Speaking out

We live in a consumer culture. We want instant gratification, and if we want something, we think we are entitled to have it. Next day delivery, and instant digital downloads mean we don’t even have to wait for the post man; the words and music of others are literally available at the click of a button. 

What does that do to us as humans? Our ability to have some level of self control, to appreciate delayed pleasure and accept that sometimes the answer is no, and be denied what we want? 

Our cultural expectations of immediate relief from pain, hunger, and ‘really needing that extra pair of shoes or top’ does a greater level of harm to the way we think that shouldn’t be laughed off. 

I’m trying to avoid what might be seen as ‘feminist' cliches but here it is.    bodies are used for advertising, to encourage us as a member of the public to say yes and satisfy our wishes and desires. From perfume, clothes, and shoes to alcohol, holidays and cars, and really anything that anybody wants to sell. Beauty and attraction, or to use a darker word lust, are used all over the world and online to tempt people to gratify their demands. 

Women’s bodies are used to create a passage to ‘giving in’ and taking what we want; of course a picture of a women, or part of a woman, on a poster never says no. Poster women are always inviting the consumer to indulge, a women’s body becomes associated with something that we are entitled to take, and that can be taken because ‘we like the look of it and wanted it”.

That scares me. I am a women, I don’t want people to look at my body and think, yeah that’s what I want so I’m going to take it. No one has the right to touch me without my consent, and no one has a right to look at my body and have possessive thoughts. My body belongs to me. It is not a pick’n’mix sweet to be ogled and then consumed.

But what can I do? I can’t stop other peoples thoughts, I can’t stop women’s bodies being used to sell products the world over. I may be recycling other peoples words, but this time the words are coming from my lips, I have recognised for myself what society and advertising is doing and I believe recognition is the first step to inviting change. Talking about these topics keeps our minds receptive and engaged with critically challenging, rather than blindly accepting the world around us.