Subject Two: Human form

Second subject to discuss. The human form is something that is the most natural part of our life. We are in fact born naked and then for some reason of climatic need, or social obligation required to don clothing. This was the point of one of Toscani's first and most shocking photos for Benetton. To highlight the public repulsion to our own naked form. Many things have happened over the centuries that have driven or modeled the way we see ourselves as a form, but it was only in the beginnings of the advertising era that the human form took on a new angle. A device for selling.

One of the things that has become apparent over the last few decades of advertising this form, is that our liberation toward it has in some aspects become reflective to the forms shown in the utopian view on billboards, etc. However, there is a great deal of distaste seen in the way the human form is used (even if to good affect) in some advertising and graphic forms. It is questionable whether advertising can affect society, but one thing is noticeable, the fact that society is changing. It is more aggressive, more violent and more sexually motivated. Whether this is a coincidence of the nature from which people draw from what they see can never really be determined. Society evolves and so does the methods by which we control, use and experience our surroundings.

Looking upon several of the images that have been placed inside the events gallery it is obvious to see that the stretches of advertising limits are being tested based on either the double entredres or simple connection to having a naked body in the image. I have added five images that all portray human forms to products that have no real reason to include a human form in such a way, but they do. Whether it is through simplicity, cleverness or any other reason is unsure. However, one thing that came from watching an episode of Mad Men last night is that in one scene between antagonists the following dialogue came out:

"You are spreading the lie, man!" the hippy said. "You are living it!" said the ad man.

No matter how much we complain about what we see around us in the images we call art, graphics or advertising we still ultimately accept them and also shape our lives based on them. No matter how much morality you throw at the subject can resolve the argument. This is to those two true facts. If morality is based on a religious stance then the argument falls short if they are reminded that creation of their knowledge of mankind in their religion is from the naked forms of adam and eve. If it is about the simple negative view of the nudity of the body, then again they can be reminded, like Toscani did, that we are all born this way. So if there is any dislike to that form it should be inverted rather than overtly blamed at people who see a openness about it.

The discussion point is really this:
1) Is there a need to use the naked human form as a selling device?
2) Should women be objectified more or at all over men?
3) Can advising survive with this type of directed selling, or using sex as a motivation?