An artistic
expression of sexual fantasy or a stylized depiction of grotesque gender
violence: an interview with a social commentator about Dolce and Gabbana ad
allegedly depicting a gang-rape
Q: what do you think
about the modern advertising industry?
You see, With
advertisement emerging as the most commonly employed persuasive method by
various brands in the modern era of consumer culture, the efforts to create the
most effective advertisements has also seen exponential growth. Usually through
a visual medium such as video or photographs, these advertisements create a
narrative that is aimed at not just informing the intended audience, but also
to engage them as much as possible.
Q: how would you see an
advertisement like this Dolce and Gabbana promotional photograph in this
context?
I think this ad
photograph is slightly ambiguous. A controversial Dolce and Gabbana advertisement
depicting a female model pinned down by a male model (with four other male
models watching) can be read as a visual narrative with the same aim but with
an ambiguous message. While the apparently stylized narrative of gender
violence can be seen as an engaging piece of artistic expression of sexual
fantasy to serve some commercial interests; many viewers can also find this
narrative a disturbing depiction that expresses a ‘male’ fantasy perpetuating
the violent subjugation and exploitation of female body.
Q: you have been
talking about this ambiguity in expression. Can you further elaborate?
In my opinion, the
undefined realm of artistic expression also creates a great degree of ambiguity
in terms of the appropriateness of the subject or the manner of its expression.
This controversial ad can also be interpreted in the light of freedom of
expression, even if it is expression a particularly disturbing sexual
fantasy. Dolce and Gabbana have a large
female market and it would not make much sense to make an advertisement that
depicts violence against women. However, considering the ‘engaging’ element of
advertising, this shocking element of the narrative could serve that purpose.
Q: how would you place
this ad in the context of gender issues?
Well, we already know
that gender is a performative role created by the society and the relation
between the opposite genders is also largely determined by the socially
constructed set of norms. The normative gender behavior places males as the
active and dominant sex and the females are expected to submit to the male
desires. The idea of female body and its desirability are also constructed from
the same perspective, which is also phrased as the male gaze. The pre-dominant
expression of male gaze in the public sphere somewhat naturalizes the
artificially created gender roles that perpetuate male dominance by presenting
the desirability of a female strictly from male perspective. The scene depicted
in this advertisement presents a visual narrative in which a female model is
pinned down by a male, while four other male models pose as watchers. The
presentation of female body is of special significance. Her half-outstretched
arms and sideway turned face can be interpreted as a visual signifier of
surrender. On the other hand, her closed legs and raised hips can be
interpreted as desperate attempt to resist this male act of pinning her down.
Q: it seems a plain
misogynistic piece of art. Where is the ambiguity there?
I understand your
feeling, but you should also note that this narrative of resistance and
surrender of a female before aggressive male desire has been presented as a
sexual desire of not only the males but also the females. According to a
research survey conducted by The Journal of Consumer Research, with a
small group of 18 women, female audience respond to such ads as a form of art
and engage in appreciating its artistic elements while also expressing a liking
for the association between macabre and aesthetics. Some readers could
appreciate the ad photo in question as an artistic expression of the female
desire for rough or violent sexual experiences, which could be associated with
male virility. From this perspective, this ad is a piece of artistic boldness
that dares to express female desire in a very radically explicit form.
Q: so you mean that
this ad is just expressing an often not expressed reality of desire?
No, that would be a
hasty and superficial interpretation. As pointed earlier, the gender role
defined in any male dominated society creates and disseminates knowledge that
naturalizes the subordinated existence of the females. In the case of this
advertisement photo, many viewers can interpret the visual symbols as a
disturbing narrative of gang rape that is garbed in the high class Dolce and
Gabbana fashion accessories. The apparent resistance but eventually overpowered
posture of the female body forms a narrative of male dominance.
Q: what do you think
could be the possible ramifications of ads like these?
Well, the naturalization of this violent male
sexuality and the passive surrender of the female body contribute to the
perpetuation of discriminatory gender roles that place men as the active
subjects and female as the passive objects. The act narrated through the
photograph is not merely an expression of sexual fantasy but a male sexual
fantasy that is predicated upon the denial of individual will or power to the
female subjects as she eventually succumbs to male power. such ads also try to
alienate the female subjects from the natural desire to resist or fight against
this exploitative male power or dominance.
Q: does the brand
association exacerbate the effect of such ads?
Placing the brand’s name on the photograph at
least glamourizes if not condones the brutal acts of rape. Within this
particular framework of interpretation this advertisement disseminates and naturalizes
the violent assertion of male power against the will of the female in a rather
misogynistic taste of the dominant male section of the society. Consumerist
society as the primary audience only increases the banality of this advertisement,
raising repulsion and concern
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