Advertising, Epstein & ICE

In my advertising criticism class, two students brought in the following commercial to analyze.

At first blush, it is an ad about female empowerment. But take a second look at this screenshot:

Or, this one:

And, what about the copy:

• “Put my body on a pedestal”

• “Celebrate it. Marvel at it. Glorify it.”

• “….and then see what I can really do” said with the most obvious level of sexual innuendo.

When we focus on women’s bodies—especially as body parts as is done in this ad—we turn them (us!) into objects. When we focus on women’s bodies, what are we not focusing on? We are not focusing on our intellect, our emotions, our spirit, our very selves.

Nike and SKIMS is not alone in this. I’m sure many of you have been fooled by Dove ads or diet ads or dozens of others masquerading as empowerment. They are not.

Turning human beings into objects or trying to keep us in adolescent bodies is what allows men like Jeffrey Epstein and his cabal of pedophiles to think of girls as things to be used and thrown away. It is also what enables ICE to treat people as being just as disposable. If you think I am exaggerating, listen to the Congressional testimony of Aliya Rahman. Start at 3:58 where she retells ICE agents saying, “we’re bringing in a body.”