Articles By

Media Literacy Project

Counter-Ad to Diesel’s Affront to Muslim Women

Media Literacy Project was disturbed by Diesel’s ad featuring a white woman in a niqab with much of her body exposed and tattooed, reading, “I am not what I appear to be.” Yes, the ad affirmed that women in niqabs are diverse and interesting, but it also was an affront to Muslim women’s modesty and cast their bodies as exotic. It enticed people to look at Muslim women and wonder what’s beneath the clothes, which is the antithesis of what this everyday piece of clothing is intended to do. It took the power away from Muslim women and put the emphasis on their appearance…

Hard Work Conquers All: Red Bull and the American Dream

Energy drinks have become a fixture in American culture, with 51% of college athletes drinking them. But little, if any, evidence exists that these drinks improve performance, and they can be unsafe. The World of Red Bull commercial implicitly claims that Red Bull helped professional athletes get where they are and can help you get there, too. Of course, the athletes, musicians, and dancers in the ad may not drink Red Bull at all and were paid by Red Bull to be in the commercial.

This sort of marketing of Red Bull can be dangerous because it preys on the hopes and dreams of young people who want to make it in really competitive fields…