The final work
Sexism is one of the most widely accepted forms of discrimination, and it has become such an ingrained part of our society that it is incredibly difficult to completely abolish it. It does not dwell simply within the few misguided people, it affects all of us in the media we consume, the interactions we have with each other and the messages fed to us throughout our daily lives. Far too often people get uncomfortable and aggressive when confronted with sexism and movements against it, like feminism, because they don’t understand it or have pre-conceived ideas about the whole issue. There are many excellent movements to combat sexism, but it is slow battle, and specifically in New Zealand “… despite the groundswell of support and the numerous initiatives aimed at equality, statistics show we’re failing women, and in particular our most vulnerable women. We need to stop treating many of our women, consciously or unconsciously, like second-class citizens.” (Enabling Women’s Potential, 1). The key phrase here is “consciously or unconsciously”, implying that sexism is not always directly noticeable, which is incredibly true. Sexism is so common in our society, that it invades our thoughts and controls our pre-conceived ideas on the sexes.
Therefore, to fight the way we think, I created this poster for the fake campaign “#ChangeHowWeThink”, which focuses on questioning why we think these ways by manipulating stereotypical understandings of what a ‘feminine advert’ would look like. More often than not, if we as a society see a poster with: a) flowers b) pink colour and c) fancy cursive fonts, we will immediately assume that the advert is aimed at a feminine audience, because those things are deemed to be feminine. By using this common, but misguided idea, I played with how we interpret everyday media. Upon first glance, we see an advert for women, addressing the viewer as “gorgeous” and “perfect”, such descriptions often used to boost a woman viewer’s self esteem, because the common ideal is that women have a fragile self esteem that needs boosting. However, when studied closely, the tagline “why did you assume this advertisement was for women?” immediately makes the viewer do a second take. It brings to light the assumption made simply by looking at some images and colours on a poster, and makes you question why you would make such an assumption. The final hashtag further emphasises this concept, that we need to address how we think, and change it.
Mirzoeff says “Today we can actively use visual culture to create new self-images, new ways to be seen, and new ways to see the world.” (Mirzoeff, 297), which I feel coincides quite well with my concept. My poster creates a new way to see yourself and the world, because it challenges what you assume is concreted into your way of thinking. In the 21st Century, it has become easier, and therefore imperative, that visual activism is utilised when confronting world issues, as such visual efforts can challenge the way we see the world around us.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
National Council of Women of New Zealand. “Enabling women’s potential the social,economic and ethical imperative.” ncwnz.org.nz. Web. 5 June 2016.
Nicholas, Mirzoeff. “How to see Yourself.” How to See the World. London: Pelican, 2015. 31-69. Print.
Nathan Peacock 