Earlier today I came across this article about advertising an obviously adult movie in close proximity to stores for children. There are so many things that bother me about this. First, lets take a look at the ads themselves.The pictures depict obvious violence- images that should be disturbing and repulsive, and yet- they are supposed to make you WANT to see this movie. Should we be concerned that our society finds such topics to be entertaining? When this type of violence happens in real life, as it does more often than we'd like to admit, it isn't entertaining. Its horrifying, depressing and just downright scary. No one would find it entertaining to be the victim portrayed here, or to know the victim. Why is this different in our entertainment? Why do we enjoy watching movies/tv shows where events occur that we would dread in real life?
In addition to the violent nature of the images, they are also sexual. To start off- the victim is an attractive woman. As in most horror movies, women are the helpless victims, usually targeted because of their appearance. In short, if you're attractive, there's a good chance some psycho wants you, and will be more than happy to harm you in the process of getting what he wants. Also, note the "sexy face" as I've heard it affectionately called. The "sexy face" is Megan Fox's specialty- the slightly parted lips which just exudes sexual implications. So, not only is this ad implying that women, especially attractive ones, are helpless victims- but it's almost implying that it's their own fault, or at the very least, that the attacker has good grounds for his actions. All this being said, the ads seem to make violence against women something sexy and appealing, rather than a horrific crime that should not be tolerated.Would these ads have the same marketing affect if the picture was of a less attractive woman? Or of a man? Or even of someone who looked genuinely terrified rather than "sexy"?
Now, on to the placement of the ads... First of all, I really don't think graphically violent ads (especially the first picture) should be placed in public spaces. People should not have to be subjected to images that could easily be deemed offensive. Some of the ads were placed across from stores for children. Would a preview for this movie be played before a rated G children's movie at a theater? If not, then why would the images be appropriate in an area children frequent?
I am aware that this is an older movie, and the issue has actually been dealt with. The ads were protested and eventually removed. But this is not the only case of this type of incident. Next time you visit your local mall, take a look at the ads. Many of them are inappropriate for their placement- many of them are very sexual. Most of us walk by these ads constantly without giving them much thought. I challenge you to start thinking about what you see. Once you do, you might find it a disturbing reality. We are becoming desensitized- to violence, to sex, to racism, to sexism, and discrimination of all sorts.
As a teacher, I find this particularly disturbing. I've seen the effects of this in the classroom. Of course we can't blame ads for violence in schools. We can, however, recognize that by becoming desensitized to so many negative images and ideas, we are not preventing risky behaviors as much as we should be. I have had some elementary students tell me about movies and tv shows they watch that I might even find offensive. Shows like Family Guy and South Park that are meant for adult audiences, are now being viewed by second and third graders. In schools we expect students to adhere to standards of appropriate behavior such as not acting aggressively towards one another, not making inappropriate sexual remarks and not using offensive language. When they are getting a steady diet of entertainment that tells them these things are normal, acceptable and cool, how do we expect them to think any differently?
What do you think will happen when today's children are adults? How will these issues affect the future of our society?
