With over a million people using the subway system daily, the
stations and subway cars become a public space for the homeless, the talented
street performers, the blue collared folks, the students and everyone in
between. On long commutes, it is impossible not to take notice of the posters
in the subway cars as well as in the stations. Colleges being advertised
with slogans like “Start Here Go Anywhere” seen on a Borough of Manhattan
Community College poster, sending a positive message for those wanting to
pursue a college education; Seamless ads promoting fast delivery time when one
wants to take a load off and not cook. My least favorite that became the inspiration
for this blog, were the posters advertising plastic surgery for women.
Apparently, living with small breasts is miserable and it’s the year of the “Brazilian
butts”? While all other posters are marketing positive, convenient ways
to maneuver through life, the other advertisements are promoting the harsh
reality for women in society.
It makes me question what is this constant need for
society to control what women look like and worst of all, to control how women
feel about their bodies? From million dollar make-up commercials to plus size models
being banned from runways, I felt like these advertisements on the subway are
now pushing the boundaries between telling women what they should or shouldn't
look like to now attempting to convince women to spend thousands of dollars on
actually modifying their bodies.
I was pleased to find out that I was not
the only one who felt targeted and disgusted by these ads. I came across one of
the ads that had a sticker that read, “THIS OPPRESSES WOMEN”. I noticed these stickers a
few more times as I took the train. It restored my faith in humanity seeing
this. I was hoping it sent the message that women did not deserve to be
scrutinized for not looking a certain way. Are bigger breasts or butts or face
lifts really the answer to our happiness? Instead of promoting plastic surgery and
large breasts, why can’t we promote self-love and stop contributing to misogyny
disguised as an attempt to make women feel better about themselves?
Unfortunately, one
afternoon commute home, I noticed that someone had different ideas about this.
Written over the sticker in black marker were degrading words implying that
woman are sexual objects and nothing more. These words made me as if the
struggle of being a woman in society is still taken as a joke. Needless to say this was hurtful to see
and left me feeling shocked and confused.
Maybe I
am biased but more people should be bothered by this. The affects of low self-esteem
can be detrimental to women. How
can women succeed if they are under a microscope, constantly criticized and
made to believe that they are never good enough? Our accomplishments do not
matter but what we look like defines us. I wish we lived
in a time and place where we can take a train ride without feeling bad about
our breast size.
Written by: Maria Pietruszka
Great Article !
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