In this ad for Bud Lite, we see a reversal of the usual gender pattern--in this case, a woman has x-ray vision and uses it to imagine what men look like under their clothes. When a chubby man appears and she sees his body under his clothes, she's disgusted and looks away.
An interesting example of men's bodies under scrutiny.
Showing posts with label fat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fat. Show all posts
Bud Lite X-Ray Vision Ad
Kids' Book on Cosmetic Surgery
This book, self-published by a cosmetic surgeon, is supposed to help kids understand the wonderful transformation their mothers are about to go through, with the help of Dr. Michael, the superhero-like surgeon.
Read more in this post at boingboing.
Thanks, Nick W., and Jason S., and Green Ink!
Too Fat, Too Skinny
Lately I've been hearing stories of photo re-touching designed not to make models and actresses look thinner, but to hide their emaciation. Below is an example featuring Cameron Diaz:
The story, in the Telegraph, includes the following description of the image's manipulation:
Face: Cheeks appear filled out
Bust: Levelled
Thighs: Wider in the picture on the right
Hip: The bony definition has been smoothed away
Stomach: A fuller, more natural look
Arms: A bit more bulk in the arms and shoulders
Suicide by Butter
These images are from a fake PSA series created, as best as I can tell, by Brandon Knowlden. According to him,
It's no secret that the American culture is known for overindulgence. This
public service campaign dramatizes the effects of poor eating in a way we can
all understand.
It's interesting the way food and eating are linked to suicide and terrorism. Also, the two images with men make it clear they are fat, whereas from what we can see of the woman, there's no indication she's obese.
Thanks to Pitseleh S. for pointing these images out!
Polysemy And The Marketer's Aim
These three ads for yogurt ran in Brazil. They are supposed to inspire revulsion. Their tagline is:
“Forget about it. Men’s preference will never change. Fit Light Yogurt.”
Many have commented that these women look hot, not repulsive. So the images might be useful for inspiring a discussion about polysemy and the fact that advertisers can't control how their images are perceived.
Alternatively, they might work differently in Brazil than the U.S. Any thoughts?
MIssissippi Law Would Ban Obese People from Eating at Restaurants
Click below to download the text of Mississippi House Bill 282, which would prohibit restaurants from serving individuals defined as obese by the State Department of Health guidelines.
DOWNLOAD FILE
A summary with a link to the complete text is also available here. MHB 282 is currently before the State Legislature. The author admits it is unlikely to pass but that he is bringing attention to the issue of obesity.
This could be useful for a discussion of our views of fat people, how it is ok to ridicule or openly stigmatize fat people in a way that is not acceptable for other social characteristics, and the way fat has been turned into a sign of a weak character (i.e., a fat person just doesn't, or won't, have the self-control to stop eating).
Thanks for the tip, Kelly V.!
Masculinity Summed Up
Truthfully, I don't think I have ever seen so many symbols of masculinity mobilized in so short a time. I had to watch it three times:
Thanks a bunch to Christine who recommended this in our comments.
How To Get A Cheap Laugh
This commercial (found at multicultclassics) makes fun of large women, small men, and couples that defy "proper" pairing:
SlimQuick Ad: Men are "Fat and Happy," Women Are Just Fat
This is an ad for a diet pill called SlimQuick:
The Ideal Body In 2001?
This is Julia Roberts winning the Oscar for best actress. It was 2001. Notice that, despite the fact that she won for her portrayal of a very highly sexualized woman, she isn't a stick figure. In fact, relative to the twigs of today, she is actually kind of thick and has pretty big arms. Could a woman could go to the Oscars looking like this today and not get called fat in the tabloids?
Men's Bodies Are Allowed To Grow Up
Just try to imagine this advice aimed at a woman:
How I dream for the day that I, as a woman, get permission to buy a bigger shirt and forget about it.
"Be A Mind-Sticker"
Super creepy TAB commercial:
Another doozy from Molly M!
Here's another on the same theme (youtube says it's from the '60s):
Here's another from 1982:
And this one, from 1984, cannot be beat for it's essential '80s vibe:
"I Put On Ten Pounds, Three Ounces!"
Sociological Images reader Julie C. found this awesome ad in a newspaper from the 1960s:
The text:
“If skinny, thin and underweight take improved WATE-ON to help put on pounds and inches of firm, healthy looking flesh. WATE-ON supplies weight gaining calories plus vitamins, minerals, protein and other beneficial nutrients. Clinically tested. Fast weight gains 4, 6, 10… as much as 20 and 30 pounds have been reported. No over-eating. Helps make bustline, cheeks, arms, legs fill out, helps put firm solid flesh on skinny figures all over body. Helps fight fatigue, low resistance, sleeplessness and nervousness that so often accompany underweight. Underweight children and convalescents can take WATE-ON. It’s a clinically tested, pleasant formula sold around the world. Buy some today and start putting on weight FAST. Satisfaction from 1st bottle or price refunded. At drug stores everywhere.”
Thanks Julie!
Jennifer Love Hewitt Bikini Photo Controversy
Above are photos of Jennifer Love Hewitt that have been showing up everywhere since they were taken in December. They were used as evidence that she has gotten fat.
Here is a video from youtube called "Is Jennifer Love Hewitt Fat?" It starts out with pictures of her in formal dresses, then moves on to the bikini pictures and splices in shots of her eating, then shows the bikini pics again...and again...and again. Then toward the end it shows her bikini pictures next to the Hanes ads she's in, where she obviously looks a lot thinner. Then they show several ridiculing images people have made of Jennifer Love Hewitt since the bikini photos came out, showing her incredibly obese.
Here is a video of Jennifer Love Hewitt responding. I couldn't figure out how to embed it, sorry.
And here is a video from youtube of Janice Dickenson, a former model, defending Jennifer Love Hewitt...by calling Tyra Banks fat.
These could be used lots of different ways. Obviously you could discuss the pressure on female celebrities to be super thin, and the scrutiny every part of their bodies gets. But you could also look at the discourse going on here. Jennifer Love Hewitt responded by saying "A size 2 is not fat!" Janice Dickinson defends her by comparing her to a woman who supposedly is fat. So the ultimate message isn't necessarily that women shouldn't have to be thin, but that this particular woman isn't fat. That could lead to a useful discussion on empowerment--what's the difference between empowering an individual woman ("I'm not fat!") and empowering women as a group ("We need to fight against this idea that only one body shape is acceptable")? Is the discourse we find here really liberating to women in general, or just to those who are a size 2 or smaller?
Most female celebrities, when photographed in an unflattering manner, disappear for a month and then reappear in transformed bodies that have been starved and exercised until they are worthy of display; they are then welcomed back with open arms and their transformation is praised. It might also be interesting to use Hewitt's responses in a discussion of how difficult it is to try to resist hegemonic ideals of beauty--how do you defend yourself and respond to mainstream ideals when you're one of very few people even trying to do it?
Increase In Cosmetic Surgery
Data on the prevalence of cosmetic surgery is notoriously difficult to find. This is data on the five most common procedures, according to one association's members:
Pretty amazing.
Woman as Monster
This is an image that graces the cover of a new documentary about intersex individuals called Black and White.
In general, though, I think it's a really powerful image that refuses to accept that women who are not young, with a teenage girl's body, and a submissive attitude are somehow offensive.
Defining Fat
Click here to see a flickr slide show of dozens of people with their BMI label ("underweight," "normal," "overweight," "obese," and "morbidly obese"). There's something about seeing all these nice looking people with these judgmental labels applied to them that reveals that the BMI is a social construction. Also it's a good illustration of the Foucauldian idea that knowledge (discourse, or even "science") is used to label and control people, especially when it is internalized.
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