Second-hand Smoke Isn't an Accident; It's Murder

In this image from the CONAC Chilean Corporation Against Cancer, the message they are trying to relay to the audience is the dangers of second-hand smoke. This simple, yet strong image provokes emotion because the center of attention is an upset child. With an all black background and miniscule white letters, the child becomes the focal point of the image, leaving the viewer no where else to look but at him: a child in distress, seemingly suffocating due to the cloud of smoke placed over his head like a plastic bag. The caption, reading “Smoking isn’t just suicide. It’s murder,” provides an entirely different perspective on smoking. When smoking is referred to as “suicide,” the user is killing his or herself, a thought that is awful, but less worrisome than committing murder. Then to actually realize that the effects of smoking are not only affecting oneself, but is, in a sense, suffocating another through secondhand smoke and consequently taking their life, the outcomes of death become more convincing, being that murder is a punishable offense. Therefore, through this image, the dangers of second-hand smoke are portrayed. 

The Fetishization of a Culture

Cultural appropriation is the act of one culture (normally of privilege) taking pieces from another group and using these elements as its own. In most cases, this results in a trivialization and commodification of tradition and faith. While our society is by nature a hodgepodge of different cultures, there are certain instances where appropriation is undoubtedly harmful. In this photograph, a young woman stands nude with Native American inspired accessories: a feather, face paint, and two, long braids. By using elements of Native American cultural as sexually appealing accessories, the original photo aids the already present fetishization of Native American women. While some may argue that such a photo only enhances her natural beauty and inherent sexuality, the text included in the edited version of the photo clearly puts the image into context. The message, “I perpetuate damaging stereotypes. I maintain the fetishized, over sexualized image of Native American women,” addresses the American and post-colonial view of Native American women. The text guarentees that the viewer realizes that such media is not in a vacuum. Furthermore, the haunting statistic, “One in three Native American women are victims of sexual assault,” provides an indisputable acknowledgment of the dangerous effects that such images can have. Placed on top of the woman’s bare torso, the text draws the viewer’s eye away from the sexual nature of the image and onto the much less appealing reality of Native American women. This image effectively provides insight into the very serious issue of cultural appropriation. 

Safe Sex: Has a Nice Ring to It

            Don’t be fooled by the pun incorporated into this advertisement’s slogan; the messages conveyed by these three simple words are surprisingly persuasive and powerful. Primarily, the word “freedom” is referring to this specific brand of birth control, Nuva Ring, which does not need to be taken everyday, consequently freeing women from the responsibility of remembering daily medicine. More broadly, though, birth control offers women the freedom to engage in sex safely, essentially liberating them from the anxieties and doubts that are unavoidable side effects of unprotected sex.

           The actual phrase, “Let freedom ring,” has been cleverly reworked into a reference to the shape of Nuva Ring’s contraception method. This passionate line, featured in “My Country, Tis of Thee,” is immediately evocative of strident patriotism, imbuing the ad with a zealous enthusiasm for birth control. The image accompanying the ad, in which a female hand is boldly and proudly holding up a Nuva Ring, serves to further intensify the triumphant tone of the advertisement. This simple advertising slogan, at first interpreted as a clever pun, actually has distinctly empowering undertones, transforming this Nuva Ring advertisement into an impassioned commentary on birth control and female liberation.

A Slick Message: Fueling Awareness on Oil Spills

In order to spread awareness in the wake of the 2010 BP oil spill, an Australian environmental organization developed an effective print ad to increase the public consciousness surrounding the issue. The dark, polluted water creates a sense of alarm in the viewer, whose attention is promptly drawn to the body sprawled out in the foreground of the photo. The hunched, crying child invokes sympathy and despair, as well as a sensation of guilt, as if the viewer is to blame for the death of the swimmer. Unlike the foreground of the photo, the right area of the background seems light and hopeful in comparison. The contrast between the left and right half of the picture create juxtaposition between an unpolluted ocean and the oil-plagued waters. Despite the ominous message, “our oceans aren’t the only ones in danger,” hope radiates from the upper-right portion of the ad, which ultimately creates an opportunity for change. The ad’s potent message is both inspiring and thought provoking, which compels viewers to take responsibility for their actions that impact the environment.

The Choice is Yours

 

No one wants to die and no one wants to take a chance that might put his life in harm’s way. So why drink and drive? What is the difference between that and death? Drinking and driving only can lead down a path of destruction. Whether you destroy your own life or another’s life, the end result will be like a can of beer carelessly crushed on the ground. The beer can in this picture is not recycled nor is it thrown away, showing that the memory of what will happen will constantly haunt the path they choose (whether to get behind the wheel or not). Also, the can is crushed at the side, hitting what would be the side doors of the car and the lives of passengers, proving that drinking and driving cannot just alter your life but the lives of others as well. Therefore, one little screw up with alcohol and driving does not just affect those in the car, but those around you as well that the shadow of the beer can stretches out to. One drink is all that it can take to change (at least) one life entirely. One drink and your world is changed, and the only thing you can focus on is the accident caused by stupid and reckless decisions.