While thinking about what to write for my blog my sister mentioned a new PETA billboard that was causing controversy. As we talked about it I immediately had reactions so I decided to write about it.
The billboard declares "Save the whales. Lose the blubber. Go vegetarian" Then pictured is the back of a fat woman in a bikini. I was blown away right as I saw this. How on earth could a company be able to post something that degrades bigger women so much? My sister argues that bigger women are degraded all the time in magazines, TV, movie, you name it, and that really this was no different. Yet, in my opinion I see it much differently. These women might not be represented and smaller bodies are always portrayed as "better" but to announce them as whales, publicly, for the world to see, I think is completely outrageous. Feministing.com wrote an article about this as well, including a quote that left me heartbroken:
"I was planning on taking [my family] to the beach to enjoy the beautiful day when I saw a billboard that made me want to cry...We all sat there and stared at it for a minute and everyone in the car was silent. No one wanted to mention my weight. I laughed it off as usual, but it really had made me so embarrassed, so self-conscious and so ashamed of my weight that I dropped off my family at the oceanfront and left to go home, making the excuse that I wasn't feeling well"
"I was planning on taking [my family] to the beach to enjoy the beautiful day when I saw a billboard that made me want to cry...We all sat there and stared at it for a minute and everyone in the car was silent. No one wanted to mention my weight. I laughed it off as usual, but it really had made me so embarrassed, so self-conscious and so ashamed of my weight that I dropped off my family at the oceanfront and left to go home, making the excuse that I wasn't feeling well"
This woman was so distraught by the poster that she couldn't even spend a lovely day with her family at the beach, where the billboard's setting is.
I understand that PETA wants to save animals and that maybe as a whole America could lose some weight but to use someone's weight against them to try and force them into being a vegetarian isn't worth it and could produce the opposite effect. If I saw PETA degrading my body type like that I'd most likely try to lose weight another way just so I can prove to them that I don't need their "program". (PETA offers a starter kit program for vegetarians and says "studies show that vegetarians, on average, are about 10 to 20 pounds lighter than meat-eaters")
PETA is infamous for all of their controversial advertising and protests, but this billboard is shocking! I think it's disgusting how they depict a large woman instead of using an actual whale, the sole purpose of the ad. But it seems like they are also trying to spread the word about obesity in America. I think this ad distracts people from the actual statement the ad is trying to make. Overall, I think PETA should think about pleasing everybody instead of insulting some.
ReplyDeleteI, too, am outraged by this ad after reading your article, Sam. Comparing women to whales is gross and terrible and probably extremely hurtful to their self-esteem. Furthermore, I don't even see how this ad makes sense. Usually when people talk about "going vegetarian", cutting out "whale meat" is not common. I think that they could have made a more effective and less degrading advertisement by talking about not eating cow, pig, or lamb, which are common meats that non vegetarians eat. I just don't see the correlation between saving whales and losing weight.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, this ad reminded me of slavery, especially in Frederick Douglass. Slaves are constantly being compared to animals, such as pigs when they are feeding or cattle when they are being sold/herded. Calling overweight women "whales" and refering to their extra weight as "blubber" is terrible.
I agree with you, Katie. This ad is outrageously degrading. I think that by focusing this ad on losing weight, the main purpose of the ad-- saving the animals-- is lost. But why is it a women on the ad and not a man? Last year in health we talked about how the media often objectifies women. This ad does just that by shining a negative image on overweight women. In a way, it blames the issue of extinction of particular animals on these women, which isn't fair to them. They are no more to blame than anyone else.
ReplyDeleteWhat a poster! That's awful! I agree with all of you- there are so many better ways to advocate going vegetarian. As caroline said about pleasing everyone, the add would be far better of SUPPORTING vegetarians rather than degrading people. Couldn't PETA put someone hugging a lamb or a calf or something? This is a classic example of where advertising crosses the line. Is this creative marketing or harmful media? The latter, in my opinion. Nice post, Sam!
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