The Advertising Images of Women
Yvonne C. Parizo
December 7, 2011
Commercials and advertisements capture our attention and give us jingles we love to sing or scenes we laugh about. They also condition us in how we view others, especially women. The inculcation toward the roles and purpose of women is dangerous, violent, and destructive to women. Yet, not every ad was detrimental to women. There are a few which promote equality, strength of character, and an overall view of dignity and education. However, it is the negative view which is a constant in the advertising world toward women.
How many times have we seen advertisements showing the nearly naked body of a young woman promenaded in front of us to contemplate? She is always young, beautiful, perfect hair, and skin; which we see plenty of. She wears spike heels and not much else. At times she lies across a bed. Other times, she stands defiantly with her legs spread apart, a smirk crosses her face. This is the image of the sexual animal. According to the advertisements, women are and should be in the bedroom and for the benefit of men. They are an animal which needs to be tamed and trained to obey. Men look at this image and believe they have every right to expect their sexual desires to be fulfilled by the women in their lives.
This is an advertisement for a sports magazine. It is a negative look at women, for it looks at the woman’s body not as an athlete, but as a sexual object. Everything about this poster is filled with eroticism from the pose of the woman, to the bed she is lying on, to the thick heavy drapes in the background. This is an ad not for promoting athletes, but for stimulating seduction.
This isn’t the only sports advertisement which uses women this way. There are other
endorsements which use women in the same way. The difference, the one I am going to discuss, is an ad for an online dating service, but again it reduces women to the role of a sexual object which must be defeated. This time the woman is shown with black stripes under her eyes, her head is thrown back as if in ecstasy. She is wet as if perspiring or having been covered with water. The football is shown sidewise in her hands between her knees which are straddling the front and back of the football. She has wrist bands on her arms. Her breasts are pushing out of her skimpy top. The jargon for this ad? “Who are you doing after the game? Life is short have an affair”. (www.ashleymadison.com) Such a wonderful message to share for after the Super Bowl! It is a definite appeal to throwing away marriage vows and enjoying sexual pleasure. But worse, it treats women as if they are animals and are only needed for sexual gratification. The gratification for men.
One of the most horrific advertisements I have looked at, is the one on the cover of this paper. It is a MTV ad and its imagery is disturbing. The background is completely dark; the naked body of a young woman is seated. We do not see her head and her left hand lies spread across her upper abdomen. Her legs are wide open. In front of her we see the hand of a man. He is holding a pistol which is aimed directly at her crotch. That is all we see of the man. He is faceless and bodiless. He is one of the many or of the unknown who are being heralded in this advertisement. His victim is in front of him and at his mercy. She is his enemy and it is her gender which angers him. The pistol is symbolic of two items; a phallic symbol and a representation of violence. Pointing at the young woman’s sexual organs, the weapon is a reminder of strength and authority. Its purpose is to inform both men and
women as to who has the power and that it will be maintained and protected by the male. Women are being taught that they are weaker and must submit to the male or be punished or killed. It is a frightening photo where fear, submission, hate, and anger are illustrated with only three objects. Yet, the photo shows the fear and anger of young men toward defenseless young women. She is totally exposed – vulnerable to his attack. He is afraid of her. By using a pistol, he displays his fear of being lowered in status. His role is not that of protector, but of aggressor and his anger comes from his own feelings of worthlessness and insecurity. He must use a weapon to control her and threaten her. This MTV campaign is scary for it advocates the forceful and violent control over women.
Although, there are advertisements which look at women with respect, equality, and dignity, there are many more which are negative. These negative ads create a campaign of violence, hatred, fear, and aggression toward women. They are filled with sexual innuendos and a celebration of male aggression over submissive and animalistic females. The advertisements position women to the role of conquest and must be violently controlled. They are beneath men and are subject to men’s demands. It isn’t a realistic look at women or men; but the terrifying aspects of them are that they could and can become realistic. Especially to the young who look at these photos as if they are a glamorous or credible view of the roles of men and women. Therefore, advertisements and commercials are ways which the young are acclimated into the various views on the social positions of men and women.
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