Sexualized Advertising

Words: 1140
Pages: 5
Open Document
According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), 69% of 5th-12th grade girls reported that magazine pictures of women influenced their idea of a “perfect body”. But if that is not enough, they also state that over 80% of 10 year old girls are AFRAID of being “fat”. With today’s societal expectations skyrocketing for women all around the U.S. and the world, it is difficult for young girls to understand the concept of positive body image and to learn what it is to truly love themselves. This in turn has begun to immensely effect the health and wellness of women all over the world. It not only seems that the concept of “perfection” has become unattainable, but also the portrayal of women in today’s advertising …show more content…
ad, and a Burger King ad. The only difference in each advertisement seemed to be the models. All the advertisements portrayed an effortlessly beautiful woman posing sexually towards the camera wearing little to no clothing. Why? Apparently, sex sells. According to a study done by UGA Today, sex is something permanently embedded in us, therefore it easily appeals to our senses. Researcher Tom Reichert points out, “…brand impressions are shaped by images in advertising… Arguable, Calvin Klein and Victoria's Secret are not much different than Hanes or Vassarette, but perception studies show those brands are perceived as ‘sexy,' and some customers want that.” Our Facebook pages, email inboxes, and other various sites are covered with these advertisements. It’s difficult to escape their presence. And, although, the ads cannot be eliminated, I believe companies should reconsider their approach to the consuming audience. These ads are negatively effecting an even larger audience of women around the …show more content…
With eating disorders and body dissatisfaction rates at an all-time high, media has caused its viewers and consumers to hit an all-time low. I suppose, even if we should not have to be moving any direction at all, it is enlightening to know there is only up from here. Society seems to have hit rock bottom. With all of the resources we have today and all of the assets we have for making things possible, we are finally using them to better the world around us. That is merely all that can be done from here. Frederick Douglass said it best, “If there is no struggle there is no
Show More

Related Documents: Sexualized Advertising

Portrayal Of Women In Advertising Essay

Food The portrayal of women in advertising has been a controversial topic for decades. The submissive, provocative women in advertising was considered the norm in the 1920’s and was mainly used to target men into buying products or services. The degradation of women in adver-tising has sparked much social unrest, however, the evolution of the portrayal of women in adver-tising has somewhat improved as the years progressed. The portrayal of women in advertising has drastically changed throughout…

Words 1654 - Pages 7

Children in the Media Essay

public and the media all have varying ways of dealing with this issue. The website ‘Kids free 2B Kids’ defines sexualisation as exposing children to inappropriate sexualized imagery in a bid to sell products and make a profit. The website also defines direct sexualisation as how children are being portrayed or presented in advertising and in media forms such as tv shows and magazines. Dr Sloan Madden from Westmead’s Children Hospital has found that 1/3 of 8 years old are not happy with their weight…

Words 348 - Pages 2

Sexualization Of Women

advertisements. When searching through many potential ad candidates, this ad stood out to me the most. Women in the media are often over sexualized and ads often depicting women to be more adolescent than their true age, which can lead to negative effects in our society and viewers of media. In the image spread above, there are two women who appear to be very young and advertising summer time apparel. The woman to the left has very small features like her small breasts, undefined waist, thin thighs, and the…

Words 1021 - Pages 5

Summary: Gender Portrayal In Fragrance Advertising

hundreds of studies done that prove that sex sells. Advertisement agencies would not use this technique of sexual imagery if it did not sell products. The earliest known use of sex in advertising is by the Pearl Tobacco brand in 1871, which featured a naked woman on the package cover. That proves that sex in advertising has been used for almost a century and a half now. The theory that prompted my research on the popularity of sexual imagery in print advertisements in magazines was the notion that sex…

Words 1750 - Pages 7

Jean Kilbourne Killing USftly 4 Summary

The advertising industry will nearly do anything to convince individuals into buying their product. Weather it be demeaning individuals, shunning ways of life, or convincing individuals to feel as if they must be a certain way to fit in, advertising industries will do whatever it takes to persuade you. The advertising industry has became so foul and dishonorable that individuals everywhere have started speaking up. Jean Kilbourne, a professional within the understanding of advertisement, has helped…

Words 976 - Pages 4

Sex In Advertising

going through their mind will typically include approval of the ad or a look at the product to remember the name. It is almost as if the models are part of the product sold, not simply there to showcase the product. Finally, the men and women in sexualized ads creates a new idea of what beauty looks like. Normal people are less beautiful in today's society due to the models in advertisements and photography. Industries use photoshop to perfect their models and create a more pleasing image. The problem…

Words 919 - Pages 4

Essay American Apparel

Hannah Anderson English 101 Professor Blandford December 8, 2014 The Time Is Now It’s no secret that we live in a hyper-sexualized culture, that depression and eating disorders are at an all time high, and that the age of people affected by these disorders is at an all time low. Although women are the ones largely affected by these ailments, the number of males experiencing these disorders has skyrocketed in recent years. The media is grabbing a hold of people’s minds and American Apparel is…

Words 2475 - Pages 10

Advertising Paper

gender violence, and contemporary politics. Kilbourne says, “women and girls are often pictured in advertising with their mouths covered, their body language is usually passive, vulnerable, and submissive; very much different from men who are portrayed as powerful and dominate.” Women should be portrayed as powerful, they have worked hard to get their rights to be equal to men and now advertising has put women vulnerable and below men once more. In Victoria’s Secret Ads they are promoting sex…

Words 1321 - Pages 6

misrepresented beauty Essay

Softly 4” she helps analyze the different ways advertising has indeed distorted ideas of feminity. She claims ads today unconsciously dictate who we are and what we should be thereby selling values, lifestyles and concepts of normalcy. We come across ads everywhere and almost on a daily basis. As the author puts it, “It is therefore dishonest to say we are not affected by them”. Although, many feel personally exempt from the influence of advertising, they are mistaken. We cannot escape from them…

Words 1365 - Pages 6

How Does Jean Kilbourne Objectify Women?

attractive, skinny, and light-skinned to be accepted. Companies today put out ads that objectify men and women as sexual objects rather than human beings. In her video, Killing Us Softly 4, media scholar Jean Kilbourne explains that men and women are sexualized and objectified in advertisements because that’s what sells. When you’re flipping through a magazine and you see an attractive man or woman on the page, you’re going to stop and look. My two ads for Natan brand diamond rings align with Kilbourne’s…

Words 987 - Pages 4