"Presence for a woman is so intrinsic to her person that men tend to think of it as an almost physical emanation, a kind of heat or smell or aura," as stated by John Berger in "Ways of Seeing". Young women are easy to manipulate. Media helps shape a young girl into a woman. Judith Butler once wrote, "one is not born, but, rather, becomes a woman," in his article about "Performative Acts and Gender Constitution". The perfume ad portrays a beautiful. blonde woman looking very seductive and the perfume bottle on the bottom right corner. This ad is trying to tell viewers that with this perfume, you can be just as seductive as the model in the picture. The second picture is of a woman with a stacks of books covering her (I assume) nude body. What exactly does a beautiful, nude woman with a stacks of books have to do with a Kindle? The third picture portrays a female body and her surroundings, which seem to be melting due to how hot the weather is. She is trying to open up a perrier water bottle which is immune to the melting weather. "The spectator-buyer is meant to envy herself as she will become if she buys the product," (John Berger, Ways of Seeing Ch 7). These ads may seem harmless to viewers but it also portrays another meaning. These ads are telling women that they should be sexy and beautiful just like the models in the ads and that it is recommended to be seductive. "Women are allowed a mind or a body but not both." (Naomi Wolf, Culture) In other words, women should be beautiful objectives that everyone wants or a smart girl. Women can not be both beautiful and smart because it is not acceptable. Is this the message young girls should be getting?
The top ad is trying to persuade viewers to buy the Samsung vacuum. This picture has three females in bath towels in a steamy room with tile floors. One woman is vacuuming the floor and looking very happy and proud while the other two women are looking at her with some sort of admiration. To those that glimpse at this ad, will think that women should buy this vacuum and be empowered by this "toy" because other women will admire her. But to those that see the other meaning to this ad will think that it is sexist. Why? This ad is saying that women should do house work and should love the idea of cleaning. Also there are three half naked women in the bathroom, one of them is CLEANING. This ad is telling society that women should be cleaning and also look good while doing it.
In this ad, Eva Mendes looks like she wants to be tied up in the exact position she is posing in. The image is sexy and compelling but it does give a whole other meaning to viewers besides "sexy". This image is saying that women should be willing to be sexy and be tied up like that. Some may think that Eva Mendes have the "power" in this picture because any one would be compelled to do anything for her because of how sexy she looks. Some may also think that men have the "power" to do stuff like this to women because it is being advertised so that makes it acceptable. Either way this picture shows a power hierarchy whether the woman or the man have the power.
This video basically shows a rape happening but in the most seductive way possible. There is nothing acceptable or seductive about rape. This commercial shows that the woman did not seem comfortable with the man putting his hands on her. She eventually just strips off her clothes and in the end of the commercial, another man joins in. This commercial is suppose to persuade viewers to buy Calvin Klein clothes. Though I don't comprehend why people should be getting naked to sell clothes. This commercial shows patriarchy."Patriarchy is a political-social system that insists that males are inherently dominating, superior to everything and everyone deemed weak, especially females". (Bell Hooks, Understanding Patriarchy) Young adolescence should not be viewing commercials such as the one above because it will send out the wrong message.
All these images and video portrays only light skinned females or males. The fact that there are only light skinned people in these ads gives viewers an idea that being "light" is what is considered acceptable in society. Advertisement should not have a preference but it does.
"Advertising sells much more than products; it sells values and cultural representations, such as success and sexuality, as we have seen." (Anthony Cortese Constructed Bodies, Deconstructing Ads Sexism in Advertising) The images send out a message that most people do not notice but will just accept because it is shown. Such as women should be beautiful and skinny objects and that pushing yourself on someone is perfectly acceptable. Also it tells society that women should be housewives and surrender to men (ex. Calvin commercial above). Most people just think these advertising images are to solely sell products but will never interpret the second meaning behind the images. As Gustave LeBon has said in his article, "Introduction, The Era of Crowds", "all the founders of religions or empires, the apostles of all beliefs eminent statesmen, and , in a more modest sphere, the mere chiefs of small groups of men have always been unconscious psychologists, possessed of an instinctive and often very sure knowledge of the character of crowds, and it is their accurate knowledge of this character that has enabled them to so easily establish their mastery.". It takes one person to think up a new idea but a whole crowd to follow that person to make it deemed acceptable.
There are a lot of advertisement that portrays sexism, racism, and a power hierarchy. To dispel these hidden messages behind advertising images, advertisers should show images or commercials that have adversity (ex. Dove skin advertising image below) with women in all different sizes and colors so young women would not think skinny and light skinned is the only acceptable thing. It would not hurt to portray some male models as well. The viewers should start being conscious of what they are viewing so that they are able to interpret the images. Women should be able to look at a perfume ad and not think that they need to be seductive and skinny and beautiful. They should be able to look at the perfume ad and think "I might want to buy that perfume". Advertisement shouldn't need to provide a power hierarchy for society to follow. If your a man, it does not mean you should have more power over a woman and be able to make them do what you want. Also if you are a beautiful woman, it does not mean that you should have more power over the man (or men) swooning over you.
Advertising images and commercials are everywhere. A person can not just close their eyes or ears to these images or videos. It is people's choice whether they want to be conscious about the message these advertisements are portraying or to just view it as acceptable ideas.
"Advertising sells much more than products; it sells values and cultural representations, such as success and sexuality, as we have seen." (Anthony Cortese Constructed Bodies, Deconstructing Ads Sexism in Advertising) The images send out a message that most people do not notice but will just accept because it is shown. Such as women should be beautiful and skinny objects and that pushing yourself on someone is perfectly acceptable. Also it tells society that women should be housewives and surrender to men (ex. Calvin commercial above). Most people just think these advertising images are to solely sell products but will never interpret the second meaning behind the images. As Gustave LeBon has said in his article, "Introduction, The Era of Crowds", "all the founders of religions or empires, the apostles of all beliefs eminent statesmen, and , in a more modest sphere, the mere chiefs of small groups of men have always been unconscious psychologists, possessed of an instinctive and often very sure knowledge of the character of crowds, and it is their accurate knowledge of this character that has enabled them to so easily establish their mastery.". It takes one person to think up a new idea but a whole crowd to follow that person to make it deemed acceptable.
There are a lot of advertisement that portrays sexism, racism, and a power hierarchy. To dispel these hidden messages behind advertising images, advertisers should show images or commercials that have adversity (ex. Dove skin advertising image below) with women in all different sizes and colors so young women would not think skinny and light skinned is the only acceptable thing. It would not hurt to portray some male models as well. The viewers should start being conscious of what they are viewing so that they are able to interpret the images. Women should be able to look at a perfume ad and not think that they need to be seductive and skinny and beautiful. They should be able to look at the perfume ad and think "I might want to buy that perfume". Advertisement shouldn't need to provide a power hierarchy for society to follow. If your a man, it does not mean you should have more power over a woman and be able to make them do what you want. Also if you are a beautiful woman, it does not mean that you should have more power over the man (or men) swooning over you.
Advertising images and commercials are everywhere. A person can not just close their eyes or ears to these images or videos. It is people's choice whether they want to be conscious about the message these advertisements are portraying or to just view it as acceptable ideas.
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