It's no secret that sex sells, and objectified female bodies drive sales. While sexism can be in the eye of the beholder, it's still important to call out questionable ads where and when we see them. Instead of penning an op-ed or taking to social media, feminists in New York City are slapping stickers that read "this oppresses women" on advertisements in the subways and on the streets that they feel objectify women and perpetuate damaging stereotypes.
According to The Huffington Post, the National Women's Liberation group and Redstockings are behind this endeavor to raise awareness about the images we consume on a daily basis. Erin Mahoney of NWL explained: "Women are sick of being bombarded with advertisements that depict women only as sexual objects, that use our bodies to sell products. That embolden men to disrespect us. That tell us we are not worthy unless we conform to unrealistic, sexist, racist, and unhealthy beauty standards. Women are fighting back and using [the 'This Oppresses Women'] vintage sticker to do it. It's exciting."
While you might not view a particular ad featuring a stereotypically "perfect" female body (aka thin, white, cisgender) as oppressive, someone else might, so these stickers are vital to sparking dialogue and debate. Too often we fail to see the subliminal messages in the products being peddled to us, and this guerrilla project can provoke some much needed cultural inquiry. Here are just a few recent places where this sticker, based on a 1969 feminist design, has popped up.
Images: vr_fitness/Instagram; northamerika/Instagram; sarahwangart/Instagram; lindsaywarland/Instagram; hdharing/Instagram; checkback/Instagram; emilybemily1014/Instagram; woodshollow/Instagram; thatbetty/Instagram
