to end gender violence. Check out this cite to get involved in the 16 days of activism against gender violence:

http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/16days/home.html

Whoa, for srsly?

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:23:27 -0400

I can’t embed this video but you have got to check this out. This is quite probably one of the most ridiculous vidlogs I’ve come across in quite some time. It’s from the We TV feature, Amy vs. John, in which a husband & wife duo take to the camera to problem solve and open up dialogue (though how good it is, or isn’t, is pretty clear).

http://www.wetv.com/video/1906795702/female-stereotypes

abbyjean: A sexy school girl witch? Are you fucking kidding...

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:42:52 -0400

abbyjean:

A sexy school girl witch? Are you fucking kidding me? So, what? Now we’re just mashing our heterosexual male fantasies together? Maybe I’ll dress as a slave princess kitten pirate. With wings. (sexgenderbody)

The folks at Evian are probably still sky high from the success...

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:36:51 -0400

The folks at Evian are probably still sky high from the success of this ad campaign. It’s been at the top of the charts since mid-summer. Creepy or cute? You decide.

So, I know it’s been a while. I apologize for the hiatus,...

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:29:12 -0400

So, I know it’s been a while. I apologize for the hiatus, but I’m back on in full-swing. And I come bearing some really messed up ad-stumbles. Frito Lay recently launched a new campaign called “Only in a Woman’s World.” The chip company’s efforts are…misguided, to say the least. They’re perpetually unclear about their platform and their mission but yet they’ve launched a full-scale website and web-series (14+ webisodes and counting!)

The website features arenas in which you can ‘Meet the Girls’ who are, “fearlessly female,” as well as places to ‘Escape and Play’ and ‘Send E-Cards.’ But honestly, if you’re looking to escape, this premise isn’t going to make you happy. All it does is enforce sexism and continue to perpetuate ideas of female bonding as a synonym for ingroup hatred and judgment.

Each webisode (including the above), features a woman who has, for whatever reason, gained a bit of weight. What ensues is an encounter with one or more people who either assume that she’s pregnant or assuage her worries that she’s gained weight so as to avoid her wrath.

In the video posted here, a woman attempts to fit into a pair of her pants for agonizing minutes on end. She then calls upon her husband and puts the blame on him. After he denies having put the jeans in the dryer, he comes to her side to help her pull them up over her waist. When he realizes that they won’t fit, he has a moment of panic. Thereafter, he decides it’s best to take the blame so he won’t have to deal with the fallout of his wife’s insecurity. He concedes to having dried the pants by accident and the webisode can safely wrap itself up now that the woman has been mollified and we no longer have to worry about her lashing out.

This campaign is grossly underdeveloped. If it’s trying to tell us that women are all obese and that the proposed solution is to lie to them or assuage their insecurities (for which the media is largely responsible), well, that’s pretty fucked up. I’ve been a big fan of my Baked Lays but this is shedding some new light on the team whose chips I’ve munched on for decades. Srsly, Frito-Lay, take a hint from 7-Up and Shove it Up Yours.

"We also have to offer men a vision of the world that gives them a way out of the masculinity trap...."

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:05:00 -0400

“We also have to offer men a vision of the world that gives them a way out of the masculinity trap. Many men feel distress over the way in which patriarchy undermines our humanity. I emphasize this not to elevate men’s pain, but to argue that if we don’t take account of men’s pain we may not be able to change the world to end men’s violence against women.”

- Robert Jensen, Voice Male Spring ‘07

(This quote encapsulates why I do the work that I do.)

What's Tappening These Days?

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:08:00 -0400

At some point, I developed a deep-seated hatred and phobia of tap water. I always chose bottled over tap but this summer a dialogue rose between my roommates and I about whether to buy bottled or stick with the Brita. Since I live in Northampton, where talk of water quality is always filled with gross facts, I was convinced that bottled water was the answer. But Tappening Campaign got me thinking otherwise.

The company, founded by two twenty-five year marketing veterans (Eric Yaverbaum and Mark DiMassimo), is responsible for running the “drinking problem” ad campaign during this year’s elections.

Eventually, the company ran this ad (word):

But the company has recently let loose a new campaign that’s garnering a whole lot of attention, including mine. The new campaign’s premise is to purposefully start a lie about bottled water, the same tactic that bottled-water companies use to turn people away from tap water.

DiMassimo said: “Puffery is one thing, but some advertising is simply lies. I’ve observed that there are two types who perpetrate this: Those who admit it and those who don’t.”

Yaverbaum added: “We’re not just admitting it up front, we’re bragging about it. We want people to know we’re blatantly lying in our new campaign…and, most importantly, that everyone should pay close attention to what’s factual in marketing and what’s – not so much.”

The campaign’s new website features the tagline: “If they can lie, so can you.” I’ve got to say, it feels kind of good that a company as significant as the ones that decieve us are giving us a chance to to engage in a way that can bust the bad guys. I’m not usually a fan of the eye for an eye tactic but these guys are pretty damn clever and they’re making a positive impact. And for that, I’ll surely get on board.

Forget about the play in Ottowa, the real Sexy Laundry is...

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:40:32 -0400

Forget about the play in Ottowa, the real Sexy Laundry is apparently happening with Hoover’s new washer. This ad is too ridiculous not to watch.

One of the most intriguing and clever advertisements I’ve...

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:32:25 -0400

One of the most intriguing and clever advertisements I’ve seen in a long while. It’s troublesome in many ways but right now I’m mostly fascinated by the concept. Check it out.

Amazing. iheartmyart: francescaferrara:kindlerya:enkidu: lickyst...

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:15:29 -0400

Amazing.

iheartmyart:

francescaferrara:kindlerya:enkidu:

lickystickypickyme:Freedom

AIDS Prevention & Awareness Campaigns

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:14:32 -0400

I started taking a look yesterday at AIDS awareness/prevention campaigns from different countries. Take a look, it’s interesting to see ads from other countries in comparison to the U.S. What’s been most troubling is that in the U.S., where the epidemic is increasing in high numbers, concern about the disease is decreasing. Hopefully Obama’s new initiative will bring a greater emphasis on the issue. In comparison to foreign ads, the advertisement from Obama’s new campaign is less sexualized. Though it still plays on the emotionality of a devastating situation, it drives the point home without engaging in the distraction of nudity or explicit sexuality. That leaves me with hope for the 5-year initiative.

Switzerland ‘06 - Tagline: “No action without protection”

Germany ‘06 - Tagline: “It’s easy to lose your head when you’re horny”

France ‘07 - Tagline: “Without precautions, it’s with AIDS that you’re making love”

Scotland ‘07 - Tagline: “They would talk about HIV status but Ken’s got his mouth full”

France ‘08 - Tagline: “Explore. Just protect yourself.”

America ‘09 - Tagline: “AIDS is DC’s Katrina”

"Why Vampires Never Die"

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:31:10 -0400

"Why Vampires Never Die":

So, once upon a time I used to be wildly obsessed with Buffy. After the show’s seven year run I didn’t think there’d ever be a huge resurgence of vampires in the media. But you know, one can never predict these things. True Blood, The Vampire Diaries, Twilight, Vampire High, etc. None of it has been making sense to me but Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan do a great job of explaining all of it in today’s Times.

So, I realize this video totally exploits our nostalgia but...

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:38:00 -0400

So, I realize this video totally exploits our nostalgia but still, I’m quite impressed.

In the words of David Bollier, pathologies of advertising...

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:00:14 -0400

In the words of David Bollier, pathologies of advertising culture.

"Burger King announced Monday that it would tone down the sexual content of its advertising."

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:53:59 -0400

“Burger King announced Monday that it would tone down the sexual content of its advertising.”

- Emily Bryson York from Advertising Age

Okay, so, even I’m in awe of this technology but I’m...

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:50:16 -0400

Okay, so, even I’m in awe of this technology but I’m wiping my drool to simply say: seriously? Another video game platform released on the premise of bringing families together?

“Putting a Bromance to an Erotic Test” (See the NYT...

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:43:42 -0400

“Putting a Bromance to an Erotic Test” (See the NYT Review of Lynn Shelton’s Humpday.)

"Are Robots Real?"

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:27:00 -0400

Historically, robots have always been a part of our visual and social culture, from pin-ups to film, from science to advertising. The desire to fantasize about future technologies, the assertion of control over another psuedo-human figure, the hope for a brigade of justice - all of these and more contribute to the interest in and often times obsession about robots and robotic figures. But, in recent years, there has been an abundance of robotic bodies featured in ad campaigns, films and art work. When following the trend from the 80s up until now, two things are interesting and important to note.

1. Earlier on, our collective imagination could not conceive of a robot who was not, in part, human. I’m hesitant to say that this is because of a lack of technology because in certain venues such robots (fully machine) were being produced. Some films (Star Wars) actually went forth and created non-human robots. However, robots that weren’t part human didn’t really posess human features. Yet nowadays, robots are evolving to become more and more human, in feature, affect and ability.

A 1980s toy called Space Walk Man. Though it featured the word ‘Man’ in its title, it functioned fully as and looked completely like a machine.

1987 RoboCop - the concept of the robot expanded open up the possibility of to a half man, half robot.

The 1990s humanoid robot. This robot posessed many human features but the necessity for an actual human evaporated.

A robot from the 2004 film, I-Robot in which robots were created to take the place of humans and wherein the robots nearly overthrew humanity.

2. Since they are our creation, of course they must reflect the ideologies that are prevalent in our society. So, robots aren’t free of gender biases. When looking at images of robotic figures in the past few decades, it’s interesting to note the ways in which they’re poised. The body language, the stature and the roles given to such robots are parallel to the positioning of women and men in our culture. I find this fascinating because the robotic body has always dwelled in such a realm of fantasy, a space in which anything can happen; Yet, somehow, we still seem convinced that gender norms are one thing we can’t break free of, even in a land of wonder and possibility.

Male and female robot from Ideas Unlimited. Of course, the male robot is positioned as holding the female robot, protecting her as she leans on his shoulder.

A robot featured in an article about the possibility of robotic lovers for women.

A 2007 advertisement for a spin-off show on FOX that featured a female robot. Not only is she being controlled (notice the puppet strings), but she is also halved and incomplete.

A 2009 CGI rendering from Terminator Salvation, a half-man, half-robot, poised for extreme action.

The most recent Svedka vodka campaign, featuring a femmebot posing seductively for viewers.

If you’re interested in the topic of robots in our culture, definitely check out Despina Kakoudaki’s (A professor at American University) recent work: “Are Robots Real? The Robot as an Object of Study.” You can find the paper online or try to catch one of her lectures. Here’s a little rundown of what her work is about:

This talk explores the figure of the robot as an object of study, and one that specifically requires an integration of methodologies from both the humanities and the sciences. Traditionally, the figure of the robot has been regarded very differently in these two realms: in the sciences, it is related to the promises of scientific inquiry, and motivates research and innovation in actual technological applications, or the future possibility for such applications. In the humanities, however, the robot is a figure of fiction and science fiction, which, despite its un-reality channels feelings about culture and technology, difference and justice, often in indirect ways. After exploring the implications and fundamental trends of the two modes, the paper proposes that an integrated interdisciplinary methodology would allow us to better understand the attraction and meaning of the robot as a figure, without resorting to the binary opposition between fantasy and reality. Using examples from fiction, popular culture, recent scientific applications and research in robotics, I argue that the two approaches fuel each other: as cultural figures, robots are both real and imaginary, and indeed it is often their imaginary qualities that fuel and inspire actual research. Despite the claims of roboticists that real robots are immanent, the cultural power and meaning of robots comes from their fictional and literary tradition, indeed from their unreality, their virtuality.

hm…interesting commentary. sabino: It’s actually difficult...

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:28:17 -0400

hm…interesting commentary.

sabino:

It’s actually difficult to find nice photos of men..

For the most part, I’ve refrained from any commentary on...

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:20:02 -0400

For the most part, I’ve refrained from any commentary on Michael Jackson’s death but being from Michigan, I have to at least pay homage in this way.