Editor's Blog
Sam Diener, editor of Peacework Magazine, muses on global thought and local action. He will also highlight the online musings of the authors of Peacework Magazine. Please read the guidelines of Peacework's blogs and forums to participate in the discussion.
Protest Photos of Mutilated Naked Women to Sell Shoes
By Peacework Co-Editor Sam Diener
August 11, 2007
The images in this photo spread, in V Magazine's July 20, 2007 issue have been manipulated to portray decapitated and mutilated women stuffed into photos of expensive high heel shoes. One characteristic or even definition of pornography, as opposed to erotica, as defined by feminist anti-pornography activists, is that it sells the idea that violence, especially violence against women, is sexy.
V's web promos for this pornographic cross between editorial content and advertising explicitly claim that their depiction of hacked-up women is sexy. V called the piece, "Foot Fetish." According to the V website, in this layout, "Photographer Bela Borsodi points his lens at the season's hottest heels. Shoes have never been this sexy."
They further try to joke, "To get into Fall's most exciting shoes, you really have to go out on a limb."
I left a message for one of V's editors who I was told was on vacation and has not yet returned my call. An employee who answered the phone at V said they have received other complaints about the piece.
To protest, contact V Magazine, at 212-274-8959, or the shoe companies depicted in the advertorial, asking them to disavow using depictions of violence against women to sell their shoes: Diesel, Prada, D&G, Balenciago by Nicolas Ghesquière, Tod's, Dior by John Galliano, Calvin Klein, Giuseppe Zanotti, and Bally.
V Magazine has Removed the Layout from their Website
Hello Folks,
A modicum of good news. If you click the links above to go that layout, it no longer exists on their website. I believe it was a deliberate decision on V Magazine's part, because the story still is listed if you search for it on their site, but if you click the link for it in the search results, it directs you back to their home page. It appears that our protests succeeded at least to that extent.
I called them for comment again, and they refused to comment, except to redirect me to their PR firm, Bragman Nyman Cafarelli, at 212-253-4646. The person who answered the phone in that office said the person who will comment on that is not in town today.
This editorial is offensive
This editorial is offensive to women all over! No wonder men believe it's their right to beat up their wives. If a woman's magazine promotes violence then us girls have lost our power. Why did we bother with the whole emancipation movement?
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