it was literature that taught me about the objectification of women. no, it was philippine literature that taught me about the oppression of the Filipina, the kind that objectifies her, makes her into nothing but image, nothing but stereotype. half-naked if not totally so. skin and leg and boobs and butt. image not voice. body not thought.
and just in case everyone thought this witty and funny, and thought nothing of the layers of this image we’ve used to sell a a government-sponsored international literature festival.
the red light district, is about prostitution, and carries with it the contingent oppressions of woman in this country. the play on words to promote philippine literature, that one that takes from, pokes fun at, what is about the undereducated and impoverished, the hardworking and unlucky, the struggling and earning-from-body Pinay, is just sad.
yeah, it might be funny to some, and maybe it seemed like a fun way to get people interested in literature. i’d like to think there were more ways to do that, without further distancing literary production from the real conditions of nation, from this particular prostituted and objectified Pinay.
or maybe that was precisely the point? then that’s actually kind of fantastic.
Sad and pathetic. That’s conyos for ya.
AND they’re using government funds, which means OUR money. !!!
Can’t believe I just saw this now! I remember this campaign, and as much as i am againt any form of slut shaming, AND also coming from the advertising industry, i couldnt help but ask: Was there no self respecting woman who approved this bullshit? I am happy to hear your voice on this, because this sucked balls. (I may not be a writer)
You know, the National Book Development Board is made up of and is headed by women? Isn’t that just sad?
Seriously? This was all they could come up with? And they thought it was witty? Or good advertising? Dang.
Yup. For a purportedly creative event, ‘no? Such a disappointment.