Gender and Advertisment

This essay will discuss three aspects of Rosalind Gill’s ideas on advertising, through feminist themes and ideas of gender equality and independence in Agent Provocateur’s ‘Betty Sue’. The first aspect will discuss the way the advert ‘uses and incorporates’ these themes and ideas through the use of gender reversals. The second aspect covers how it ‘revises’ the way woman have shifted from sexual ‘objects’ to sexual ‘subjects’. Lastly, this essay will discuss the way Agent Provocateur’s ‘Betty Sue’, ‘attacks, and depoliticizes’ such themes.

In Agent Provocateur’s ‘Betty Sue’, it ‘uses and incorporates’ feminist themes and ideas to portray the use of gender reversals, and how it incorporates the idea of gender equality in this advert. In this advertisement, ‘Betty Sue’ is seen allowing the man to assess her body, and in an almost condescending way she asks him, ‘Enough?’ This suggests female dominance, as the male is passive and under her command. Through this gender reversal, woman can feel as if they are equal to men. Yet, the portrayal of the post-feminist woman as a desiring sexual subject does not erase the idea that by allowing herself to be assessed, ‘Betty Sue’ is allowing herself to be objectified by men. Which as Gill suggests, ‘the objectification of male bodies has not led to a decrease in the objectification of women’s’ (104). Another example of ‘Betty Sue’ being objectified in this advertisement is the way she undresses. In the advert, ‘Betty Sue’ appears to undress to the invisible ‘male gaze’, because as Gill suggests men will ‘always maintain an active subject hood’ (106). Gill’s idea can be explained by the idea that though society has moved onto a post-feminist stage, the traditional gender inequality of man being more dominant still stands. Especially society’s message, that woman need to become attractive in order to be desired by men. The idea of gender reversal can also be seen in the way ‘Betty Sue’ towers over the man. This height difference connotes the idea of the woman carrying more power, emitting also, an air of confident sensuality. However, this contrasts with traditional advertising, where the male is always placed in the more dominant position to the woman. Yet the male accompanying ‘Betty Sue’ appears submissive, and at all times smaller than her in terms of position and height. This symbolism could be seen as trying to commute to the everyday woman that by buying this product, they can be the one in power and use men for their own pleasures. By manipulating the gender reversal, the modern woman is deceived into believing the message about the ideal independent woman incorporated into this advertisement. Therefore, through looking at Agent Provocateur’s ‘Betty Sue’, the viewer becomes aware of the issue of gender reversal in post-feminist advertising. The reversal of gender can be suggested as a way to influence and trick woman into believing that they are equal to men, yet they are in the end the one being influenced to buy the product for themselves, for the objective ‘male gaze’.

The second aspect to discuss is the way Agent Provocateur’s ‘Betty Sue,’ revises the idea of women now see as active sexual subjects, through the use of advertising constructions such as the ‘midriff’ and the ‘vengeful woman’. Agent Provocateur’s ‘Betty Sue’ demonstrates a clear step away from the old forms of feminist ideas, as seen by the whole set up of the advertisement; it is a woman who runs the show. From the beginning of the advertisement, the music, the cuts, the movement all seem to lead to the undressing of ‘Betty Sue’ and her midriff is revealed to the viewer. The midriff, as Rosalind Gill suggests has become a symbol of ‘sensibility characterized by a specific constellation of attitudes towards the body, sexual expression and gender relations” (42). This can be seen in the way ‘Betty Sue’ confidently expresses her body by erotizing her midriff, which then draws attention to the product; the lingerie she has on. By sexually expressing herself as the dominant one in the advertisement, she draws on the shift of woman now presented as ‘active, desiring sexual subjects’ (42). The post-feminist woman has acquired the power to offer herself objectively, because she herself desires to be desired by men and because it makes her ‘feel good’. This is a definite shift from advertisements directed at men, where ‘women are portrayed as sex objects’ (Fishburn quoted in Atwan et al. 164). The use of the midriff, as Gill suggests, is that by buying the product it will empower you (43). Suggesting that women are now offering a type of sexual power that has the ability to turn them into the more empowered sex, and at the same time envied amongst other women. The other advertising construction used is ‘the vengeful woman’, where women are ‘constructed as powerful, feisty and in control’ (46). ‘Betty Sue’ uses this type of advertising construction in the way she orders the man to enact out her fantasy for her. Though the man alongside Betty Sue’ does not appear to be being punished, she controls him through instructing him to slap himself and gyrate to the music. The physical aspect of the advertisement does however, fit into the category of ‘the vengeful woman’ where woman are often presented as ‘sexual attackers’ (48). Therefore, within Agent Provocateur’s ‘Betty Sue’ advertisement, the revised use of the theme independence and gender equality is portrayed through the ‘midriff’ and the idea of ‘the vengeful woman’. This advertisement uses these themes to create the post-feminist woman, who likes to dominate her partner and be in control. Lastly, Agent Provocateur’s ‘Betty Sue’ demonstrates how advertising attacks and depoliticizes feminist themes and ideas, through projecting an image onto the everyday woman and using it to sell the product. The model ‘Betty Sue’ is symbolic of the post-feminist woman, who as Gill suggests is now ‘invited to become liberated and take control of their (our) own lives by acts of individual consumption – rather than collective struggle for social and political change’ (quoted in Goldman 1992). This new form suggests that woman have been liberated from traditional political views of the housewife whose main reason for consumption was for the wellbeing of her family. The idea of the liberated woman is introduced when ‘Betty Sue’ is first revealed to the audience through her stilettos. The image of high-heeled shoes portrays a confident, independent female presence and added to that as Gill suggests is the post-feminist idea of stilettos as something that values sexual attractiveness over freedom of movement (quoted in Stevi Jackson and Sue Scott 2004). In this way, the advertisement identifies with the independent and sexually attractive female, depoliticizing the idea of woman as an independent being, as it has becomes something used to sell a product. The idea of selling feminism empties the advertisement of all political meaning, and is demonstrated when the model looks at the camera and declares ‘I use it for my pleasures’. The advertisement can be suggested as predominately aimed at the post-feminist woman who wants to achieve the idea of consuming for her own pleasures. Yet, this seems to be covering the hidden agenda, as this advertisement is shot in a male perspective, making ‘Betty Sue’ the desired female, as she is dressing in the end, ‘straight out of the most predictable templates of male sexual fantasy (Gill 45). Through this hidden agenda, the advertisement can be seen attacking and depoliticizing feminist ideas, as it suggests to woman by buying this product, they too can become sexy, independent and desired. As Katherine Fishburn suggests “Women are taught to regard themselves as sex objects,” “The consequence of this brainwashing is to instill in women a permanent infantile narcissm” (177). Therefore, through looking at the way ‘Betty Sue’ is portrayed, it can be seen clearly how this advertisement has attacked and depoliticized feminist themes and ideas. The portrayal of ‘Betty Sue’ in this advertisement is the ideal for the post-feminist woman, and yet by appearing as a male fantasy, it sells itself as an image that has been projected onto woman and influenced them to believe this is what they want to be.

In conclusion, through looking at the way Agent Provocateur’s ‘Betty Sue’ advertisement ‘incorporates and uses’ feminist themes and ideas, it can be seen that gender reversals are in some ways, being used to manipulate the post-feminist woman to buy their products. The ‘revised’ shift of woman now seen as sexual subjects portrays the post-feminist woman as powerful and in control, this portrayal draws on the solidarity of the post-feminist woman and piques their interest in the product. Lastly, the way ‘Betty Sue’ is portrayed shows the way this advertisement has attacked and depoliticized such ideas, as ‘Betty Sue’ is selling an image that influences women into believing this is what they want to be – the ideal male fantasy.

References:

Fishburn, Katherine. Women in Popular Culture: A Reference Guide. London: Greenwood press, (1982). Print.

Gill, Rosalind. “Empowerment/Sexism: Figuring Female Sexual Agency in Contemporary Advertising.” Feminism & Psychology 18 (Feb. 2008): 35-60. Sage Journals. Web. 24 Sept. 2011.

Gill, Rosalind. Gender and the Media. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2007. 73-112.

References: Fishburn, Katherine. Women in Popular Culture: A Reference Guide. London: Greenwood press, (1982). Print. Gill, Rosalind. “Empowerment/Sexism: Figuring Female Sexual Agency in Contemporary Advertising.” Feminism & Psychology 18 (Feb. 2008): 35-60. Sage Journals. Web. 24 Sept. 2011. Gill, Rosalind. Gender and the Media. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2007. 73-112.