Saturday, October 28, 2006

Women In Ads

Nowal started this debate and I am taking the topic a little further. She links to a NY article where the author bemoans the fact that women's bodies are now sexualized to such an extent that we don't feel the impact when women are singled out for a crime - such as the recent school shootins in USA where the gunmen separated the girls before killing or molesting them.

Now, Jack Straw wants to have a debate as to whether women who wear the niqab are secluding themselves from society. Fine, I say, but we also need a debate as to how sexualized we have made women and their bodies in today's society. If Saudi is a repressed society where the hint of a women's ankle allegedly drives men crazy, in the West we don't think nothing of it when pole dancing toys are made for girls as young as six years old by Peekaboo toys. Christiana Aguilera shows her butt in a music video and it's rated PG13.

Here are a few snaps I took around Toronto yesterday. Here, I must add that while I am commenting on the sexualization of women's bodies in commercials, as a young man I am not complaining ...


Tame, enough ...


She's selling what again?


Catch the name of the store?

Twenty years ago you wouldn't see such billboards in a respectable corner of the town. Before they argue as to how we immigrants should assimilate into their culture, they should debate how morally depraved their culture has become.

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12 comments:

Anonymous said...

As a young man you are not complaining .....

hahahahaha....

sad.

- Farah.

Anonymous said...

I agree with every word you have written here. I have never set foot in the US but things are equally bad if not worse in the UK. I love Scotland but women are pretty naked here too.

However, I think we should start a movement. Get the attention of those who make laws. Write to politicians. A picture is worth a thousand words and your photos speak volumes. Someone should show these to lawmakers and ask them what the hell they are doing for the society??

Perversion destroyed the socities of many prophets. Let's save ours!

nalumoni said...

yea, the problem is, they're creeping in so sneakily that we don't even realize it until it's too late.

Anonymous said...

Salamaat,
Nab is right...and our own sensitivity to nakedness is really nonexistent. I don't think anything shocks me anymore...and those billboards I don't even see them. They are like background noise to my eyes..

but then again, I am not a man :)

Anonymous said...

What I find is hypocritical that you choose to enjoy yourself (not complain) and yet comment on it in a negative manner.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if the same would be true for Bangladesh 30-40 years from now. What will happen if economic success uplifts people into the middle class, but morals, class and tact does not follow.

Mixed that with a consumer-driven society; I wouldn't be surprised if Ads like the ones you posted shows up throughout Bangladesh. hmmm... might be interesting to see..

At that point, would it be transfer of Western values, or just a consequence of wealth transfering hands rapidly?

Anonymous said...

Mezba Bhaia,

You must be shocked to know that its not only happening in USA but over Dhaka also......Recently there's a mall opened at Gulshan Name "Shagun ".....they also use such naked banner.....Its really very pitty for us...:(

Anonymous said...

All in the name of "modernization".

Anonymous said...

This is not just modernization but we are seeing the postmodern world as well. The repressed is living side by side as the overly "free". Bubbles of extreme poverty side by side extreme richness. Welcome to the postmodern world!

Alex said...

Buddy, I immigrated to Toronto 15 years ago now, and I've integrated just fine. If you don't like our "morally depraved culture", you're more than welcome to leave. I'll even give you a ride to Pearson and help you get on the plane. But living here while bitching about our society and refusing to become part of it is the height of hypocrisy.

mezba said...

Farah: Yup.

Suroor: I suspect it's worse in Europe. I have seen some of the ads for Fiat and Alpha Romeo cars in Italy. Less of the car and more of the women. Then it ends with 'Drive me'.

Nowal: True.

Maliha: Even as a guy I find some of the stuff that used to shock doesn't anymore. Baywatch was revolutionary when it came out, now it's so passe.

Anon (11:10): I will choose to enjoy what I want to enjoy - that doesn't make something right or wrong.

Anon (1.33): I think Samiha's comments show it's started now.

Samiha: I see Bangladesh is taking on the worse aspects of our culture but leaving aside the good stuff such as worker benefits, minimum wage and so on.

Shovon: Not to forget 'Liberation'.

Hasan: True, the females are complicit in this. In the East they are oppressed and many females themsevels accept it, here women are booty and ho and bitches and they too accept it.

Saqi Namah: I think this is more prevalent in the US where you have the ultimate in capitalism, and almost no help for the poor. If you are poor it's your fault is the ideology. I believe in economically viable welfare.

Alex: So if you immigrate into this society you cannot criticise this society? That's a strange concept you have of freedom of speech. I will criticize this society as much as I want. If you love something you try and fix it, if you don't criticize you don't care.

Anonymous said...

Once someone told me,if you want to sell something,just have a girl in a bikini/less dressed to do it.It is really sad,and scary at the same time as a mother of 2 young girls.sf.