Sexism In Advertising: Domestic Abuse Poster Girls

With a talented star like Rihanna allegedly falling victim to Chris Brown’s supposed abusive behavior, domestic violence is being discussed all over the media. And it’s about time. However, while they talk a good game about how awful beating up a woman is, their hands are still outstretched for revenue from violently chauvinistic ads. There’s atrocious, real life abuse threatening women all over the world, but for some reason, advertisers seem to find sexually aggressive and violent imagery to be an effective sales pitch. Why just this week, Relish, an Italian clothing line, came out with new ads which portray women being fondled by police officers against their will.

In a climate where were already struggling to explain to our daughters how to respect and love themselves in the face of unrealistic standards of beauty, a hypersexualized culture, and a girlie pop heroine who may have had the crap kicked out of her by another popular teen star, these ads are yet another blow. But what responsibility do the advertisers have to stop sending messages that dangerously equate domestic abuse with sexy style? Granted, what two people choose to do in the privacy of their bedroom is their business, however, a line can be crossed when companies sell aggression against women as sexy. As Huffington Post pointed out, no matter how far women’s rights have come, our society just can’t seem to shake sexist advertising. Check out some of the biggest offenders in this slideshow…