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| This provocative and somewhat off-putting poster shows Pam Anderson with parts of her body marked with words usually used to describe animal parts that are for sale as food. |
The animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has been known for its liberal stances on removing meat from the human diet, banning the use of fur in clothing, and stopping the use of animals in laboratory testing. One of their spokespeople is actress, model, and activist Pamela Anderson, who has been a vegan for many years. She has posed in numerous PSAs for the organization, but the one above has been seen by many as a disgrace; she is clad in only a revealing bikini, allowing viewers to see the words and dotted lines all over her body. Those are the same words given to parts of animals that are consumed by humans. PETA's message is clear: all animals are the same, and if we don't eat humans, then we shouldn't eat animals.
The most obvious thing about the poster is Anderson herself, minus the words all over her body. She's regarded by many as a gorgeous sex symbol, and the poster clearly shows her off; she's wearing almost nothing, she's in full makeup, is sporting a huge hairstyle, and is posed in such a way that her chest and legs are on full display. Anderson is even giving viewers a bit of a suggestive "come hither" look. The whole effect is extremely eye-grabbing and definitely "pops" in comparison to many other advertisements, so viewers are more likely to see it and to understand PETA's message.
Clearly visible on Anderson's body are the same words used to label different kinds of meat for sale, a very strong method of comparison. Anderson's leg is not different from a chicken leg and her ribs are no different from those of a pig or a cow, PETA claims. It begs the question that the organization hopes to put into the minds of viewers: why should we kill and eat animals, whose bodies are really no different from our own, while condemning the consumption of humans? Without those words and dotted lines, the poster's power would be seriously diminished, as viewers would not necessarily think to compare Anderson to animals.
This poster has brought much criticism of PETA, mostly by women who believe that Anderson is being unnecessarily objectified. They argue that women are often already seen as nothing but "pieces of meat" for the pleasures of men and that this advertisement encourages such a view. It is true that PETA could have done this in a much different way, by perhaps having a anatomical diagram of a "generic" person, not sexualized in the way that Anderson has been. Whatever the case, the poster certainly grabs the attention of anyone who may happen upon it and may make viewers think more about including meat in their diets. In addition, some people may never have heard of or seen the advertisement without all the controversy surrounding it, which helps in getting PETA's message out there.
P.S. To be clear, I don't like this. I think it's sexist and unnecessary. PETA is kind of awful in a lot of ways. You should look it up. Go. Wikipedia is calling you. Go.
Image link: http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/10/22/1287767319786/
Pamela-Anderson-in-Peta-c-006.jpg
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