There is something very similar in the way we cut animals up into body parts, turning them into objects for our consumption rather than seeing them as whole beings, and the way in which we cut women up into parts in order to treat them, not as whole human beings, but as sexualized bodies or body parts. When it comes to organizations such as PETA, who regularly feature the sexualized bodies of women in their ad campaigns, many excuse this particular form of objectification, arguing that we must do anything we can to save animals, but why is it that we so readily accept the objectification and dehumanization of women? Even when we object to the similar representation and treatment of animals? And why is it that we think it appropriate to exchange or replace one form of exploitation for another, as these ad campaigns which use women’s bodies to ‘sell’ animal rights, do? Meghan Murphy explores the connections between women, meat and objectification with vegan-feminist intellectual and activist, Carol J. Adams, author of The Pornography of Meat and The Sexual Politics of Meat: A Feminist-Vegetarian Critical Theory. For more on Adams’ work, visit: www.caroljadams.com
This interview originally aired on August 22, 2011 on Vancouver Co-op Radio CFRO 102.7fm
Interview with Carol J Adams (Originally aired Aug 22 2011)
