Mixed Coding or Mixed Message?

An advocacy website called, Catapult, recently launched a campaign aimed at raising awareness towards human rights violations that women face internationally.  The campaign features fashion magazine covers that depict various forms of human trafficking of women.  Cover lines include “728+ Pages of Hot Street Looks” and “Hide Those Bruises with 35 Easy Makeup Tricks” for “Thirteen Magazine” surrounding an image of a young African-American girl.  Another for “Child Bride” magazine, shows an image of a middle-eastern girl with cover lines such as "Dazzling Bridal Gowns Now for Ages 7-12” and “Exercise Secrets: You CAN get in shape for giving birth at 14!” (McGlensey, 2014).

Baraldi (2006) talks about mixed coding and how the juxtaposition of conflicting cultural icons creates powerful messages.  The clash of pop culture fluff (many times aimed, ostensibly at empowering women) and the harsh realities of women’s rights violations creates a jarring message.  However, one might also view this through the lens of ethnocentrism which, according to Baraldi (2006), is the process through which one evaluates the behavior of others through their own set of values.

The aim of the campaign – to raise awareness of the human rights violations of women and girls - cannot be argued with.  But when creating a sense of self and difference in the context of globalization things can get complicated (Shome & Hegde, 2002).  Shome & Hegde further point out that in transnational circuits of capital, “civilized” nations rely upon developing world workers for cheap labor.

The fashion industry has been criticized for its use of cheap labor both internationally and locally.  And while the fashion industry is not involved in this campaign, the use of fashion magazines (even if it is a critique of pop culture fluff in the face of global horror) creates an ethical dilemma.  Also are the images of an African-American prostitute and a middle-eastern child bride representative of the demographics of each problem or a stereotyped perception of “other” from the perspective of civilization.  Polygamy exists in the United States today, and there are certainly questions of consent that surround it.

The aim of the campaign is commendable, and more attention does need to focus on women’s rights violations globally.  But the campaign also raises uncomfortable questions about cultural perspectives and in terms of such horrific atrocities, the creation of a sense of other so that the horrors feel farther away than they really are.

References

McGlensey, M. (2014, March). Reimagined women’s magazines swap cover girls for slaves. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/07/international-womens-day-magazines_n_4921241.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

Baraldi, C. (2006). New forms of intercultural communication in a globalized world.  The International Communication Gazette, 68 (1), 53-69.

Shome, R. & Gegde, R. (2002). Culture, communication, and the challenge of globalization.  Critical Studies in Media Communication, 19, 172-189.