Culture-Jamming Sexist Ads

From Sociological Images: Reader Tara C. sent in a great excuse to revive an old post featuring public resistance to marketing that sexually objectifies women. As I wrote back then, this resistance shows that:

Adding commentary to the ubiquitous images that surround us [can help] us to notice, even if just temporarily, that our environment is toxic to our ability to think of all people as full and complete humans.

Commentary on a Special K. ad in Dublin, sent in by Tara C. (via Broadsheet):

Text:

Hey there Special-K Lady.

I know you think I should diet

So I can be slim just like you.

thing is, I think I look pretty fabulous

Just the way I am

Also, Special-K tastes like cardboard

so piss off

Toban B. sent us a set of photographs. These were snapped in Seattle, Washington by Jonathan McIntosh:

This one was written on by a teenage girl in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. It reads: “I’m sick of sexually tinted images.”

Tricia V. sent us an example of this kind of resistance in Haiti. The billboard below is in for a brand of beer called Prestige. Tricia writes: “The writing [along the bottom of] the billboard says “Ko O+ pa machandiz” which translates as ‘Women’s bodies are not merchandise.’” She was impressed at the effort exerted to climb up and write across a full-sized billboard.

Ang B. snapped this photo in Madison, Wisconsin:


Some further examples:

For an example of backlash to public anti-sexist messages, see this post on defending privilege (trigger warning).

Pictures from here, here, and here.

This post was originally published on Sociological Images.

About