Taking inspiration from abstinence ads from the 1940's-50's, I created my propaganda poster attempting to mimic the aesthetics and delivery of such messages. Abstinence ads tend to be directed mostly at young women and girls, as there is an overwhelming need, even today, for the media to control the sexuality of women. This is a common cultural double standard-- Women who have sex before marriage are "tainted", morally unsound, and deserving of any social/professional repercussions that are imposed on women who are not purely abstinent. Men, on the other hand, are given the leeway that pre-marital sex is a rite of passage for young men, for instance there are countless comedy movies that are marketed towards young men that center around this concept-- having sex before graduating high school, to show manliness and sexual prowess.
"Dirty Genes" seeks to flip the script on this double standard, while using cartoon characters to illustrate the point, hearkening back to ads that utilized the same techniques to reach young audiences. "Dirty Genes" uses language that seeks to guilt the reader, imposing shame on them for their biological processes (sperm production, PIV sexual intercourse, heterosexually...etc).
The poster is different from abstinence ads, in that it does not call for abstinence itself, but rather the (semi) permanent surgical alteration of men to prevent pregnancy, or the sharing of genes, as stated in the poster. I connect this to the double standard that exists in todays discussions on birth control and abortion, women are expected to take 100% charge of their reproductive health, whether it be taking a daily hormonal birth control, hormonal injections, implants, and even surgical sterilization—where as men are seen as bystanders to pregnancies they have taken part in, not fully responsible for, and capable of “backing out”, while the person who is pregnant cannot be afforded that privilege without terminating the pregnancy (which obviously has its own set of stigmas and discussions around it)
