#womennotobjects

I first heard of the #womennotobjects campaign on Twitter. I went on their site, womennotobjects.com and learned about the filters they use to determine if an ad is objectifying. I decided to dissect a few ads myself because this class has brought this issue to my attention, and now I can't thumb through a magazine without being frustrated with the advertising in them.

The site lists filter 1 as “Props”: “Does this woman have a choice or a voice? Has she been reduced to a thing?” I thought about ads I have seen in class and in magazines. There is a company, “Suitsupply” which I only recently learned about who is known for their controversial ads and how they depict women. I have done some research into this company and this ad campaign below is titled “Toy Boy” and claims to be sexist towards men, and not women. Their ads are truly disgusting.

Suitsupply ads have been criticized for years because of their overtly sexual ads and their depiction of women, but the company remains successful and defiant of its critics. Like their ad campaign, they are "Shameless".

Another example of women being used as props is Robin Thicke’s music videos:

I think it’s ESPECIALLY important to combat the use of women of color specifically as props to white celebrities. Miley Cyrus was criticized for this recently because of her treatment of Black women in her performances and music videos, but who could forget Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Girls? 

This is a disgusting trend that we need to speak out against. Celebrities overall have been dismissive of the criticism, but we can’t continue to allow white people to appropriate and use people of other cultures to their advantage. These women that celebrities use are not granted a voice in the performances or videos, they are only props and it needs to stop.

The other filter that I was interested in was filter 3 Parts: "Has this woman been reduced to a provocative body part?"

Once again I found myself thinking of "Suitsupply" and how their ads routinely reduce a woman to a part and how this removes a woman's voice, face, and overall status as a person. She is now only an ass, something to sell a product.

Or this Tom Ford ad for a MANS COLOGNE. 

I think the ads above are evidence of just how important the #womennotobjects campaign is. I think that this Media Literacy course has helped some people in our class to see just how harmful and pervasive ads that objectify women are. Before this class, I hadn't thought about how ads reduce women to a body part and the ramifications on that in society. 

http://womennotobjects.com/what-is-objectification/

http://www.buzzfeed.com/rossalynwarren/suit-supply#.nwRnd3A8e