In the first three frames, the woman is looking directly at "you," typically close up on her eyes, and given a degree of beauty or sexuality (degrading from frame to frame as her circumstances become more dire). The final frame, for "termination," has her corpse draped in a sort of sexual pose.

I looked at it again about half an hour ago, and given that the woman is going to be pretty (as would a man have been in the same situation), how would having no eye contact make her less sexual? How is her prettiness supposed to not degrade from frame to frame--I mean, if she became more sexual, I'd think the billboard hella skeevy.

And I feel a bit square, but I don't see anything sexual about her final position.

This looks degradingly sexual. This way more so. And even I can see the sex in this.

The billboard is not just way less sexual to me than those posters--don't get me wrong. I didn't find those until just now. I think the billboard a pretty woman in peril, but, man, one of her eyes gets removed. It's just peril peril to me.

I looked at it again about half an hour ago, and given that the woman is going to be pretty (as would a man have been in the same situation), how would having no eye contact make her less sexual? How is her prettiness supposed to not degrade from frame to frame--I mean, if she became more sexual, I'd think the billboard hella skeevy.

Let me clarify.

By sexual violence, I was sort of specifically referring to the fact that it's probably going to be a man doing the violence. And the violence is being done to her in part because she's a woman. It was that aspect of the billboard that bothered me.

And the violence is being done to her in part because she's a woman.

From the movie description, that doesn't seem so, though. I totally get why the chick's on the poster (you don't cast Elisha for her chops) because that's salacious and vulnerable and all that crap, but I see that as gender-based as much as sexual (if that makes sense--woman as weak and to be protected, not so much woman as shaggee). The movie description makes it seem more even, and then talks about the...yeah, I don't think it's gross, but I don't find myself wanting to type it because it's dumb. It's on the IMDB page, anyway.

Pete, thanks for posting the link to the POTC trailer. Man, it looks like FUN. I can't wait!

Sean:

[link]

In the wake of a public outcry against Los Angeles billboards and New York taxicab tops advertising the upcoming movie "Captivity" with images of the abduction, torture and death of a young woman, the film's producer said it will take down the offending ads Tuesday.

The trailer for 'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End' is up.

deep breath

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! Oh, that looks like fun.

I have no opinion on Captivity, as I've not seen any of the adverts.

but I see that as gender-based as much as sexual (if that makes sense--woman as weak and to be protected, not so much woman as shaggee).

I think that's a pretty fine hair you're splitting there, and a differentiation I was not making when using the word "sexual." My understanding is that (outside of possibly date rape), violence by men against women very rarely has anything to do with the "shaggability" of the woman in question, and is always about the other thing, and yet is still referred to as sexual violence against women. I've always understood the word "sexual" in the term "sexual violence" to be specifically referring to her gender, not her sexuality. And that was how I ment it when I used the term.

Sean:

Thanks, Dana. I'd seen a similar article in the LA Times online.

Torture porn skeeves me right the fuck out. I can't handle it on any level.

Torture porn skeeves me right the fuck out. I can't handle it on any level.

This right here is the lasting, hateful legacy of the Bush administration, and something I find revolting. Because of their casual, cavalier attitude toward torture, it has become far more common and acceptable in mass media than it ever was before he took office. I don't remember exact figures, but I've seen a number of articles to that effect recently.

It's why I can't watch 24 anymore. It's become all about the torture, and I refuse to participate, even if it is a good show.

In a movie where a man and a woman have been captured and are being tortured--if they're being tortured the same (this is a hypothetical; I don't know those details about the movie), is then the violence against the woman sexual and the violence against the man not?

It may be a fine hair I'm splitting, but I do allow for the "Well, I was only looking for someone to beat up" being different from "I, a man, want a woman to torture." Which is again different from there being a sexual component.

a degree of beauty or sexuality

her corpse draped in a sort of sexual pose

If the billboard is troublesome because she's beautiful and because she's put in a sexual position, I assumed shaggability was an issue. Otherwise, what is a sexual position? It can't just be a pose a man puts a woman in. What does her attractiveness have to do with it?

I feel the other posters I linked to play on sexual attractiveness and the forced vulnerability of a hot woman. The billboard doesn't play on that to me.

Don't get me wrong--I dislike the billboards greatly. And the idea that any kids passing by get to see an eyeball being removed is really not palatable to me.

I just am not being disturbed for the same reasons you are, and am therefore very curious.