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Sexual violence is deeply rooted in dehumanizing people, and media ad campaigns do this by objectifying, sexualizing and commodifying girls’ and women’s bodies.

 

This is one big reason media literacy is so important–education about the effects of advertising brings these connections to awareness and breaks the hold they have on us. It’s also the reason public protest using clever forms of subvertising (subvert + advertising) are so effective. Using satire and humor to expose the harmful underlying sexualized and objectified messages is a powerful form of public education and media literacy.

Sometimes parodies of ads are so sophisticated that consumers can’t determine the real from the fake. When FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture, a feminist activist collaboration that designs campaigns to “upset the culture of rape and promote a culture of consent,” created PinkLovesConsent.com, people truly thought Victoria’s Secret had a crisis of conscience. The first day, over 50,000 people visited the site looking to buy VS’s “newest collection of flirty, sexy and powerful statements that remind PINK panty-wearers and their partners to practice CONSENT.”

But sometimes a simple DIY version is really effective. Powered By Girl blogger activists have had lots of fun over the years spoofing sexualized imagery of girls and women. They even created a “how to” spoof a sexist ad in their SPARKit with PBG in honor of the annual UN Day of the Girl.

Or spoof sexist products sold on line, like this sexist t-shirt sold by Spencer’s.

Spoof an ad and share the results on social media, like this PBG before and after Go Daddy ad.

Memes are also a fun and effective form of subvertising. Check out this clever collection of consent memes.

Subvertising is great way to bring your creative, satiric energy to fight sexual violence one image at a time.

It’s important to consider the implications of on-site subvertising of ads, posters, and billboards. Remaking ads or creating memes to circulate online to expose and challenge the harm they inflict are considered educational and okay, but defacing property is illegal and has obvious risks.

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