Perception of Women in Advertising
Courtney Eastman
Dr. Achala Tiwari
English 102
21 September 2014
Perception of Women in Advertising
Print advertising often portrays females as sex objects. Women are used through sex appeal to sell products that may attract males. An issue that results in this method of advertising could result in violent sexual acts that enable violence against women. The provocative clothing that women where in print ads encourage no respect from males because the women themselves are not respecting their bodies’ privacy. Women seek to be treated as more than sex objects, but males view these ads and see the way females are presenting themselves through the media.
Media has changed over the years and is now hooked on this idea that sex appeals to young adults. They use it in commercials, advertisements, magazines and even TV shows. “Sex in advertising is pornographic because it dehumanizes and objectifies people, especially woman and because it fetishizes products, imbues them with an erotic charge which dooms us to disappointment since products never can fulfill our sexual desires or meet our emotional needs” (Kilbourne 594). We go out and get push up bras because they’re sexy and will make your boobs look better, but one must think does that really make us feel better having all that padding. Maybe under a shirt it looks good but it doesn’t meet our emotional needs.
One may make the counter argument that advertisements aren’t what is causing the sexual identities of men and women to come closer but that popular culture such as music and movies are the culprit. How the makers of the movies and music we listen to appear has a great effect on what we find desirable. It is popular culture that has the major influence on our society, not advertisements.
Axe shower gels aid is one example of how advertisers portray as a sexual object women. As one examines the ad the first thing that catches ones eye would be the girl basically naked but she has whip cream covering her
Dr. Achala Tiwari
English 102
21 September 2014
Perception of Women in Advertising
Print advertising often portrays females as sex objects. Women are used through sex appeal to sell products that may attract males. An issue that results in this method of advertising could result in violent sexual acts that enable violence against women. The provocative clothing that women where in print ads encourage no respect from males because the women themselves are not respecting their bodies’ privacy. Women seek to be treated as more than sex objects, but males view these ads and see the way females are presenting themselves through the media.
Media has changed over the years and is now hooked on this idea that sex appeals to young adults. They use it in commercials, advertisements, magazines and even TV shows. “Sex in advertising is pornographic because it dehumanizes and objectifies people, especially woman and because it fetishizes products, imbues them with an erotic charge which dooms us to disappointment since products never can fulfill our sexual desires or meet our emotional needs” (Kilbourne 594). We go out and get push up bras because they’re sexy and will make your boobs look better, but one must think does that really make us feel better having all that padding. Maybe under a shirt it looks good but it doesn’t meet our emotional needs.
One may make the counter argument that advertisements aren’t what is causing the sexual identities of men and women to come closer but that popular culture such as music and movies are the culprit. How the makers of the movies and music we listen to appear has a great effect on what we find desirable. It is popular culture that has the major influence on our society, not advertisements.
Axe shower gels aid is one example of how advertisers portray as a sexual object women. As one examines the ad the first thing that catches ones eye would be the girl basically naked but she has whip cream covering her
Cited: Clark, Charles. “Advertising under Attack: Critics organize around race, sex, healthy and the environment.” CQ Researcher 1 (1991): 657-680. Print. Kilbourne, Jean. “Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt’: Advertising and Violence.” From Inquiry to Academic Writing. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008. 592-614. Print