Representation (first teaching 2022) GapFill

Eating Meat is a Sin: Go Vegetarian © PETA, 2011

Fill in the missing key terms to complete the analysis of representation in the PETA print advert.

The PETA print advert is one of the more controversial advertisement campaigns of recent years. It is useful to start an analysis by considering the  constructionrejectionselectionexclusion of business owner Angela Simmons as the cover star of the advert.

On one level, this is   a predictablea subversivean old-fashioneda traditional move on the part of the producers. Historically, African-American women have been the subject of  negativepositiverespectfulcountertypical representations in the mainstream media.

It is, therefore,  stereotypicalracistconservativecountertypical to show Simmons commanding a social cause such as vegetarianism. One can assume, that through a process of  audience identificationaudience positioningaudience perspectiveaudience experimentation, the producers decided to target an audience with  progressiveold-fashionedconservativenonsensical social and political views – Simmons is an ideal role model to convey this kind of message.

However, when we look at the  mediationconstructioncombinationexclusion of elements in the advert, the representation of Simmons isn’t as simple as it might have seemed. The audience is positioned to  negotiateidentifydisagreecommunicate with Simmons through various techniques: Simmons stares directly into the camera frame; she holds out an apple as if encouraging the reader to take it; the written text supports this by using  personifiedrhetoricalquestioningimperative language such as 'go vegetarian'.

It is worth considering how far this advert distances itself from many others that  under-representstick up forcountertypestereotype black woman by sexualising them and showing them as   an irresponsible otheran English othera treacherous otheran exotic other.

Simmons wears very little clothing and her posture heavily emphasises the shape of her body. Furthermore, through a process of  selectionpre-productionmediationproduction, it appears that Simmons has been Photoshopped to make her skin less dark. Many would argue that this digital editing exposes a racist  audienceeditorstaffideology on the part of the producers as it suggests that lighter skins makes for greater beauty.

The alternative argument would be that Angela Simmons has chosen to appear in this way. She has been empowered to dress however she wants, resulting in   a negativean under-representinga stereotypicala positive representation of young women. PETA has refused to construct a representation that  reinforcesdestroyscancelsignores sexist ideas of how a woman should dress and act.