If this was truly an effective piece of communication promoting cultural/racial integration, then I doubt that the DA Youth would need to jump to such a defensive conclusion: ‘…if educated university students see the poster as promoting sex, "then we have no hope".’
I’m not certain that slating an intended target audience is the best means of rallying the same people behind your campaign. And, if the sentiment of students is accurate, surely the DA Youth should first question whether it actually understands the very people it is talking to and the context within which they live, rather than reactively question their interpretative skills.
The fact is that people consider it sexual. I agree that this is frustrating, but for a number of reasons, we do operate in a fairly conservative and touchy society when it comes to nudity or anything sexual. There is no escaping that. One would hope that the DA Youth would be aware of this, and I’m pretty certain they were…
Clearly the intention was for the communication to be provocative without being cheesy or reminiscent of an idealistic portrayal of a Rainbow Nation. This is not an easy balance to strike because how does one show “political togetherness” without people scoffing at it and considering it another piece of colourful, 1994-inspired propaganda?
However, I do have to question how much thought went into this and can’t help but feel that a naked couple was the easiest and most obvious option. I’m all for provoking people to think a little and be forced, even temporarily, to exit their comfort zones, but at least then back your efforts up with a bit of thought, planning and perhaps some basic research. Hit us hard with your message and not with distractions from it.
Personally, there’s something more believable in seeing a group of racially- and culturally-diverse kids playing, for example, than seeing an image of an inter-racial couple, who had to be portrayed naked to ensure that people got the message. Unfortunately, in this instance and whether the DA Youth like it or not, nudity is driving people’s interpretation.
