Advertising At Its Best

So...Advertising. We've all seen it, heard it, read it, tried to ignore it but for some reason it always seems to get through. That catchy jingle, or that racy ad...it just makes a permanent stamp in your mind. Whether you want it there or not.

One thing about advertising that I hadn't really noticed, or paid attention to, was how women are portrayed in ads. Especially print ads. This week we were shown examples of ads with women in them, although not necessarily for women, that showed women in less than a great light.

Every print ad page we were shown, showed women either:

1. dismembered: meaning, the ad was focused on the woman's butt, legs, breasts, you name it. This is degrading to women because the advertiser is trying to sell their product, but instead of focusing on their product they focus on a part of a women that they think will draw an audience in. Which I guess is the point, but can't they find some other, non-demeaning way to do it?

2. subordinate to the male: The woman can be below or behind the man. Gazing up at him lovingly and being ignored. This is ridiculous because it makes a woman who sees this think that they 1. need a man and 2. he should come first. Yeah, maybe a long time ago, but not now. Women need to be independent, and I think many are for the most part nowadays, so why show women like this. Aren't we suppose to be equal...but us equal in ads!

3. sex object: This one kind of explains itself. Women have, for a while now, been seen as sex objects to men and for men. I think this one, out of all of them is the most annoying. It doesn't make any sense why there has to be a half naked woman, or a woman trying to act provocative in an ad. There is just no reason for it. It makes women, and especially young girls think this is ok to act this way, and be treated as an object and not a person, and it's not right, at all. 

Advertising has a long way to go to even things out, but what sells, sells and unfortunately that's sex appeal mainly from women.