Modern day advertising is not just about selling a product but is about selling the image along with it. Though we may forget what that Calvin Klein ad said about the jeans, we will remember the image it was projecting. This image is stored in our subconscious and is what makes us buy those jeans or ‘outfit’ as we try to become that image. The problem here is that it is almost impossible. The people shown in fashion advertisements can all be described as perfect, something only achievable in what is known as ‘fantasy land’.There are also issues with how women in advertisements are displayed. They are constantly seen as ‘sex objects’, non-human, and only there for the sake of men’s entertainment. The demoralization of women is also being shown in modern ads. Rarely do you see an ad where the woman is looking down on the man. It is almost always the opposite.
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14 years ago
I never realized how ads look down on women until I was asked to take a critical look at them this week. I find it really sad that younger girls get the idea of what they should look like and how they should from ads like these.
ReplyDeleteI would say that it is not "almost" impossible to "become" the image, as you say. It is entirely impossible. So, I wonder, why do we feel such a need to try?
ReplyDeleteI do agree. Most ads do demoralize women, not many people take that into consideration. Ads today are becoming sexually explicit but yet the product still sells. I do believe that people buy these items just to fit in.
ReplyDeleteIt really is sad. I feel terrible for the young girls of this generation. They will grow up in a world where it is not okay to be who you are. It has consistently become worse as the times have progressed. Many grow up still feeling inadequate and when they get enough money they go to a surgeon to fix what they think is wrong.
ReplyDeleteThe last part of your blog post is the part that I see as the problem. These ads are not only showing explicit things, but they are showing them in a bias way. This can be tied into the increase in mental disorders. We only show what we think is perfect in these ads and that is prejudice against many characteristics.
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