Its fucking Disturbing !!!

Women’s bodies are often presented in a dehumanized way in mass media images. Women are not only turned into objects, but the object is broken down into component parts, each of which also represents an ideal form. Women’s bodies become objects for consumption. And we are the consumers…But we all know that right?

Nowadays, women have the freedom to use and sell their body image to whoever or any industry they want. Growing up I will see naked and semi-naked bodies everywhere I turned my head. It became a normal habit and very often I expected to see a woman’s body instead of something else. This is because my mind has become accustomed to these images I couldn’t help but see it everywhere…

For advertising, particularly for fashion and cosmetics

Firms are still using women’s bodies as an instrument to attract consumers

Carl’s Jr.’s advertisement uses women’s bodies to sell their product

Commercials, videos, billboards, perfumes, calendars, magazines, flyers, internet, etc.

And I can go on with the list….

But is it ethical to use women body as a marketing instrument?

I do not know if it’s ethical or unethical but that hamburger is looking too sexy!!!

What really intrigues me is that when I see a body used for marketing it does not affect me at all, but when it comes to see an activist body use as a protest IT’S FUCKING DISTURBING!!!!

Pay it No Mind: The Life and Times of Marsha P. Johnson shows the hardships of a transgender individual. Marsha P. Johnson became an activist to help others out there facing the struggles of an unaccepting society. Some people become activists to help themselves but others to help the community and that’s the case of Violeta Luna.

Last year I had the privilege to meet Violeta Luna, a performance activist born in Mexico City. I had always read about activists in school, books and articles or heard of them from other people. Never did I think I was going to met one in person. Violeta Luna is one more activist that uses her body as a territory to question and comment on social and political phenomena. She has performed and taught in Latin America and Europe. She is also an associate artist of the San Francisco-based performance collectives La Pocha Nostra and Secos & Mojados.

But let me get straight to the point….

Growing up in a very liberal country like the US I found myself used to seeing women naked or semi-naked, it is almost like a cultural habit. The day I saw Violeta Luna performing semi-naked, I did not feel so comfortable because I was not used to it. I almost left the room, because it was very disturbing and unusual. My body got chills and my mind was running wild. I had never seen someone hurting her body to make a political and social critic. Her facial expressions were so powerful that I could feel what she was feeling. Violeta was injecting herself to show a reflection on the reality of genetically engineered corn, and its devastating consequences on life. Violeta Luna has been using her body to make very deep critics on politics. She said in an interview that very often people dismisses themselves from her performances because they can’t stand the way she uses and hurts her body to make a reflection. To be honest it’s very disturbing and not sexy at all.

Activist Body + Rebellious Mind = IT’S FUCKING DISTURBING!!!

When a docile body remains submissive, obedient, controlled and micromanaged there is no problem. The docile body is strict on the schedule, keeps running like machine and everybody is happy about it. Everyone wants to buy a sexy burger. But when the body becomes a territory for political and social protest then it becomes disturbing, undisciplined and unethical for society. This is because we are so used to seeing it but not looking through it. We only care about seeing the beauty of it but when we see the ugly part it bothers us. I do not know if it is ethical or unethical to expose a naked body to the public, but what I know is that society only shows us what they want show us and it is our job to see through things, to not remain as docile bodies and perhaps make a change for us and our future generations.