You know, I get it--human beings like nothing more than looking at sexy ladies and thinking about sexy lady boobies. So, naturally, if we want to sell something to other human beings we must first get their attention with boobies and sexy ladies. Apparently we can sell anything this way - masonry drills, information numbers, animal rights, compassion...
Wait - can you really sell people on compassion with sexy ladies? The Human Rights Action Center says, "Yes! With the help of Tila Tequila, we'll save the good people of Myanmar!"
The creepy works on so many levels here. First, high school kids are... kids. That's right, they are too young to legally give consent, so this little 'strip tease for correct answers' is flirting with pedophilia. Then there is the bit where two girls smilingly speak of the murder of thousands of people, happy to report the deaths because they know the news of tragedy will be rewarded with some fresh new view of lady skin.
But it works, right? Viewers will help the Burmese people now that we've gotten their attention! Its cleavage for a cause! Yet, judging from the comments over at YouTube, this video has got people talking - but not about dictatorships or human rights violations. In five pages of comments, there was not a single mention of the cause this video ostensibly promotes.
So, what are we really selling here? Apparently the very real problems of the Burmese people make a nice narrative to go along with a lesson in Nice Guy (TM) syndrome. That's right - if I'm a Nice Guy who cares about the plight of (insert noun), I deserve to have a hot lady falling all over herself to fondle me. Women are the prize for being a decent person; thus, as a good person, you have a right to hot women.
That's what I see, but what do you all think - is this a savvy way to advocate for an end to human rights violations, or a commercial for sexism and male privilege? Or both?
(h/t Sociological Images)
UPDATE: Feminism and Adbusting points to some "Non-sexed up info on the situation," which can be found here.
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5 comments:
I have to admit that it didn't strike me as anything but odd. It didn't make me feel anything beyond "huh" nor did it make me want to do anything but roll my eyes. I doubt it will be effective.
Wow. This is so PETA. Completely tasteless and disrespectful.
Considering the Junta's track record on women's rights, this is rather inappropriate.
I suspect it's neither. It appears as though a group of film students just pranked a bunch of celebrities. The political situation in Myanmar is irrelevant.
Seriously, the Woody Haroldson/Jennifer Aniston video just seems to be making fun of Aniston's customarily ditzy characters. It's just an excuse to show off how witty the filmmakers are.
A prank, huh? Ok, I'll admit that the Tila Tequila video is so bad that it does seem to be made just to poke fun at celebs, and the Woody and Jen one is vapid. But are we saying that the Human Rights Action Center might be a hoax, or that a group of film students is using the name to punk celebs?
Either way, that would be despicable.
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