Love Your Body Day - angry feminist style

Campus feminists across the country are organizing Love Your Body Day programs on October 20. There are junk food and pajama parties, prohibitions on body snarking, and poster campaigns. There are discussions on eating disorders, poor body image, and sexist advertising.

As you raise awareness on these issues on campus, take your activism to the next level. Use your votes and wallets to hurt sexist organizations and bring feminism into the mainstream. Some ideas:

Organize a letter/phone/fax bomb for companies that objectify women's bodies and profit from our insecurities. Ms. Magazine's No Comment section highlights a series of offenders in each issue, with contact info for each corporation.

Tired of the 'beauty' industry? Bring back the Freedom Trash Can to your campus, and hold a demonstration where your group discards your scuzzy old makeup, impractical shoes, uncomfortable underwear, magnified mirrors, hair dye, diet pills, hair removal implements, and other detritus cluttering your bathroom and bureau. Pledge to make economic decisions that will empower you, and not just line the pockets of cosmetics corporations and fashion magazines.

Collaborate with your campus arts department and local feminist artists to create and showcase real images of men, women, and everyone in between. Feeling racy? Include close-ups of real genitalia versus the vajazzled, dyed, waxed, surgically-altered genitalia prevalent in mainstream pornography.

Publicly boycott products, shows, and movies with misogynist themes, and support women filmmakers and writers whose films pass the Bechdel test. Host a good old-fashioned picket if necessary.

Get involved with/infiltrate campus and local media, and maintain your own feminist media sources. Petition your campus and local independent book stores to expand the feminist media they carry.

Learn about the Healthy Media for Youth Act that was introduced in the US Senate in September.

There are all kinds of ways to get political and reshape/reject the gendered images we see each day. Let us know the creative and subversive ways you are smashing patriarchy!

This blog post is part of the October eZine. To receive our monthly eZine, click here.

From Kim Gandy: Stop CBS From Airing Anti-Abortion Super Bowl Ad

Kim Gandy, FMF's new Vice President (and former President of NOW), writes:

Even as the trial continues for the murder of Dr. George Tiller, CBS is planning to air an anti-abortion ad during this weekend's Super Bowl game.

Tell CBS that this is no time to feed the anger and hatred of anti-abortion extremists.

CBS has a stated policy to reject all ads it deems controversial, including ads from MoveOn.org, PETA, and even the United Church of Christ, which dared to suggest that their church would model tolerance ("Jesus Didn't Turn People Away. Neither Do We").

In fact, CBS execs told the United Church of Christ that CBS rejects any ad that "touches on and/or takes a position on one side of a current controversial issue of public importance."

Although the ad itself is secret, Focus on the Family's own publicity indicates that it will "take a position on one side of a current controversial issue." The ad reportedly focuses on quarterback Tim Tebow and his mother, alleging that Tebow's mother was urged to have an abortion for medical reasons but did not. The implicit suggestion that pregnant women whose health is at risk shouldn't worry because nothing bad will happen is downright dangerous, even if the story is true.

The Super Bowl audience, one of the largest of any event, spans all ages and political positions, and should not be used to promote an anti-abortion message.

And why would CBS promote a clearly controversial message from Focus on the Family? That organization uses their millions to promote discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs - they even ran a campaign before the 2008 elections equating the U.S. with Nazi Germany!

Tell CBS that using the public airwaves to promote an anti-abortion message will lose the network both respect and business.

For Equality,

Kim Gandy
Vice President

Boycott Ralph Lauren!

For any of us who have ever glimpsed a billboard or opened a magazine, distorted and unrealistic depictions of a woman’s body in advertisements are nothing new. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to go through a day without being assaulted by images of what the fashion and advertising world wants us to believe counts as real beauty. If you’re anything like me, you’re sick of it.

Well, we’re not alone. Recently, filmmaker Darryl Roberts, whose hard-hitting documentary “America the Beautiful” addresses the effect that media projections of beauty are having on Americans, has launched a boycott against fashion designer Ralph Lauren, and he has gotten support from more than 100,000 other concerned people who will refuse to buy any products associated with the designer. Why this sudden outcry over Ralph Lauren? Check out the ads below:

Seen enough? Me too. These outrageous advertisements, with their unbelievably distorted images of women’s bodies, are exactly the kind of images that lead so many women, especially young women, to think that their perfectly normal, beautiful bodies are not good enough. This kind of advertising has to stop.

To join Darryl and the thousands of others who have united behind this boycott, click here and spread the word to your friends. As consumers, we ultimately hold the power, and it’s time we use it to show that these kinds of advertisements are unacceptable. If we join together, we might just be able to get them to listen to us.

Post-lunch "Guess the product" Game!

Talking jealous boobs, creepy voyeurs, pervs with cameras, black and white romance novels-gone wrong: all things that do NOT belong in a sneaker ad. It's just another example of using unnecessary and excessive sexuality in marketing products and normalizing it for the public.

Maybe its just me, but I shouldn't have to hunt around youtube.com in order to find uncensored videos when looking at sportswear.

This post-lunch-break game is because our feminist friend, Angela Lawson, who, after being as weirded out as I hope all of are right now, had to bring these ads to our attention (well played, Angela.)

For more procrastination fun, go youtube/google advertisements for men's sneakers and focus on the type of message given. No talking body parts or gawking girls? Wonder what this says about the way marketing views women and men?

Leave the address and a comment, I'd be interested to see what you find!!

Exposing Fake Clinics Action Series! Step 1: Are fake clinics targeting your campus?

Fake clinics, often referred to as "Crisis Pregnancy Centers" (CPCs), pose as comprehensive women's health clinics and lure young women into their centers with offers of "free" pregnancy tests and "counseling".

But, beware! These fake clinics propel false information about abortion and birth control and use fear and shame tactics to deter women from choosing abortion as an option. Their most common claims include, "abortion causes breast cancer", "abortion causes infertility" and "abortion causes mental illness and suicide". The studies CPCs use to back up these claims are a thing of the past...too bad CPCs aren't!

What makes them even worse? They specifically target young women on college campuses, or what they deem the "at-risk for abortion" population. They run their deceptive ads on campus bulletin boards and bus stops, in campus newspapers and on Facebook. Additionally, a 2008 survey found that nearly HALF of all responding campus health centers at 4-year colleges and universities refer students facing unintended pregnancies to CPCs.

So what can you do??

Find out if there is a CPC near your campus! Visit www.optionline.org or www.lifecall.org and punch in your zip code (note: these are anti-choice websites with directories of CPCs).

Find out if CPCs are advertising on or around your campus! Check the newspaper, bulletin boards, bus stops, etc. Do they table on campus? Talk to the newspaper editor, student government, student activities, or whoever has the power to stop this, and tell them these fake clinics endanger women's health!

Lastly, find out if your campus health center is referring students to CPCs. If they are, work with the health center director to get them to stop. If you have a hard time, garner support from other progressive student groups, the women's center, multicultural center, women's issues representative in the student body, or student senators.

Check out the FMF's Campaign to Expose Fake Clinics for more information and check out Jacqueline's recent post for more action ideas and information about the "Don't Get Tricked, Get Treated" Week of Action taking place Oct. 25 - 31!

Stay tuned for more to come in the Exposing Fake Clinics Action Series!

Dear Toyota: Women Buy Cars Too

I've never owned my own car. In high school, I shared a family car; in college, I comandeered one of my parents' cars. And, over the course of the last few years, I've lived in urban areas with great public transportation and simply haven't needed a car. Suffice it to say, I still don't "need" a car - but my partner and I are beginning to consider the possibilities of life with our very own automobile?!!

So, as I'm browsing the internet, researching the features/prices/environmental impact of various vehicles, I've started looking at hybrids. I like the idea of a hybrid- great gas mileage, low emissions, small size, good overall safety--but that's most hybrids. What is going to stand out to me about brand X's car? Evidently, Toyota has done some great branding, because the first hybrid that pops in my mind is the Prius...

Unfortunately for Toyota, all I saw when I went to their website was the sexist tag line for the 2010 model: "Harmony between man, nature and machine." [emphasis mine] I tried to let it slide by and continue my cross-brand comparrison, but I couldn't. I got stuck - stuck on the fact that here I am, ready and willing to read their best gimic; ready to have their website tell me all about why I, an educated, responsible consumer, should interest myself (and better yet, BUY!) their product. And instead of being SMART advertizers, they stymi themselves with blatant sexism.

So channeling my most effective feminist activism, I emailed Toyota:

I am very interested in the Prius, but am more than a little put off by the marketing scheme: 'man,' v. nature, v. prius. I recognize the logic "man v. nature" but find it offensive to be excluded from the wonders Toyota supposedly has to offer (for both man and nature) because I am a woman. This is your 2010 model, not your 1950 model. Your advertising budget is astronomical. Find a better way to convey your message that does not exclude 51% of the population (and what I would imagine is a greater majority of your target audience): women.

I recognize it is not the most profound piece of protesting literature I've ever written, but my voice deserves to be heard. Perhaps, in the past, I would have let it slide; I would have internally chastized myself for being overly-sensitive and gone along my merry way. But NO. This is my money. This is my investment. This is Toyota needing to understand how their lousy marketing is not only counter-productive, it's OFFENSIVE. (Side note: if anyone has consumer reports information on how many women v. men buy hybrids, and specifically Priuses, please share!)

If you care to join my protest, first check out Toyota's sexist marketing strategy, and then shoot 'em an email. As far as I'm concerned, my buck stops here.

NB: According to Consumer Reports, women are "far more focused on fuel economy, with 38% citing it as the most important factor, while only 24% of men felt the same."

Photo credit: flickr.com/cgoulao

And back to reality

So, after my brief hiatus from the Choices Campus blog, mostly due to a lack of internet, I've returned. As many of you may or may not know, Sweden has a pretty good reputation for gender equality. There are some pretty great things over here, you know, the enormous amount of paid parental leave and the subsidized day care so women are back in the work force, for example.

However, while I was pondering the benefits of paid parental leave this morning on the train, I saw the ad on the back page of the Stockholm metro newspaper. It featured a woman tied and gagged to a chair, with her back to us. Facing her were two men, one that was loosening his tie and the other was maybe cracking his knuckles or something. Since I have a very basic level of Swedish, I have no idea what it was about, but it was a little unnerving to say the least.

And just now, while reading up on the events of the world, I saw some disturbing photos of Rihanna on the Huffington Post. I think the title "Rihanna Topless and Muzzled in Italian Vogue" gives you a good idea of what they are, and why I might find them so disturbing. Anyone who's read about women and advertising knows the meaning of having women with covered mouths.

Muzzling Rihanna just takes that to a whole other level. Not to mention, that there seems to be a general effort to silence women. There's a movement that's trying to silence women's voices about their bodies and reproductive rights. What does it mean to have Rihanna, a survivor of violence, shown muzzled?

We can't easily dismiss the types of images of women in the media because those are the images that people don't usually think about it, and they seem to point to the underlying issues and emotions of a significant portion of our society. Even in Sweden where they boast about gender equity, it means something that there are violent images displayed for all to see.
Photo courtesy of www.flickr/mr_salvis_are

Burger King continues its offensive advertisement...

Burger King continues its saga of offensive advertisements. You might remember our feminist friend Emily Miller's blog posted on June 25th about the sexually offensive advertisements of Burger King.

This advertisement that is in Spanish has the Hindu Goddess of Wealth, Laxmi, sitting on top of a Hamburger. The problem with this advertisement is that in Hinduism, the cow is considered a sacred animal and often worshiped on many occasions, and in relation to this fact, many sects of Hinduism are practice vegetarianism. This advertisement says "the snack is sacred". Given the fact that there is no relation between the Hindu Goddess Laxmi and the hamburger, the only reason this advertisement is there is to offend Hindu people and earn negative publicity. But the way a religion is targeted in this cheap manner is very offensive and I am outraged by it.

According to ABC news, when the Burger King head office was contacted for response guess what? No Response!!!! This cannot continue... the outrageously offensive advertising practices of Burger King need to stop right away and the person responsible for approving these ads should be FIRED immediately!!! We all need to act now and call the Burger King Office at 305-378-3535 or write a letter to Burger King Corporate office and let them know that it is NOT OK to play with people's emotions and faith.

Join my group Protest Burger King and Its Commercials on my Facebook page.

That's just not tasteful

I have a serious question for you all. What is the deal with advertising using violent images of trapped or dead women? I mean, do they really think that it doesn't send out a message about violence against women?

Department store Barney's has a window display that is not only distasteful, but sends a message the violence, especially violence against women, is fashionable and acceptable. The windows show mannequins reacting to shots. They're falling, limbs flailing, and in case it wasn't clear what was going on, there's "blood" splattered on the windows.

Time and time again, feminists and concerned people have criticized companies and advertisers that show violent images of women. I don't know what there is to get. Even the author of the article on the display thinks it's acceptable. She feels that it is edgy or something

Yeah, the deeper meaning is that this display is showing that violence against women is sexy, in style, and fashionable. And it's not.

Photo courtesy of www.flickr/

Burger King? More Like Burger Bigot...

I debated over calling any attention to this ad just because I did not want it getting any extra airtime on my account... but then I figured that our audience would be so appalled by it that it would not do anything positive for Burger King.

Anyway, the ad speaks for itself, and I for one am absolutely appalled by the fact that Burger King's marketing department is comprised entirely of sexist idiots. This woman looks like she walked straight out of Stepford and into this ad. What is most alarming to me is the fact that she does not look happy or excited at all; in fact, she looks scared...

I can picture the meeting wherein the BK bigots decided to use this ad. "Hm... maybe endorsing rape is the best way to sell more BK value meals..." This makes me sick.

The BK motto is "Have it your way." I do not know about you, but this is certainly not the way I want to be marketed to... (And this is not the first sexist ad that the company has used. Just Google it.) So join me in a letter-writing campaign to BK. Tell them that this is not "your way," and then take your business elsewhere. This ad did succeed in blowing my mind away, and it took my desire to ever eat at Burger King again with it...

PETA Makes Women into Meat

The Huffington Post has an online slideshow and poll of the sexiest PETA ads today. This collection illustrates PETA's strategy for getting more people interested in protecting animals and becoming vegetarians, mainly by showing mostly naked women looking like they will sleep with anyone who tosses their leather jacket in the garbage or eats a veggie burger.

I looked through more PETA ads and I was only more disappointed. Seriously, PETA, just because you are advertising for saving animals doesn't make you any better than companies that advertise for beer or watches with naked women.

PETA is a group based off a value system that believes that animals deserve humane treatment and that they shouldn't be objectified. So, if that is the case, why do they think it is ok to make women look like pieces of meat? A bunny is a living thing that shouldn't be looked at purely for it's ability to become clothing, so why should a woman be advertised purely as a sexual object?

I am not the first person to wonder about this, and I am certainly not the first person to think PETA needs a new advertising strategy. I wish that the Huffington Post would have shown how these ads are objectifying women instead of showing their favorites, which seems to encourage people to support the advertising campaign. Instead of showing how "clever" PETA has been, I think it would have been good to show how PETA uses the same sexist and destructive advertising other companies do.

Special Thursday Treat!

One of the greatest pleasures I have with one of my friends at school is watching Sarah Haskins videos. As many of you know, in her show Target Women, Haskins analyzes television and advertising. She not only delivers insight into what messages women are receiving, but she also, quite frankly, cracks me up. It really is a magnificent pairing of wit and information. Because when I laugh, I also want to learn.

As a special Thursday treat, I thought I’d share the latest Target Women video about how advertising infantilizes women through the use of “story time” narratives. If you’re feeling a little worn out today and if you have the time, I’d recommend watching all of the videos. If you don’t have the time, I’m going to recommend the cleaning and birth control videos. Enjoy your Thursday, feminists of the world!

Marketing to ladies (hint: make it pink and shiny)

While shopping around for a new laptop, I stumbled upon Della, a site pitching Dell's new mini netbooks to women. I was not surprised to see Dell targeting women (after all, these tiny computers seem perfectly sized for my delicate lady-hands!), but all the overt stereotypes had me rolling my eyes: use your netbook to look up recipes and diet tips and to go shopping! After some negative coverage on blogs like Liliputing and Feministing, the site has been edited, but it still raises some interesting questions about the nature of marketing.

Marketing inherently relies on stereotypes by targeting demographics. Cleaning products are aimed at moms (who all live in the suburbs and have doofy husbands who are always making such a mess! *shakes head and laughs*) and video games are aimed at men, and only men (unless of course, the game involves shopping or kittens).

I get annoyed because marketing to women seems so lazy and laughable. It's insulting. This past week, the feminist blogosphere has been buzzing about Fling, a new low-calorie chocolate bar from Mars that invites women to be "naughty, but not that naughty" and "pleasure yourself." The chocolate even SHIMMERS. Women, like cats, are known to be attracted to shiny things. Earlier in the year, we were all up in arms about Lay's ongoing "Only in a Woman's World" campaign, which attempts to sell potato chips to women using cartoon sassy girlfriends who complain about their weight and bathing suit season (omg, so true to life! Amiright?). And don't even get me started on gendered marketing to little girls--I'll save that rant for another post.

I don't know how to completely change this particularly powerful tool of the patriarchy, but here is one potential solution: we need more feminist marketers! We talk a lot about the need for feminists in the halls of Congress and the highest reaches of our government, but the truth is that feminists can make a difference in every field--art, science, medicine, law, entertainment, and BUSINESS. If in the development of these campaigns someone were to say "hey, not every woman is attracted to pink like a magnet" or "gee, maybe we should use some non-white models" or "umm women are NOT AS DUMB AS YOU THINK WE ARE," maybe there would be some real changes.

Until then, enjoy your sparkly chocolate bars and looking up recipes on your adorable little computer.

P.S. For a much funnier take on all this, check out Target: Women over at Current.