It's No Longer Your Life

It seems that I cannot help but be drawn to public service ads. This one, by Citizens Against Spouse Abuse (CASA), located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is another example of this. It shows a cupboard, in which is situated a Mom and Dad mug, the Mom mug being chipped and cracked. Above the two mugs are the words, "When he controls your life, it's no longer your life." At the very bottom it says, "Domestic abuse strips your dignity, your hope and your life. The pain isn't only measured in bruises or welts. We know. We've been there. And we know how to get out. Call our 24-Hour Crisis Line at 643-448-6206. We are a free and confidential program run by, and for victims of domestic abuse."

This ad spoke powerfully to me, not only because I have known victims of domestic abuse, but also because of the connotations this image contains has been twisted and taken advantage of. In particular the use of the mug, which has always been a symbol of, albeit cheesy, parental appreciation, the default gift for Mother's Day or Father's Day. Yet here, it has been taken a step further to represent the characters of Mom and Dad themselves. Dad's cup stands proudly in front in perfect condition, and as mentioned before, Mom's cup sits, a bit cowering, behind him, broken and damaged. This is used to symbolize the usual dynamic of an abusive relationship, one in which the dominant, aggressive male takes out his frustrations on his wife. Outwardly, he portrays a picture of the perfect father, the patriarch of the flawless family. But in the shadows of the cupboard, Mom stands, broken and battered, and treated as inferior to her husband.

But there is hope, as CASA attempts to communicate to its mistreated female audience. It does so by speaking to them directly, as one would to a close friend or family member, using words such as "you" and "your life, your dignity, your hope, etc." The organization also uses ethos, establishing common ground by saying statements such as, "We know. We've been there." Obviously meant to help comfort those individuals within their target audience, it also appeals to the need for affiliation, helping these people to feel as if they are not alone, indeed that they are part of a community that can support and help them. Not only that, but this group is available at all hours of the day, free of charge and respectful of privacy, additional incentives for victims of domestic abuse to speak out.

Of course, this ad also operates on quite a few assumptions. The most obvious would be that domestic abuse is just reserved between a man and a woman, and that the man will almost always be the aggressor. This is a reality assumption I'm sure we all have, and most of the statistics available on the subject appear to paint the same picture. But this assumption does not lower the effectiveness of the ad, as the provocative image does plenty to remind us of the hidden nature of domestic violence, and the truly damaging effects it can have.