Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Art or glorified violence?

    Art or glorified violence? A canadian hair salon displayed this ad in their window. Immediately the public reacted by vandalizing the store and blogging about it on line. The salon defends it as art. What do you think?
Sources:

6 comments:

  1. If the picture were to promote awareness against violence towards women and were supporting that cause, then yes I would say it is art. The fact that the ad is for a hair salon in my mind does not make this picture art, and I think the salon owner's claim that this it is "art" is her way of trying to justify this horrific ad. The salon owner should take full responsibility for printing this ad, and realize that she is supporting and glamorizing violence against women through this ad.

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  2. Is it appropriate to start a post with: YIKES!

    I have to admit, I was first skeptical to jump on the "this is glorified violence" train, because it is true that art often does depict violent, uneasy subjects as a way to express an opinion about the world around us. I also think that advertising can be artful, if done tastefully.

    The Edmonton hair salon that promoted this ad, however, cannot say the same. First of all this one photo is in a series of other photos with the tag line "look good in all you do," showing women in precarious situations, most of which were uncontroversial. So then, sliding in a depiction of domestic abuse casually as if to normalize is absolutely appalling. Sure they have the right to do it, but at the end of the day this is a poorly executed ad campaign shameful and the salon clearly was not thinking when they okay'd this promotion.

    But here's a question- Would it be as controversial if it were a man with a black eye and a woman standing over him? With the tagline: "Kicking butt and taking names, look good in all you do"? Just wondering/Playing Devil's Advocate.

    Two quotes that struck me:

    " Fluid Salon said they had made her the 'hottest battered woman' "

    'The women who have been abused (deal) with real pain, heartbreak and suffering — it’s not something that should be trivialised to sell a hair salon.'

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2034252/Hair-salon-ad-promises-make-look-good--beaten-partner.html#ixzz1Y1qut4Ws

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2034252/Hair-salon-ad-promises-make-look-good--beaten-partner.html#ixzz1Y1qahoOA

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  3. I a completely agree with steffi, and wanted to respond to the comment John made about if a man were to be depicted in a similar manner; I don't think it would've been received as badly. Men can also be victims of abuse but society has made it seem more acceptable and common place for a woman to be mistreated. I believe a man in a similar role might've drawn out sympathy or made people laugh because he's "less of a man" for being abused.

    None the less I really didn't see the point of this ad to promote a hair salon. It has very little to do with the product/service and merely aims to shock people by being in your face. I found this ad extremely offense to women because its just perpetuating the ill conceived notion that women must look good and not speak, or else.. I also find that looking good and feeling good go very closely together and I can't imagine anyone with a black eye feeling/looking remotely good.

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  4. I think this ad is so ridiculous and tasteless. I totally agree with Jonathan's point that this ad has little to do with the art of hairstyling; instead it is merely a form of senseless promotion for the hair salon. It seems that the salon owners are more focused on gaining coverage through shock value rather than the sexist message that they are sending out.

    In response to John, I think that if the roles were reversed, it would still be pretty tasteless. I do think the ad would be less controversial if the woman had the dominant role, but it would still be problematic since domestic abuse is the central theme behind the ad.

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  6. Three questions

    Number one
    What were they think when they came up with tastless ad ?

    Number two
    Could they have made the ad with same elements the models,slogan, etc and takng it another direction minus the women with the black eye?

    Number three
    Would it be differnet if the man had the black eye?

    My answers

    Number one
    I don't what were they think when they came up with tastless ad, but you can say its art. Because of all the obvious reasons of the women has a black eye. How can that be art ? Come on let be for real they can not be serious with that.

    Number three
    No it would not differnet if it was a man.

    But I can see where some people might find it funny that here a guy being bet up by his lady and his never looks so good. I will say that that battered men don't get as much attention as bettered women. But being battered is being battered.

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