Protest Poster

“...But the spirit told me, that we should get married!”  I love BYU so much, and I really enjoy living in Provo.  But for the last four years, I have despised one thing about this culture; the idea that a week after meeting someone is the time to get engaged.  I fear our community thinks the faster you get married proves you have a better relationship.  Reflecting the last four years of my life, I realize this engagement problem is the one I continue to run into, and the problem that seems, not only to bother me most, but hurt me most. 

My research for this project was somewhat different than any traditional style.  I searched around the Provo/Orem area looking for things that urged on, not just marriage, but weddings in particular.  I noticed the large number of engagement ring adds, couples workshops, bridal stores, and also the marriage and family classes offered at BYU.  These places are all over the community and all over BYU.  My research also consisted of thinking back to all of the experiences I have had, as well as asking many others how they felt about the issue.  I found that I am not the only person feeling this way; however, I am still shocked that, although people claim to this feeling, engagements after a week are still popping up all over the place. 

My understanding of this issue has grown because I am realizing what the motivations are.  After my research, it seems clear that people do not see beyond the initial marriage and their first few years as a newlywed couple.  People I have asked have big plans for the future, but when it comes to logistics, nothing is worked out.  I hope to bring awareness that can inform and change people's lives; I know too many people my age, here at BYU, who have been divorced. 

My goal was to make my poster look like adds I see everywhere, but tweak it so my audience takes a second to really understand the meaning.  My poster reminds me a lot of ring adds from Jared’s, Kay’s and all of those stores. To express my point of view, I chose the very popular song, “Call Me Maybe,” to show that getting engaged so quickly is a trending thing in our society.  Furthermore, the lyrics suggest the ridiculousness of the proposal; the subjects do not understand because they cannot see beyond the excitement.  I also wanted the whole image to be clouded by red to represent how clouded peoples’ mindsets can be when they care only about the wedding.  The red shows they are so lost in the romance that they lose sight of reality.  I wanted the man proposing to be in casual clothes and casually handing over the box to call strong attention to this “chill” attitude people have about getting married.  Marriage is a big deal, but our culture seems to strip that commitment and turn it into something purely fun rather than serious.

After posting this on my social network, I received interesting feedback.  Some people from home in California agreed with me wholeheartedly.  However I wanted to focus on those living here who experience this.  For the most part, people really agreed with my poster.  They even liked the humorous aspect and felt it complimented my idea.  I do think though that I received so much positive criticism because those who disagree with me would not say it, even if they ponder the image.