The following are a compilation of photos I’ve snapped in the day-to-day. Some looked innocent at first glance but upon further thought I found they served to perpetuate stereotypes that ‘capture’ and render us limited in our identities. Others are a glimpse into a life that can so easily be seen as ‘normal’, that is in fact, just one of many ways of seeing the world. We must acknowledge that our paradigms shape how we see the world, and the world shapes our paradigms. My intention is not to call out any person, company or organization but to call all of us to a greater level of examination of our paradigms and what shapes them.
Difficult times indeed. First world problem?
Missing: Donkey. Lost during the Modernist/Fundamentalist Split.
White men this way!
I’ve seen another (probably more recent) version of this sign that says “crew working”, utilizing gender inclusive language.
I saw this ad in an airport and literally stopped in my tracks, mouth gaping open. If we assume the astronaut is male (especially based off of the proximity and intimacy with the main child) then there is only one woman portrayed in the image as a role model, hero, or someone to look up to. And she’s a princess. Note how the color differences in their outfits point to their gender.
Those who hold privilege in society are granted the ability to assume that their experience is ‘normal’. We assume that others’ experiences are like ours. While R.A. Torrey may have intended this book to be about evangelizing both men and women, he most likely overlooked the ways the genders experience the world differently. Non-inclusive language assumes that the experience of women is the same as men.
It’s impossible not to draw conclusions between the feminine brand name of the wine and the reference to promiscuity. What does this suggest about women who drink?
I thought I may have been looking too hard for objectification in this billboard (“she” + “thing” + “beauty”) but a friend told me about another ad (below) that confirmed my suspicions.
While searching for a picture of this billboard, this one popped up. Originally the billboard has the same caption: “She is a thing of beauty.” Is it referencing the beer, the woman… or both? I think we know. What does this say to men about permission to gaze at women in this way? The Billboard Liberation Front “improved” this sign to clarify the impact that it has on its viewers. It’s also important to note that the upper or upper-middle class individuals in this photo are both White.
Perpetuating the lie that women who hold positions of power hate and are a threat to men. Of the six professionals portrayed in this billboard, five are men and all are White.
A White female jockey, wearing pink and white. Is she whipping the horse or… ?
Spotted at my local lavanderia. Congrats, women! We can now choose a laundry soap that fits with our personality! Calm, passionate, or sexy. No overlapping allowed – you must choose one.
Monday, 5 March, 2012 at 5:37 pm
and in the “only option” all the heros are white and the person being helped is a black kid. Interesting.
Tuesday, 6 March, 2012 at 8:20 am
Right on!
Friday, 9 March, 2012 at 9:39 am
Hey Alicia!
Thanks for this post…once your eyes are opened its amazing all the things you see…I’ve been both disappointed and surprised by quite a few things I’ve see here at Biola too.
I think I can add some background info for the Christian involvement in politics sign. Not sure if it will help, or actually make the situation more sad. Anyways, I was with the guy who painted the sign in the beginning when he did. If I remember correctly he very much intended to put a donkey on there, but I think he ran out of time, and I guess eventually never got around to doing it. So his intentions were to be “fair” in that way, but the sad part about it is that actions speak louder than words. So in the end it wasn’t important enough to be do something so small yet meaningful as adding a donkey to show that yes, there are Christian democrats (or even just Christians who are Republican) because it wasn’t important enough to take out the time to or have someone else do it.
Friday, 9 March, 2012 at 10:09 am
Hi Sarah!
Thanks for commenting and sharing what you know of the sign. This is a great example of how good intentions can still perpetuate harmful beliefs. We must be more active and intentional.
Alicia
Tuesday, 20 March, 2012 at 2:43 pm
Alicia,
Thanks so much for this post! The images, and your commentary, are provocative. The Stella Artois billboards have bothered me for a long time… so much so that Ana recently sent me the Gungor song “Beautiful Things,” intending it to be an encouragement… but instead it just made me think of that billboard. (I am not a thing!) Please keep them coming. What a great way to capture and present a new way of seeing that’s more accurate.