LightningBolt, 4/21

As the other United Color of Benetton advertisements we reviewed in class, this ad seems to encompass Hook’s main paint points.

http://www.leoburnett.ro/360/images/blog/media/photos/cc8511dfd3c1b402bb84cebb3e094ca7.jpg

The top of the women in the ad as well as her two arms appear to portray three different “shades” of a white person. The bottom stomach portion of the women seems to be portraying the body of a black woman. By using the proportion of the examples of a white woman and one of a black woman, the advertisement is “othering” the black race. The drama of this otherness is creating attraction to the ad and provokes interest and curiosity. Using race as a way of attracting interest and attention is exactly what Hooks discusses in her paper. Race is being commodified in this ad because the company is using it as a tool to sell their company.

After reading Hooks’ experience of overhearing the Yale students discuss their desires for sexual encounters with women of the opposite race and discussing the quote, “Within commodity culture, ethnicity becomes spice, seasoning that can liven up the dull dish that is mainstream white culture” (366), I tried to think of relatable experiences in my own life. At first I had a hard time, but then realized that my life experiences are much more subtle. Fashion in our culture continuously draws upon different ethnicities to liven up our dull, familiar trends. Wearing Rasta colors and Jamaican type clothing has become a fairly normal way for people in our culture to spicen up their style. The majority of people probably don’t know the meaning behind the style and wear it strictly for looks.