Response to 10/26 Readings

After reading the two chapters from Cythia Enloe's book, my love of all Nike, Reebok (etc.) products has immensely diminished.  I have always loveeeed their commercials.  Nike commercials, especially, set a high bar for sports commercials.  They make ads that are inspiring, creative, and emotionally manipulative.  For instance, Nike's Michael Jordan commercial targets atheletes and non-athletes alike and sends a deep message that success cannot be achieved without some failures.  Thus, failing is okay.  All their commercials speak of freedom, success, emotion, drive, and inspiration.  Yet, all of their success is riding on the backs of a hopeless and depressing class of women factory workers.  The hypocrisy of these companies is disgusting and disappointing.  You think that finally the world is making huge strides towards equality and fairness and then you hear about something like this.  Fellow women are miles behind where American women were decades ago.  How different parts of the world could lack such equality is astounding.  Sometimes I feel like I'm in a bubble.  None of these facts are routinely publicized.  Society is 'protected' from these painful images and corporations are 'protected' from being criticized due to their influence and wealth. 
Enloe also speaks about how these corporations keep the women workers from protesting for more money and more rights.  They publicize and idealize a certain type of feminism: a daughter and fiancee who must make money to save for her family and marriage.  Also, many times a military presence at the factories keep women from voicing their real opinions.  I found this video on the "happiness" of female textile workers in the Democratic Republic of Korea. 
Another hard thing is that even if you want to protest against these corporations and not buy their products, what are your other options?  You can buy handmade shoes from local leather shops but that is extremely expensive.  Thus, these corporations will never go out of business.  A protests from the side of the consumer is almost unimaginable.  People are not going to stop shopping at places like Walmart or Starbucks even though they are aware of their use of 'cheap labor.'  Many people need places like Walmart because of its affordable prices.  Thus, even if they wanted to protest and boycott such companies, it may be unfeasible for them.  Here's another video on Walmart's use of Bangladesh workers and the awful conditions they have in the factories.