Download The role of mass media forming the public opinion about domestic

Agnieszka Nowak
Network of East – West Women,
NEWW Poland
South Baltic Area – Violence Free Zone
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„I was beaten by my father and I am a good
man – so I will beat my child to be a good man
to”;
„A belt is a best friend of a man”;
„If you do not beat a women her liver is getting
roted”;
„Some women like to be beaten time to time,
because it helps them understand what they
really want”
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„A spank is not a violence”: is a little therapy to
help an emotional child or/and women stay
calm;
„Real violence doesn’t happen very often”: in
„normal” families there is no violence;
Violence happens only in pathological
environment/families;
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The victims usually „get what they deserved”:
they are guilty, because they provoked;
Violence is temporary lack of self-control. It is
an incident.
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Most of the victims like to be beaten;
Especially for women a „good spank” has
some implied sexual meaning and is erotic;
„Women like to be raped – it is what they
really desire”
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Is usually very tragic, full of blood, sadness
and violence;
Words: „cohabitee”, „executor”, „brute”,
„almost died”;
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No violence in tv series – this problem doesn’t
exist;
Violence in tv crime series: („The detectives”) –
domestic violence is a part of life in
pathological environment, together with
alcoholizm and other criminal background;
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Women in advertisement are not human – are
objects, and you can not hurt and object:
controversial advert of Dolce & Gabbana
comments: „Dolce & Gabbana defended the
campaign as art in comments reported by La
Vanguardia. "What has an artistic photo got to do
with a real act?" the paper quoted the firm as
saying. "You would have to burn museums like the
Louvre or the paintings of Caravaggio."
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"We were looking to recreate a game of
seduction in the campaign and highlight the
beauty of our collections," the designers said.
„We are withdrawing this photo only from the
Spanish market. They have shown themselves
to be a bit backward”.
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controversial Hitman advertisement that featured a scantiliy clad
woman shot through the forehead and subsequently carefully
arranged on satin sheets in a sexually suggestive pose. In the end,
however, it's clear that a semi-naked woman carefully arranged on
a bed has clear and prominent sexual connotations and that if rape
isn't explicitly evoked, it's implicit in the situation. "Oh, if it was a
sexy man who was dead, no one would have a problem with the
sex/violence combination." And you're right -- a barechested,
attractive man doesn't have the same qualitative characteristics as
an attractive woman. A man is attractive by being strong and in
control, whereas a woman by being slim, pretty and submissive
(just look at the body language of advertising and *on average,*
that's the case). So it *is* significant that it is a sexy woman and
not a man because of the double standards of attraction for men
and for women.
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Women are sexual objects  you can’t harm
and object.
It’s a part of aesthetics.
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A few spots…
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Idea: „The more drastic picture/spot – the
bigger effect”
Fact: the more drastic pictures in tv, the less
people care about them  habituation
Domestic violence
=
violence against children
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A few movies…
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Raising awarness;
Polarisation of public opinion;
Giving practical information and tools;
Giving instructions how to react;
Change behavioural patterns;
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Violence is not effective at all…
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Thank you 