Summary Of Carol Adams's 'Pornography Of Meat'

Maddy Bowen
WMST 1306.06
Professor Lori Peterson
7 May 2014
Women’s Studies Final Paper Carol Adams, author of The Pornography of Meat, takes a deeper look into the implications of the progressive feminist movement and how it’s served as a catalyst of change to end this sexualization of women. As well as the many different ways in which this message appears in both the media and the gendered world that surrounds us; as she explores the content presented in a wide range of advertisements as reference points. Adams argues that, “viewing other beings as consumable is a central aspect of our culture” (p.12). According to Adams, men see the world they live in as a hierarchy in which women exist only to be known as a step above the animals.
This is not only a reference to steaks and pork ribs, but a reference to serving up their bodies as a way to ‘keep him around.’ Male power is exemplified in so many ways through societal norms. For example, the male “bonding” that takes place as part of the ‘meat-eating culture’ in various male-identified gathering spots, such as, steak houses, fraternities, and strip clubs. And then of course there are the endless advertisements for meat companies and fast-food chains that make “wink-wink” gags about legs, breasts, thighs, and so on and so forth. One of the more disquieting examples discussed both in the book and in Adams’s traveling lecture and slideshow, is a pork industry comedy publication called “Playboar.” A highlighted feature of this illustrious publication is a parody ad for the “S&M Hog Equipment Warehouse.” Under the tagline “It Hurts so Good!” This use of exploitation and language to convey a message that benefits the business is commonly achieved through advertising. Fixations on women 's body parts expressed through ads for the breasts, legs, and thighs of chickens and turkeys are amongst many others that provide messages of this regard. As though to tell women of the need to be satisfying for men’s sexual appetite; essentially just blatantly telling them to submit—as to be
This is the reality of the matter. We no longer live in a society such as this one, at the very least there are questions that have arisen from even the most patriarchal of areas in society. Change is being made and that is the result of this message Adams’ seeks to promote within the females of a new forward-thinking society. In an interview by the Conductive Chronicle in October 2010, Adams was asked the following question, “What progress have you seen in cultural acceptance of your theory?” (Dunnewold) To which she answered, “Mostly changes through the progress on women’s health care including, rape crisis centers, battered women’s centers, sexual harassment laws, reproductive choice, all is because of the feminism movement.” The fact that we have made it to this point is an achievement worth celebrating, but once more it is not over yet. We, as women, are still not treated equally in a variety of ways and this is still our struggle. I think bell hooks’ work is a great example of how she was able to challenge feminist groups and successfully provide a valid reason that they should seriously consider gender’s relation to race, class, and sex, a concept coined as ‘intersectionality’. hooks makes a great point, in which she directs to all people—regardless of gender, by covering the significance of pushing for greater male