Advertising

I first saw this commercial a few weeks ago in a Myth and Media class. Personally (after clutching my own bosom in defence and vicarious pain from all that bouncing) I was simultaneously appalled and tickled by the ridiculousness of it.
But this, ladies and gentlemen, is what advertising agencies consider effective advertising. What could possibly sell a product to a guy in a more efficient and powerful way than the image of nearly naked women running savagely towards a man utilizing the product in question? The sad and unfortunate answer is: we are made to believe there are few alternatives. Our world and culture has become so sensationalized, agencies believe this is truly the way to go - and this kind of thinking only further lends itself to the notion of woman as the surveyed (Berger, Ways of Seeing). This commercial run by The Axe Effect. Not nearly new to the concept of degrading women in their advertising, Axe relies on sex to secure the product's success. It is clearly catered to a male audience - as a large percentage of general advertising is - with a promise of female attraction ... totally intense, feral female attraction. Jeane Kilbourne's article Beauty and the Beast of Advertising sums it up quite nicely: "Advertising's approach to sex is pornographic: it reduces people to objects and de-emphasizes human contact and individuality." This swarm of women denies any individuality among them, not that that is of any interest to the man getting what he apparently paid for.

Aside from this overtly sexual branch of advertising catering exclusively to men, there are advertisements FOR women and the general audience with images not entirely different from the above fiasco. To the right is a 1999 Wonder Bra ad: I can't cook. Who cares? I've got wonderful breasts, and that's what really matters. It's the silver lining guys. The purpose of this kind of image is simple: convince women they need this bra, or they need the surgery to be able to fill this bra as fully as the beautiful blued eyed blonde pictured. It is ads like these that "inform" popular culture and further contribute to the escalating dynamics of body image and low self esteem. Seeing an ad like this, a woman's inner monologue could be something like: "My breasts aren't nearly as voluptuous as hers, but this is what society values. Something might be wrong with me because I don't fit that image. If that's what I need to look like to be valued, so be it." The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf addresses this train of thought: "Somehow, somewhere, someone must have figured out that they will buy more things if they are kept in the self-hating, ever failing, hungry, and sexually insecure state of being aspiring 'beauties'".

There are many companies and brands that utilize some level of objectification of women's bodies. I feel some of the biggest perpetrators are brands like Dolce and Gabana, prominent automobile companies, American Apparel to name a few. It's interesting to think that these companies consider their advertising surreal, couture, and/or artistic. There is nothing artistic about a picture that may insinuate sexual violence, a topic touched upon by Anthony Cortese in Constructed Bodies, Deconstructing Ads: Sexism in Advertising. "Masculinity is defined in opposition to femininity. In short, masculine images are dominant, intimidating, and violent, while feminine images are subordinate, receptive, and passive. In differentiating masculinity from femininity, images of aggression and violence arm men with self-esteem, security, and a socially validated masculine role." In other words, images like these underscore a patriarchal society, where women appear and men act. The relationship between men and women depicted here is ostensibly delineated. Every woman here is in some kind of submission to a man: one on the floor with a man hovering over her (her power completely relinquished), another against a wall having no connection to the woman at her side and held by some guy above her, and finally the one above the hovering man whose position is inclined towards the man, so any power she holds is minimalized.

Fortunately, it is not ALL gloom and misfortune in advertising. Though not the majority, there are still advertisements which do not perpetuate misogyny, objectification of women, and patriarchy. Ads like the one above - a young girl of color with the intent of being your future president - provide women, especially young women, with a wider spectrum of opportunity and make dreams of empowerment and a level playing field feasible. Campaigns like the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty are also a stepping stone. These are images that don't provide a single acceptable body type and attributes, but rather embrace variety. Advertisements like the Dolce & Gabana don't tell me anything about the product and does not entice me to give them my money; companies like these should really consider a more well rounded way of advertising themselves and their products. Half their clientele is women, and most of these ads appear in women's fashion magazines - that should be a guiding point.