The Value of Shock

Megan W. Age 14, Canadian International School

July 15, 2013

        Shock is often used as a strategy for acquiring attention or raising awareness all over the world nowadays, and whether it be in the form of Lady Gaga’s kooky fashion sense or other artists’ controversial works, it always pays to shock.

        Being shocking allows attention to be drawn to a certain cause. In many cases, surprising someone is much more effective than other forms of raising awareness or advertisement. Due to the unique method that some artists use, such as posing in the nude to address political issues, people are more likely to stop and take notice. Shock may often alarm and scare, but this is a small price to pay if it means that people will become more aware of whatever issue is being promoted or advocated.

        Another example of the idea of shock being an advantage is that of a famous Chinese artist. This artists travels to places of importance all over China and Hong Kong and performs a naked ‘press-up’ or push up. “When everybody is wearing clothes, a naked body implies unconventional, critique, questions, fight and defense,” he states. This suggests that something as simple as taking a photograph of himself performing a naked press-up, while shocking and unconventional, is how people stop and take notice for a long enough time to learn about stories or backgrounds behind each of the locations [in which the photographs were taken].

        On the other hand, displaying nudity, abuse or other strong ideas on an advertisement or a piece of artwork has its flaws. For some this creates a sense of fear, as strong messages may be offensive or disturbing. People who are offended by shocking content may become very against the cause that the ad or art is advocating.

        However, because shock brings out such strong feelings among people, the shocking idea can help increase attention, be advantageous to people’s memories, and have a positive impact on memory. People are more likely to remember shocking messages than messages that are not.