Simply Divine

  The Feliz Navidad Nigeria ad presents a cheerful view of the holidays. It’s lively, enjoyable, and well-crafted. However, when examined through bell hooks' perspective, it becomes more complex. bell hooks urged us to consider representation: who gets seen, who gets heard, and who is left out. In this advertisement, the spotlight is on one stylish, happy woman in a sleek, modern environment. She seems to embody celebration itself. Yet, this polished image of joy overlooks much of Nigeria’s social reality. It depicts a narrow version of success—young, light-skinned, fashionable, and wealthy. This limited portrayal can feel detached from the daily lives of many Nigerians who do not share that lifestyle. Additionally, the ad does more than show joy; it sells it. The entire experience of Christmas is linked to appearances: the bright lights, the neat outfits, and the fancy setting. For bell hooks, this illustrates how consumerism shapes culture. The ad suggests that to be happy at Chr...

           Watching the Feliz Navidad Nigeria ad, one thing stands out immediately: the beautiful young woman at the center. She dances, smiles, and moves with confidence, but she is also being watched. The camera follows her in a very specific way. It doesn’t just show her; it studies her. There are lingering shots of her face, her outfit, and how she moves. Laura Mulvey’s concept of the “male gaze” comes to mind here. Mulvey argued that mainstream media often presents women as objects for men to look at, and this ad fits that pattern. Although it is a Christmas ad meant to celebrate joy, it seems to celebrate how good she looks more.       As the ad continues, her presence dominates every scene. She is clearly meant to be the highlight, beautiful, graceful, and magnetic. However, if we take a moment to ask, “What is she doing?” the answer is: not much. She isn’t leading a story, making decisions, or even speaking directly. She reacts to the...

  Introduction to Stuart Hall's Theory and the Gucci x Dapper Dan Collaboration     By applying Stuart Hall's oppositional reading framework to the Gucci x Dapper Dan Made in Harlem A/W '18–'19 collection, we explore the complex relationships between identity, power, and cultural appropriation. Fashion is a form of cultural expression that can be both a site of resistance and a mechanism of dominance. Hall's concept of encoding and decoding in media texts offers a lens through which to view this phenomenon. This partnership, which paired Harlem's own Dapper Dan with the luxury label Gucci, is a moving illustration of these relationships. In the 1980s, Dapper Dan, who was renowned for his avant-garde designs that reinvented luxury logos, was sued by companies such as Gucci for using their trademarks without permission.    Gucci, however, recognised his impact in 2018 by reopening his Harlem atelier and launching a capsule collection as part of their partnership. ...

  The intersection of Gucci and Dapper Dan's partnership, which is highlighted in 'Made in Harlem,' A/W '18–'19, offers a glimpse into the dynamic world of cultural appropriation, commodification, and their intersection with class relations. The video reveals the immense craftsmanship and creativity of the Harlem culture, but from a Marxist standpoint, it captures the exploitative essence of ‘collaborations’ that mask the underlying issue of labor exploitation. This is captured in the all emcompassing term ‘exploitation’ which explains why Harlem, and their craftsmanship, continues to be ossified and lacking true identity. Gucci's exploitation of Harlem's culture marks a shift where cultural artifacts lose their socio-economic roots, only to be prited twelve bucks to incase flawlessly placed, highlighting structural violence reigned upon them. “Commodity fetishism,” as Karl Marx coined it, is useful in examining this partnership. As described in the video, t...