Xavier M. sent us a link to this print ad, which he saw in a Belgian men’s magazine, that uses sex to encourage organ donation (found here).
Text: “Becoming a donor is probably your only chance to get inside her.”
There are some interesting implications here about why we engage in altruism and who is deserving of that altruism.
See also similar posts on PETA (see here and here) and human rights violations in Burma.
8 Comments
Not relevant to the message, but I think there might be some Photoshop Disasters going on with this woman. Torso looks awfully short and arms look awfully small.
Glad you mention ‘who is deserving of that altruism’. It’s been pretty well established that the lives of people considered to be attractive are more highly valued in Western societies than are those who do not fit these narrow ideals.
The model’s low body weight is significant in this case, as many/most transplant centres will refuse to operate on people over a certain weight threshold, as they maintain that organs should go to those who will have the best ‘quality of life’ — even when there is no indication that a patient’s weight is or will become a quality-of-life issue. Fat people are often simply refused placement on transplant waiting lists unless they ‘lose the weight’ (a biological/metabolic impossibility in most cases).
Also, there are interesting parallels to be explored in the way organ transplantation contributes to thinking about and treating bodies and parts as exchangeable commodities rather than holistic entities, and the way that this ad invokes sexualization of women’s bodies to do the same.
Also a bit ironic, ’cause apparently heart-transplants (and perhaps other organs as well) work better when done between two people of the same sex. But I guess a picture of a half-naked young man sprawled over the couch, while more accurate, would have a narrower appeal? :p
Vidya: Invididuals who are obese are sometime refused a spot on the waitlist not because of “Western society values” (give me a break) but because transplant surgeons are morally bound to maximize the use of each donated organ. Transplanting that organ into the obese who have much poorer outcomes makes little sense when there are equally sick individuals in better health who are more likely not to “waste” the organ.
Bagelsan: Organs do not “work better” between people of the same sex. The deciding factor is body size. For instance, a young teen boy can donate to a petite woman and vice versa. A petitie woman’s heart transpanted into a large man however, won’t have the pumping power. Body size - not sex - is what provides for better outcomes.
You stupid putz! Its no Photoshop disaster. Is your depth perception shot to hell from so much acid use? Its a photo taken with her sitting back in what looks like a limo seat. Get a grip. Nothing wrong with the photo.
jd-professional photographer, photoshop expert for over 10 years.
Simple, but very effective advertising.
I agree that this is definitely photoshopped. you can tell because the pixels are all wrong. I’ve seen plenty of ’shops in my day…
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