What We See

Throughout our class readings and discussions, I have a greater understanding that media images are developed and circulated quite deliberately, with the intent of eliciting a specific response from media consumers. In the case of advertising, ads are tailored to a target demographic, promoting unrealistic standards of beauty, health, or wealth. Ads have a tendency to romanticize forbidden desires or make promises as a result of buying their products (such as perfume ads and their blatant sexual themes). Apart from this, popular advertisements grossly underrepresent those of different races and sexual identities, and critically misrepresent the female gender.

Sean John perfume ad depicting a submissive woman,
            a forbidden desire

The biggest problem with this? The advertising industry is undoubtedly the most pervasive in modern society. Whether it’s in film, television, newspapers, magazines, or even on phone applications, everyone is subject to this kind of exposure. Not all ads use “draping blondes in evening gowns over the hoods like ornaments,” nor are they all “sadistic, he-man campaigns,” but they are all delivered with the intent of selling something to the media consumer (Steinem 113). As stated by Douglas Kellner in “Reading Images Critically,” advertisers keep in mind “images not only to attempt to sell a product by associating it with certain socially desirable qualities, but they sell as well a worldview, a lifestyle, and a value system congruent with the imperatives of consumer capitalism” in the creation of ads (Kellner 127). And what happens when someone doesn’t fill these predetermined, “socially desirable qualities”? They are shunned, shunned by society for any departure from “normalcy”.

In most advertising, the depiction of women is typically as sex object. Besides taking on a submissive role, she is given no form of personality traits relative to the man who usually accompanies her in the ad. The woman as a “sex object is a mannequin, a shell. Conventional beauty is her only attribute” (Kilbourne 122). As John Berger states, the “man’s presence [in the image] is dependent upon the promise of power which he embodies” (Berger 45). While satisfying the male gaze, advertisements such as these only exacerbate patriarchal ways of thinking.

AXE Body Spray "Beach" commerical depicting the "mannequin" sex object

These ads dictate to both men and women what it means to be feminine, and women and girls are expected to “be overtly sexy and attractive but essentially passive and virginal”, adding overbearing pressures on them which in turn leads to problems like eating disorders and depression, just to name a few (Kilbourne 130). 

Ad for "Stop the beauty madness" social change campaign

These targeted ads have far-reaching effects that speak to racist ideologies as well. The “ideal” women presented in these ads all have similar traits: their “preferred look is younger, slender, sexual, and white” (Wykes/Gunter 266). As bell hooks states, this simply promotes the “imperialist white-supremacist capitalist patriarchy” (hooks 17). This underrepresentation of non-white persons creates serious psychological implications. Society dictates that to be attractive, to be successful, one must fulfill each of these traits. As a result of this lack of diversity in advertising, non-white women and girls are being taught from a young age that their self-worth is determined by factors beyond their control. They feel insecure on the lack of representation, and try to change themselves in order to fit the societal construct of beauty. As bell hooks states, mastery of the oppositional gaze is critical for combating this.

Beauty defined as younger, slender, sexual, and white

Being undoubtedly society's most influential medium up to this point, it is unlikely that advertising will ever lose its grasp on the minds of people. While its place is secured in popular media, however, mentalities of media consumers are rapidly changing. We no longer live in the traditionally patriarchal society of our elders, contrary to what advertisements might try to convey. In order to remain most effective, advertisements must reflect and engage our current society.

There is now a calling for reflections of feminist ways of thinking, where advertisements don’t need to objectify women in order to sell clothing or perfumes. Modern advertisements such as that of simple commercials on television can make greater impressions by showing interracial couples, gay couples, or both as a reflection of a current, realistic society.

The advertising industry isn’t going anywhere. But the best way to change how the industry chooses to market goods and services is by collectively boycotting those that misrepresent, or even neglect, modern ways of thinking. They key to revamping the advertising industry is to show a more positive, and realistic portrayal of gender, race, and sexuality. Realistic depictions and genuine representations of diversity go a long way. New ads that include those who are underrepresented (i.e. those who aren’t just white and heterosexual with two kids, a house, and a golden retriever) will be more effective in a consumer culture that values realistic standards over unattainable ones used to sell products. With technology only further integrating advertisement media in our lives, it’s on the media consumers to discuss improving ads with advertisers, as Gloria Steinem referred to in regards to Ms. magazine in Sex, Lies, and Advertising.

Works Cited

John Berger “Ways of Seeing”

Bell Hooks “Understanding Patriarchy”

Douglas Kellner “Reading Images Critically”

Jean Kilbourne “The More You Subtract The More You Add”

Gloria Steinem “Sex, Lies, and Advertising”

Maggie Wykes & Barrie Gunter “The Media and Body Image”