Thought Experiment - TRIGGER warning

[shmuelisms]

I belong to this private FaceBook group called "Jewish-Dads" that was created partially in response to a rape-murder of a child in NYC this past summer. [want to join? just ask]. It's actually mostly just guys schmoozing and talking about parenting, marriage and related "stuff".

So the other day someone posted a VERY strong PSA that "demonstrates

Comments

[xiphias]

It just seems weird to me. No emotional reaction other than a mild, "Oh, that's gross," thing. It sort of suggests to me that being attacked by Martians is probably unpleasant.

Yeah, so as a person with no history of sexual abuse, the ad means nothing to me.

[anonymous]

Wow, Shmuel Aharon Kam that is an extremely evocative metaphor. You want to applaud how well they capture their audience's emotions and direct them to empathise; while at the sametime wondering how many little girls who watch it will be put off having sex with men for the rest of their lives! For me, then, audience and intention are a factor. Is the viewing restricted to, adults?; and is the intention ultimately to draw people into paying therapists; or donating to therapists? I feel queasy about an advert you have to weigh up between who does it benefit vs who does it (re)-traumatise; but at the same time I'm going to share it with other people who work in the area of abuse, for their opinions - because it's such a phenomenal visual descriptor of this horribly widespread snake in the eden of patriarchy. Will let you know how they respond.

[shmuelisms]

Sharon,
not being a woman, I don't see why it would affect girls that way ("put off having sex with men for life"). To me at least, the tentacle hardly looked phallic at all. I'm pretty sure that that was intentional, as it would only confuse the issue further. It's NOT about the sex, so much as how this "thing" has a constant grip on you.

[anonymous]

Hmm, maybe it's a female thing; or maybe it's a me thing - it looks very phallic and I just presumed that was the intention. You'll need to hear from other women to know if it's my own projection. Sharon