This advertisement for Dolce & Gabbana has been extremely controversial because of its depiction of glamorized gang rape. 5 men, 3 of them in various states of undress, surround a helpless woman being held down by her wrists on some kind of platform. All five of the male gazes are directed at her body. The man in the center has a very dominating pose, bending over her and staring directly into her face. The woman seems weak and submissive - she doesn't look at any of the men who are crowding around her, instead she looks off to the side. Her indirect gaze seems to communicate a sense of fear. The woman's body is the focus of the advertisement but she has no control over it.
The female body is always used to sell, but at least the women we see in advertisements are depicted as having some kind of control over their bodies most of the time. This ad hits a nerve because of the fact that the advertisers are blatantly using her body to sell their brand and putting her in a powerless position at the same time. The men's attitude seems to indicate that they find this lack of power arousing in some way, that it is desirable for a woman to be completely under their control. Most women will not like this ad; it was even banned in Spain after generating a great deal of controversy.
I'm not sure how this is supposed to sell clothing or even promote a positive image for D&G. It seems to me that they were mostly concerned with "shock value" and connecting the idea of sex with the brand but this wasn't the right way to go about it. Instead of seeming kinky, the photo just comes across as dangerous (and not in a good way). Since the implied sex act seems to be nonconsensual, the ad reeks of violence instead of sexuality. However, the ad was successful in capturing everyone's attention and getting people to talk about the brand. D&G knows that sex sells, even when it's wild and violent.
No comments:
Post a Comment