Comments on: #NOTBUYINGIT: The Problem Is Far Bigger Than Audi’s #BraveryWins

By: Shai

Shai — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 21:32:59 +0000

@PAT I agree with your interpretation. The Girl in Red Dress is little more than a prop; this ad is only technologically more advanced than the old Charles Atlas comic advertisements of the lat ’50s. She’s a compliant brass-ring to be claimed by the male demonstrating the most audacious maleness; there’s no communication, no resonance between them beyond the kiss. The Audi-kid discards her as quickly as he arrived, having had his use of her for his own purposes. It’s a disgusting ad. All the women in this ad, except for the little sister were rendered less honest/effective/relevant than the men, used as foils to contextualize their decisions and actions as better.

By: metl

metl — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 03:33:55 +0000

@Jade: Is she really asserting her own sexuality? Hasn’t she been wearing hypersexualized outfits chosen by her parents since she was a teenager?

By: William Berry

William Berry — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 00:19:31 +0000

Excellent piece. I haven’t seen the commercial because I don’t watch sports, but I agree with every point.

@27 (otherbecky): Precisely, and very well said. I was thinking the same thing.

I have checked out this blog for a long time in order to read Sady Doyle, but I haven’t seen her here in a while. Is she still writing somewhere? I really need a fix!

By: Amber

Amber — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 06:06:05 +0000

Yes! That commercial was GROSS. After it was over, I turned to my husband and declared that in my universe, he had a black eye because SHE punched him.

@ Jayle – The guy is white, conventionally attractive and comes from a well-to-do family, but I read him as an outcast nerd type (scrawny rather than muscled, for example) and his assault of the girl as a nerd-vs.-jock kind of act of rebellion. As this kind of narrative goes, the pretty girl dates the jock, while the Nice Nerd Guy is “friend zoned” because of his lack of confidence. Borrowing the Audi gave him the confidence to show the girl that he likes her, and (presumably) she’s pleased by his sudden display of masculinity. GROSS GROSS GROSS, as these kind of Nice Guy narratives always are.

By: Perla

Perla — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 09:46:23 +0000

I have to agree with Exxposed about V*H*S, although it may have been released with different content or structure in Australia (no segment titles, for one thing).

I recently had to watch it at work,and the way I described it to my coworker in the screening room was “Technically, the supernatural forces punish rapists, but it’s done in a way that ensures people who enjoy rape scenes with get something out of it”. This led to him asserting that he does not understand how some people can desire that and “put the two (rape and sex/sexiness) together”. My relief at this statement from a genuinely good bloke I know reasonably well? A product of living in the rape culture, right there!

By: Grace

Grace — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 06:08:03 +0000

Garland!! Good to see you.

By: OtherBecky

OtherBecky — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 15:45:05 +0000

JB: You do realize that coming to a blog dedicated to feminist critique of pop culture and then complaining about the fact that feminists are critiquing pop culture is perhaps not the best possible use of your time?

By: JADE

JADE — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 04:41:08 +0000

@ANNE A woman asserting her own sexuality, and embracing it is not somehow making he a “puppet of patriarchy”, and I hate it when people who call themselves feminists make those kinds of arguments. As a woman, I believe in allowing a woman to portray herself in any way she sees fit. If I want to shake my ass at a club, I am not a “puppet of patriarchy”, I am a woman who is taking control of my sexuality. Your comment reeks of slut shaming, and I think you’re the one who needs re-evaluation, here. Not Beyonce.

By: eXXposed

eXXposed — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 20:07:49 +0000

A side note on your side note: V/H/S was one of the most pervasively uncomfortable movies I’ve ever watched: not because of the expected horror content, but because of the complete lack of humanity in the characters. The women are overwhelming presented as either products for consumption or stereotypical “evil bitch” characters. The closest we get to a female character with her own human motivation is *literally* a harpie. The one singular non-reprehensible man in the movie gets thoroughly punished for his efforts and even the rape stopping “hero” of Amateur Night spends the whole time up to that voyeuristically recording the evening for posterity.
The garage scene is one of the most gratuitously unnecessary scenes I have ever experienced in a movie.

By: Philip Finn

Philip Finn — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 18:31:02 +0000

It speaks to the bigger issue of institutional privilege, and what we’re willing to have other people suffer – without their consent and against their will – to maintain the status quo we’re willing to accept.