Slavoj Žižek argued that fetishistic disavowal is where the desire for the commodity and it’s fetishistic quality is so strange, that we completely ignore all the issues and exploitation that may occur during its manufacture. We know processed food makes us unhealthy, we know that iPhones are constructed through slavery, and we know that certain video game studios exploit their workers… but we do it anyway.
The image on the left shows a high angle shot of a black person’s feet placed in the MES of milk bottles. Anchored through the MES of red sand, a stereotypical representation of Africa is constructed, constructing a stereotype of ‘Africa’ as a single, straightforward, less developed ‘country’. It reinforces a binary between ‘us’ and ‘them’. The assumptions that we must make here make us complicit in stereotyping, due to a lack of anchorage.
The use of photomontage on the right image combines an image of a refugee camp with an image of a catwalk model. This binary opposition constructs a satirical mode of address, constructing a dark and ironic form of humour.
Adbuster engages in culture jamming and detournement. Taking a real advert and placing an actual image of complete material deprivation, a sense of verisimilitude positions the audience in a guilty and bleak mode of address. The low resolution of the image emphasises the graininess of the pixels, heightening the discomfort of the address. The image looks like it was taken from an ancient phone camera, further emphasising themes of inequality.
This spoof advert constructs a binary opposition of inequality, between high end fashion and ‘African’ poverty, of luxurious fashion and terrified refugees.
The advert requires a specialised knowledge of high end fashion, perhaps indicating the audience are wealthy and middle class. This irony is further anchored through the high price of the magazine, and the level of education required to understand.
The advert perpetuates a racist and cliched stereotype of poor, vulnerable black africans. While the preferred reading is to criticise luxury fashion, the advert may just use shocking stereotypical images for the sake of it.
Is this a criticism of the ways fashion works? Often even high end fashion is made in developing countries, reinforcing and perpetuating subjugation on an international scale. The photomontage on the right draws attention to the human cost of high fashion.
The lexis of the slogan, ‘red soles are always in season’, taken without permission from a Christian Loubiton advert constructs a detournement, rerouting the message. The slogan with connotations of luxury and fashion now becomes a comment on the bleeding painful feet of a poor person somewhere in Africa, forced to walk on milk bottles. Through this act of culture jamming, we are positioned to feel empathy for the individual, and realise the unfair inequality that is systemic in our world.
The close up of the feet constructs an uncomfortable stereotype of African poverty and subjugation. This stereotype is constructed through the MES of the race of the model, and the reddish yellow yellow sand of the setting. The MES of the milk bottles connote extreme poverty and depression. The product values are low, with a straightforward image, and a low quality, low resolution digital image, presumably taken on a cheap phone. The MES of grainy pixels is a binary opposition of the luxury of the brand identity of Christian Loutitons adverts.
This spoof advert assumes a great deal of contextual knowledge of luxury brands. This ultimately assumes that the target audience of Adbusters are also the target audience of luxury fashion brands, and are therefore middle class and potentially wealthy. The message ios clear, do not buy luxury brands. Clearly this raises awareness of inequality and their issues that exist under capitalism . However, the mode of address of the advert clearly targets a privileged audience, presenting a hypocritical mode of address.
Adbusters take a mocking and even offensive mode of address with this spoof advert. There is even an oppositional reading that the advert is racist, utilising cultural stereotypes of a poor and vulnerable ‘Africa’ cultivates the message that reaffirms racist stereotypes. The advert utilises an extremely ironic and dark humour to make a political and anticapitalist point. This advert lacks any form of anchorage, and forces the audience to come up with their own interpretation.
On the right, an image of a stereotypical crowd of refugees with distressed facial expressions lunges against a barbed wire fence. The black and white image is presented in high contrast, and symbolises struggles that exist in this world. However, we lack anchorage, and have knowledge and understanding of who these people are.
Yet a binary opposition is formed between these refugees and the fashion model directly beneath. The MES of the fashion image utilises vibrant colours that symbolise luxury and confidence. This confidence is reinforced through the walk and performance of the model, strongly striding, her hegemonically attractive legs constructing a beautiful mode of address.
This blunt binary opposition creates a narrative where the audience are selfish and pathetic for allowing these things to happen.
Water double page spread
On the right, an advert for a Zuchetti tap is presented completely unaltered, drawing attention to how ridiculous this product is. Zechetti exists to brand tap water, an essential product we need to use to not die. This example of commodity fetishism ascribes a bizarre quality to water itself, making it fashionable and beautiful like a high end perfume. When the target audience buy a ZAechetti tap, they buy a luxurious lifestyle, and reinforces and cultivates a capitalist and consumerist ideology
However, an assumption is made about the target audience, that they are aware of Zucchetti as a brand… presumably making them very middle class!
On the facing page, a quote about water deprivation in Brazil suggests that certain people live in absolute poverty and cannot access clean water. The placement of this quote forms a binary opposition between absolute poverty and ridiculous luxury, where some live lives free from challenge, and others struggle to exist.
The image in the top left features a fully nude woman in a bath. However, this image is in no way sexualised. This completely contradicts Van Zoonen’s assertion that the sole function of women is to be eroticised for a heterosexual male gaze. The nudity is contextualised, and not sexualised. The emphasis is on her knees as opposed to breasts , and constructs a sad, negative and depressing connotation.
The woman has tattoos which is stereotypically less feminine, and subverts hegemonic beauty standards
The setting is regular, and even connotes poverty. The model is curled up, indicating the bath is sma, which constructs a representation of a vulnerable person. Her hands are wrinkled, suggesting they have absorbed water, suggesting an excess. However, it is not a luxurious image. Yet she clearly has enough water to bathe in, unlike the Brazilian villagers who have no water at all.
The composition of this double page spread constructs a hierarchy, where even those in relative poverty are significantly better off than those in absolute poverty. This suggests that the world that we live in is hierarchical, unfair and unequal.
The Zucchetti tap advert is presented with no additions, suggesting that it is already ridiculous. It plays with the audience's expectations. We believe it is a parody, yet researching it proves it proves it to be just as ridiculous as it looks. The activist audience will be angry by the absolute lack of compassion and consumerism
Themes of inequality are constructed through an anchoring binary opposition between the article drawing attention to water poverty, and the obscene Zucheti advert. People are so obsessed by consumerism that they will spend a grand on a tap, while fetishistically disavowing the problems faced by those in absolute poverty
A high angle, close up shot of a fully naked woman in the bath appears above the article on water shortage. Somewhat shockingly, this image is in no way sexualised. While the mode of address is voyeuristic, it is anchored through the positioning of the text beneath her. Around the image itself is a blurry mist that resembles steam or water damage.
This representation is unconventional in many ways. Firstly, it is not sexualised, conflicting with Van Zoonen’s theory that women are used as spectacle for power and profit. Additionally, the model herself is unconventional. She has tattoos, and her hands are wrinkly from being in the bath, symbolic of water damage and therefore an excess of water.
However, the image is not glamorous at all. The setting is dull and even cheap looking. Her hunched knees suggest she is either cold, or her bath is small.
Her nudity connotes vulnerability, and invites the audience to emotively empathise with her.
Bricolage - the combination of different forms and media to construct a new meaning
Homeless DPS
Fetishistic disavowal - The binary opposition between the model and the homeless person reminds the audience of the radically different ways that people live.
Atypical constructions of gender - The model looks perfectly symmetrical, fascinating and cool. The model’s contoured face has masculine connotations, connoting power and confidence. Yet the woman on the right is androgynous through being messy, dirty, scruffy, and her clothing is unisex and worn solely for function.
Bricolage - the combination of different forms of media to construct a new meaning. A binary opposition is constructed between the glamorous model on the left of the spread, and the homeless person on the right. Clearly this opposition constructs a gulf between the rich and poor. However, both individuals are somewhat androgynous, and subvert gender expectations.
Detournement - taking something and changing the meaning
Active audience responses - The audience are expected to either already have detailed knowledge, or be expected to research it for themselves. This indicates an educated target audience who are willing to actively engage with the material. In fact, the 350 ppm, a reference to the safe limit of CO2 molecules in the atmosphere, functions as a hermeneutic puzzle for the target audience.
Fetishistic disavowal - the double page spread encourages us to engage in ignoring reality. The three awful and potentially issues represented here are homelessness, the collapse of food production due to climate change, and the levels of CO2 in the air exceeding safe amounts to breathe
Atypical constructions of gender - unconventional representation of a woman. Matted, dirty, messy hair, unwashed hair, unclean, dirty shoesnot hegemonically attractive. We are positioned as a passer byer, choosing whether or not to donate money… uncomfortable! By loosing her cleanliness and her dignity, she has lost her femininity
Bricolage - The image of the model present is a beautiful, challenging, exciting, striking and androgynous model. Yet the pitiable homeless woman is also androgynous… This constructs a binary opposition between wealth and poverty
Detournement - by combining these two images, a double standard is enforced, as well as a brutal critique on beauty standards…
Active audience responses - the audience are actively encouraged to do their own research. Hermeneutic clues are suggested through lexis and MES, and ultimately the audience are assumed to be completing research. This not only assumes that the target audience will align with the anticapitalist messages and also have a high level of intelligence and education… Yet active audiences may reject any political reading and instead see it as satirical humour, or even purely as a fashionable aesthetic.
