Who are you? | Are you who advertisers suggest you should be? | Video

These 2 videos are an interesting perspective (and there
is a little repetition).

I'd be curious what your thoughts are about her comments.

She speaks of dehumanization, which includes the focus on
just "parts" of a woman. That is one of the most interesting
pieces for me (although there are several interesting parts),
given that my pictures are just that.

I have experienced some who have seen me merely as my
assets, and admittedly I am not terribly comfortable when
treated that way. While some might say I encourage that
by the pictures I create, I have always seen it as a way of
drawing someone in to the greater whole that is me (among
other things a little more complicated than I want to go
into now).

Many things are a complex maze made up of perspectives
and beliefs and input from ourselves, others and society.
Nothing truly stands alone. So how in the world do we do
what is best for ourselves as a whole, and tomorrow's
adults?

I have gotten to experience many types of attitudes and
approaches from men by where I do my work primarily.
I have been on the receiving end of both respect and
a lack of respect in both approach to and exit from a
conversation. Where do the guys I talk to learn how to
treat someone on a phone sex line, or is their treatment
just an extension of how they treat women (and perhaps
people in general) in their life already?

Interestingly, I can turn it around too, as I see no shortage
of women who are ready and able to humiliate and demean
men. Given the environment of a phone sex line, I am sure
many would say it's just "play,"or that it isn't "reality."

It's almost like the minute you enter that world, you can
forsake who you are to the rest of the world, and be
something and someone you normally do not seem to be.

I think the bigger issue at hand is an inability for us to
be who we truly are because of some preconceived notion
and/or expectation of who others think we should be
(which includes advertiser driven perceptions).

I don't know how much advertising can truly be "blamed"
for the status of our perceptions. If I only spoke to one
type of person I would likely give the idea more credence.

But the fact that I speak to men of all shapes, sizes,
ethnicities, attitudes, and behaviors tells me that there
is likely to be other factors that influence how a person
comes to be. Perhaps some weren't exposed to as much
advertising, and perhaps that was a function of how their
parents raised him. So maybe advertising could still be
guilty, it just wasn't accessed enough to make a difference,
and that has to do with other influences. Or perhaps, in
addition to the advertising messages, they were also
given messages that countered what the advertising
implied/suggested.

Is blaming advertising an abdication of personal
responsibility? If it is, it isn't the only thing in our
culture that has us being less than responsible to
ourselves and our life experiences.

Of course, I can't address this topic without also addressing
the unconscious' role in the mix. Unconsciously we are
making associations all of the time, and advertisers are
quite adept at helping that along. It is only the person who
is willing and able to question his actions, words, and
beliefs that will truly be able to be himself and not a sum
total of the unconscious messages he receives.

I'd say what this all comes down to is whether or not we
are willing and able to be self aware, and whether or
not we are willing to be the person we were meant to
be instead of a carbon copy of someone else.

Simple? Yes. Easy? Well...