Sex Sells

This ad is offensive in so many ways. It's been known as the Dolce and Gabbana "gang rape" ad, and eventually got pulled from print when the National Organization for Women protested against it.

The designers never admitted any fault: The designers maintained even as they pulled the ad from print that they "do not feel [they've] ever gone too far." On this ad, Stefano Gabbana said, "it does not represent rape or violence, but if one had to give an interpretation of the picture, it could recall an erotic dream, a sexual game."

This obviously represents violence. She is being held down even as she is attempting to escape. The gaze we spoke about in class is definitely in play here. He is looking at her, and therefore has the power, as she is looking elsewhere.

To me, advertising seems to be an area where feminism loses ground. Of course, this is partially because of the old adage "Sex sells," but there are so many ads that show women in a degrading way. I took a Gender Studies class where we all had to bring an ad in over the course of the semester. I think that in addition to sex selling, this is also one of the causes of raunch culture. Because so many women believe that feminism has achieved its goals and we are now equal, they fail to see the things that oppose their ideas.