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This is an advertisement from the Montana Meth Project. The message about the effects of meth on sex is clearly shown in this advertisement. What do you think the creators of this advertisement are saying about meth in general? Do you think that there is a message in this ad that concerns the differences between men and women? How does this image and statement portray sex and the connection to meth? What tools did the creators of this ad use to make a negative image of using meth?
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ReplyDeleteIn response to Adam's question about the difference in men and women in the ad, I do believe that there is a difference. Sex is always used as a tool in ads, and most of the time the woman is involved with a bigger role than the man. I definitely feel as if the ad is more powerful towards women, as the girl is presumably offering her body for sex. One big reason for this inference is the positioning of the characters in the ad. This may not seem very important, but in my interpretation, it made a huge difference. The fact that the girl was laying on the bottom, and the man is on top of her is a big detail to me. This can show that women can be taken advantage of, can be left in a hopeless situation, and can become so desperate that this behavior is ok to them. The girls face is also more largely in the image, thus showing the effects more, and showing the desperation. Montana Meth Project positioned this in a tactic way, and I feel as if the group wanted this particular ad to relate and affect more women viewers than men viewers.
ReplyDeleteI am responding to prompt number 1. Montana Meth Project uses a lot of powerful rhetoric in this image. One may interpret this in the obvious way that they do not want the user to indulge in meth, but in another sense, the ad seems to use a powerful message that may be construed as over-exagerated. The group goes with powerful, emotional, and graphic images that sometimes do not get the accurate message out. People may take the ad as a still shot, and an over exaggeration of reality. Sometimes when a sexual act is being portrayed and one can presumably tell that it s going on in the ad, the message can seem too powerful and may not even be taken in. Viewers know that this scene was set up just for the ad, and sometimes the lack of reality or relation to the real word can hurt the Montana Meth Project. That was to go against the grain some, but overall the image does portray the terrible effects of meth. One sees the girl and the guy in raggedy clothing, and she seems to be tired and worn out. The message is also making the viewer believe prostitution can be involved in the process of obtaining meth. From this, the viewer can presume that ones normal sense of right and wrong is very constrained while on he drug. The words go to show that sex is being offered lightly, and meth can alter the way a person thinks and make decisions. Lastly, the girl seems to be very desperate and lethargic. With that, many kids and teenagers can relate and not want to see themselves in that light. In a time where kids are supposed to excel and learn, she is offering sex lightly and looks very miserable. All in all, there are many interpretations that can be made and analyzed for both sides, but the overall message is definitely trying to make one see the negative side to using meth.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Adam's question regarding how the drug portrays a negative image of meth use:
ReplyDeleteIn our society, a person is supposed to be clean, pretty, and have self respect. The ad uses these stereotypes to create the image of a person in their ad that is not socially acceptable. The girl looks sweaty and dirty, as though she has not showered in weeks. She loos tired and does not seem to care about what is happening to her. The ad says, "15 bucks for sex isn't normal. But on meth it is," to turn this image into the viewers new idea of what a meth user looks like. On meth, the things going on in the picture are normal, and the image shows a girl acting in a way that most of the population would be embarrassed to act. It is in this way that the ad portrays meth as a negative thing.
That's an interesting point. The first time I looked at the ad, I wasn't thinking about the socially unacceptable aspect of how the girl looks. I thought about how meth made the girl willing to let someone have sex with her for 15 dollars and how it seemed similar to prostitution. Society does not readily accept prostitution as something that is okay, it is even considered illegal by the law. Maybe the anti-meth ad is using a combination of showing how unacceptable looking dirty and acting dirty is in society and that meth can lead to this. I agree with you that it would be embarrassing to act the way the girl is acting. It's almost like the ad is saying, "Don't do meth, it is socially unacceptable and embarrassing."
DeleteI will be responding to prompt 6. The advertisement selected shows that meth allows you to make different decisions in life than you normally would. The decision that is prevalent is prostitution and the author attempts to persuade the reader to believe that it is a common thing corresponding to drug use. All parts of the ad try to persuade the reader to believe drugs are bad, most specifically meth in this particular ad. The young girl looks dirty and tired, her clothing is riped, her hands are covered with dirt, and she is underneath a man that doesn't have a very clean appearance. The ad does not portray this as a friendly encounter and we are made to believe that she is the drug user in this relationship. The surroundings of the ad make it seem like this is not a usual encounter, but spur of the moment. They are on top of grass next to a fence which doesn't seem like a location that would offer much privacy. With the text relating to sex we can assume that that is the next likely event that will take place. And everything that this ad causes us to assume and to believe is all said to have happened because of the drug use of meth.
ReplyDeleteI think Casey makes some really good observations in regard to the details of the way that the situation is depicted. The girl's appearance is the most striking aspect of the ad as the girl is obviously not in a good state. This ad in intended to scare the viewer into not doing meth, because clearly people are not capable of making good choices while under the influence. The author really tries to make this clear by the way he or she depicts the girl in the picture.
Delete*2/18/2013 Group post: Boonie, Thinh, and Peilin*
ReplyDeleteThis ad uses a powerful graphical and image concentration in order to carry out their message. The girl is concentrated in the ad, selling her body to the man.However, the girl is not showing any emotions, as thought she has done it several times before. Clearly when looking at the girl's face, one would notice that she is infected by meth. The message "15 bucks for sex isn't normal. But for meth it is." further convinces the audience that the girl is unconsciously being controlled by meth, to the extend that she would sell her body for it. The author uses a female as the victim in this image to indicate that females tend to be easier to be taken advantage of. This might indicate that females are more likely to be victims of meth, and females are probably the main target of this ad.