Constructed Bodies, Deconstructing Ads: Sexism in Advertising

Gender Representations

• Advertisers project gender display –the ways in

which we think men and women behave- not the

ways they actually do behave.

• These projections are not reflective of social reality.

• Social images hit the heart of individual identity.

• Advertising images provide culturally sanctioned

ideal types of masculinity and femininity

(dependency, concern with superficial beauty,

fixation of family, etc).

• Ads tell us that there is a big difference between

what is appropriate or expected behavior for men

and women, or for boys and girls

• Ads lead society to believe that men are dominant

and women are subordinate

Young, Beautiful, & Seductive

• Advertisers have an enormous financial stake in the

narrow ideal of femininity that they promote,

especially in beauty product ads.

• The exemplary female prototype in advertising,

regardless of the product, displays youth (no lines or

wrinkles), good looks, sexual seductiveness, and

perfection (no scars, blemishes, or even pores).

• These women are not real they are a shell of reality,

but women are held to those standards of

slenderness and perfection. It is an unrealistic view

of beauty. If women fail to attain it they are made to

feel guilty and ashamed.

Sexualizing Childlike

Themes

The beauty industry has a

multidimensional attack:

1. Increase the number of beauty products to which

women are exposed (more than $1 million is spent

every hour on cosmetics…most on advertising and

packaging.)

2. Sell the face as a mask…it is something that a

woman puts on.

Sexual Objectification, Eating

Disorders, and the Waif Look

• Twenty years ago, fashion models weighed 8% less

than the average female. Today, models weigh 23%

less than the average female.

• Advertisers are widely known for objectifying

women.

• According to the following ad the BMW is the main

attraction

• The Axe deodorant commercial continues sexual

objectification by advertising:

• “I know six kama sutra positions where you can still face the t.v.”

• Both watching the television and covering the face

during sex are humiliating to women.

• Advertising is not a new type of lie…today’s women with ultrathin figures or breast implants are

merely contemporary versions of females over the

centuries who have mangled themselves in the name

of feminine sexual appeal.

Masculinity

• Men also suffer because of unattainable standards of

attractiveness

• Media images of muscular and vascular men

• Men in advertisements resemble Greek gods.

• The more media young men consume the worse

they feel about personal hygiene aspects of their

bodies possibly leading to more aggressiveness and

risky sexual behavior.

• While there are positive body image role models for

men (George Clooney, Matt Damon, etc) it is clear

that today’s men have become more concerned about their body image.

• The new ideal man displays muscularity, athleticism,

and blue-collar background. Positive images of men

as hunky fathers and responsible is the new wave of

advertising, and this can be a challenge to attain (“he

does it all”)

Sexual Violence in Advertising

• Advertising is a continuous source of gender display.

Ads today display violent, threatening, and

dangerous-looking male ideal types.

• Masculine images are dominant, intimidating, and

violent, while female images are subordinate,

receptive, and passive.

• Not only does sex sell, but violence has become

foreplay.

• We are desensitized to violence and sexual violence

has become romantic and tolerable and chic.

• Ads show intimidated and fearful women and

women as victims as violence.

• There is a fear of being pursued or raped “stranger danger”

• Stranger Danger helps enforce the societal myths

that sexual violence is committed mainly by

strangers, that women secretly want to be raped and

invite rape by their behavior and their attire.