The Mercury's BlogtownPDX posted a link to SSENSE (an artsy clothing line)'s risque photo series, involving a scantily clad model and a dog. As seen from the comments on these photos, the rich people who buy this clothing were more than a little disturbed. Personally, i don't see why it's a problem to let a dog lick your thigh (apparently they used carefully placed peanut butter) and there is absolutely nothing sexual (in the sense of actual sexual acts) going on between the dog and the human in these photos. These commenters are more disturbed by the perverse implications of the photographs than the art itself. Would it be any less offensive to them if it was a human being wearing that collar? They might claim that it would be, but I seriously doubt it. Just accept that the dog had a fun day in the studio, licking peanut butter off of a model, and leave it at that.
That said, there are definitely moral questions at stake here but these people are anthropomorphising the dog, believing that he feels shame or was somehow taken advantage of in this situation, when that is not the case. I think a lot about animal ethics and human beings' relationship to animals and I vehemently oppose not only animal cruelty, but the use of animals for our own pleasures (whether that be an exhilarating bull fight or a chicken nugget). However, I think it is equally important to consider these animals on their own terms. Thus my opinion that while these photographs are disturbing because they make us think about what could be happening, they are not actually committing any morally questionable acts.
What I do have a problem with, however, is when people use/abuse animals as a vehicle for abusing women (or children, people of color, LGBT persons, etc...) and vice versa. Like calling your dog a bitch "because it's true, hahahaha" or calling your wife a bitch (which implies she is a dog) or beating your wife's dog to show her who's boss. There are all kinds of fucked up things you can go into on that subject, and if you read some of the comments on the website, you will get a taste...
39. HAVING SEX WITH DOGS IS COOL, MY WIFE DID IT ONCE, THEN I HAD TO HAVE HER PUT DOWN.
Posted by Jon Smallberries on January 11th, 2010 at 12:00pm
And this one is just funny...
60. im pretty sure no one was hurt during this shoot and the dog was chilling like a villian!!! its just weird looking at a dog get that close to a girls cooter!!!
Posted by boom boom on January 18th, 2010 at 00:12am
So yeah...if you want to get all animal rights on something, check out PETA's Meet Your Meat video or maybe think about the animals that had to die for your fancy clothes, but leave the photography out of it (at least in this case). Good art makes us think. Let's leave it at that.
