Click HERE for the NutriSystem Ad.
This advertisement presents the perpetually recurring image of hegemonic femininity. The goal of the ad is to make women feel that they need to lose weight, and lots of it, in order to be happy. I agree that exercising and being healthy is important, and can improve one's self-esteem, but losing 40 pounds by eating chocolate cake and pot roast is not only unrealistic, it is unnecessary. The commercial assumes that anyone who doesn't have a slim waistline, like that of the "new and improved" Marie Osmond, is unhappy, and suggests that there is only one factor that affects one's happiness: weight.
By the way, did you see how tiny that plate of meatballs was?!?
Click HERE for the "Capitalism: A Love Story" movie trailer.
This trailer stood out to me because it is counter-hegemonic. Amidst all of the usual hegemonic commercials, it was extremely refreshing to see something and someone who isn't afraid of challenging the dominant ideology. This is what gives counter-hegemonic forces a chance. When they reach the main stream media, they are noticed.
This film not only challenges those who are in power, i.e. politicians, wall-street traders, etc., it also gives the common person a feeling of empowerment, as opposed to helplessness. It brings to the forefront issues that most Americans simply accept as out of their control, and presents the idea that there is something we can do to fight back and be treated fairly. "There's got to be some kind of rebellion between the people that have nothing, and the people that have got it all," says an average-looking man in the trailer. This statement is a prime example of counter-hegemony. It contests the hegemonic social order.
I'm sure the film will receive much criticism and be the center of much controversy, but this only makes me want to see it more.
No comments:
Post a Comment