Stereotyping Shorts

In modern society, the way a woman dresses serves as an outward reflection of who they on the inside. Clothes have become a statement. While fashion, with its beautiful cuts, colors, and trends, can often be a form of self-expression, these same cuts and colors can also serve as the basis for harsh stereotyping among the American public. As shown in the photograph above, many onlookers judge women by the hemline of their skirts and shorts, placing them into generalized categories. If a girl’s shorts are too short she is automatically a “whore,” however if her skirt is too long, she is instantly pegged as “prudish,” judgements made without taking into account who the girl actually is. How are women ever supposed to dress appropriately according to their peers if a judgement can be made about any hem length. These generalizations made by the public over one simple hemline chain women to stereotypes, prohibiting them from dressing freely, grouping them into categories where they do not belong.

50% Clean 50% Dirty

Although this poster’s message about stopping the spread of sexually transmitted diseases is clear and convincing, the blatant sexism that the poster shows in getting this message across is completely tasteless and actually serves to undermine the ultimate goal of completely eradicating venereal diseases.  The phrase printed at a diagonal between the typical 1950s woman and the soldier, businessman, and sailor which immediately catches the eye completely condemns all women as the sole source of sexually transmitted diseases, and the use of the soldier, businessman, and sailor serves to elevate men above women as superior and more honorable, while the mention of World War II builds a sense of patriotism and duty that is supposed to convince men to avoid women who might have STDs. Although this may seem an effective way to reach men in the armed forces, and may actually reach its goal of getting more men to be careful about their sexual partners, it actually completely undermines the larger goal of eradicating venereal diseases. The creator of this poster seemed to completely forget that the women who have STDs, almost every woman according to the poster, had to have gotten it from a man in the first place. By not addressing the men in regards to their own bodies he is actually doing them a disservice. How can the spread of STDs be stopped if men are not held accountable for their 50% of the equation?

The Perceived Power of an Empty Command

The “Andre the Giant Has a Posse” street art movement, later shortened to simply OBEY Giant, was borne out of college induced boredom in 1989, when RISD student Shepard Fairey was rushing to make a stencil for class, and happened across an advertisement for the then popular wrestler. By the early 90s, this single stencil had been turned into thousands of stickers and posters, littering cities around the world and leaving passersby wondering, obey what? In a 2008 interview, Fairey admitted that in fact, this command— blared so convincingly beneath the empty, hanging eyes— means nothing, is entirely open to interpretation. And here in lies the true genius of the OBEY poster— it derives real power from “perceived power” (as Fairey described it), spawning fear of the unknown, the misunderstood, and thus spreading. OBEY functions as an experiment in social phenomenology—the study of how one perceives and processes external stimuli, a final conclusion resulting from a war waged between one’s own initial, objective response and any subconscious, socially derived opinions. Essentially, viewers see the image everywhere and see others processing the information and so they themselves assume it has a meaning, that there is something to process. If dialogue is sparked, and the question is obviously left unresolved, people simply assume there is resolution somewhere, that someone has an answer, so they keep talking, keep asking, and real power is borne. The melting black lines of an unknown face, coupled with the confident, senseless command thus create an enormous feedback loop to which viewers, at the center, are blind to but spurred on by. This loop, due to a lack of a message, paradoxically allows OBEY to convey an actual message, to reveal an enormous societal shortcoming: the subjectivity of human perception— our openness to propaganda and eagerness to assume meaning.

Click, Fizz, "Ahhh..."

            Coca-Cola uses basic colors and a basic image to convey a powerful and appealing message of relaxation, friendship, and happiness while promoting their company.  The most crucial component of this image is the blank background and white table.  This white backdrop makes the bright red emblem of Coca-Cola pop out to the viewer.  They immediately recognize the familiar cursive writing and signature red color of the popular soda brand, Coca-Cola.  Even if the viewer did not look any further into the image, the thought of Coca-Cola would remain, and maybe even a craving would surface for the delicious bubbly refreshment.  The whiteness of the advertisement also contrasts the signature green glass bottles and caps that sit on the table.  The fact that the bottles are empty implies that Coca-Cola is good; good enough that everyone finished their bottle and probably went back for more.  The multitude of bottles and caps implies that there is, or was, a gathering of friends, socializing and enjoying themselves.  This appeals to the human desire to be a social, happy, and have a good time.  The soft colors of the advertisement provoke a calm and happy feeling, adding to the overall atmosphere of the proposed situation.  The nature of said group of people is also unknown, but it could be any assortment of people, young or old.  Coca-Cola is for everyone, it appeals to all ages—not just adults like an advertisement for beer might.  More importantly however, is the slogan, “Hospitality can be so easy”.  It suggests that one can have a good time with friends and family, host a social event, and make people happy, just with Coca-Cola in the room.  It’s inexpensive and easy to clean up after, making socializing easy and relaxing with just a pack of Coca-Colas and a group of friends.  This overall feeling attained from the advertisement urges the consumer to buy Coca-Cola and enjoy a relaxing time, benefitting both the Coca-Cola Company and the person.

Rock Bottom

                  

The composition of this photograph combines color and content that spark provocative thoughts. There is no frame to encase the image, nor words or bright colors to detract from its focal point. With nothing to obscure the focus, the heavy irons capture the eye as effectively as they are meant to fetter the hand.  The musty colors of the shackles and stone ground link the two and signify that the situation has hit rock bottom.  These bland colors stretch to every corner, with no boarder to contain the spreading desolation. They encompass every edge, uncontrollably, like watery paint saturating thin cloth. The warm tones contradict the cold silver ones of American handcuffs. Again unlike their western counterparts, the rusty shackles posses neither lock nor key, projecting a sense of hopelessness. These are the shackles of the innocent, a modern slave. While this composition leaves the viewer sobered, the emptiness of the chains promises hope. A future is thus proposed where the shackles pictured are those cast aside by the newly free.