Commodification of the Body

Source: http://bit.ly/KX9XEw

Source: http://bit.ly/Kn42Mg

        To commodify the body is to objectify and dehumanize it. This is a practice that presents itself in many forms and occurs for a variety of reasons. It is the result of societal demands on the body, and can range from the objectification of the woman's body as a tool for reproduction, to the understanding of the body as a machine for accomplishing work. The images presented exemplify two forms of commodification: the human body as an object for consumption, and the body as the sum of all its parts.
          The advertisement for PETA, features a model with her body divided into labeled segments, and is accompanied by the phrase, “all animals have the same parts” at the top of the image. This is a simple display of body objectification. It implies that the body is just a composition of common parts, this takes out any sort of personal human aspect, and claims that the body is purely an object. The words emphasize this point by eliminating the possibility for an individual to possess any unique traits. This is similar to a concept we discussed in class. In lecture we read an article about a young boy who sold his liver in order to make money so that he could purchase an iPad. The article is similar to the ad above, in that it commodifies the body, it makes it into something that can be divided and used as “parts”. As we discussed in class, dehumanizing the body makes questions of morality much more complex. Where do we draw the line? Is the body truly an object? Or is there more to it, does human personality need to be taken into account? The commodification displayed in our society almost daily, seems to imply that the body is purely an object that is meant to be utilized as a tool.

Source: http://bit.ly/K6v23I

          The next two images display the human body as other physical objects. The woman's body as a bottle of beer, and the man's body as a tank. These demonstrate the ways in which the body is seen as an object for the consumption of others. The woman's body is sexualized, it is designed to be appealing to the consumer.  Through commodification, the woman's body becomes an object of sexual desire. The male's figure is slightly different. In this instance, the body is not a tool for sex, but is rather a tool for productivity. The man is a machine, he has toned and trained his muscles in a manner that allows him to be an effective aid in society.

          Stuart Ewen expresses these ideas in the article entitled “Form Follows Power”. Ewen states that in the past the “soldier bore the marks of muscular strength, but it was also implicit that this strength was intrinsic to the man. He was motivated, from within, by natural courage and pride, not by the techniques of externally imposed discipline” (195). The modern understanding of strength has become distanced from the man as a person. The calculated body is broken down into parts and is strengthened with a specific goal in mind.  When the body is commodified, it is separated from the mind and its desires.




Reading: 
Ewen, Stuart 1988. Form Follows Power. Pp. 185-232.