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The Objectification of Women in Advertising: What are the Affects on Society ?
Modern Advertising is an annual multi-billion Dollar business in America. Advertising is everywhere - on milk-cartons, on television, in movie theaters, on countless web pages, on busses, in subways and in magazines. ... They contribute to the image we shape of women in our culture. The debate, whether the portrayal of women in advertising is a serious or overrated issue, has been ongoing for quite some time and the final answer may never be found. Does the objectification of women in advertising have an adverse affect on society? Is there more violence against women as a result of these images? Are women being exploited? ...
Jean Kilbourne, probably the best-known advocate of raising awareness about the exploitation of women in advertising, claims that, “we are exposed to over 2000 ads a day, constituting perhaps the most powerful educational force in society (194). ... Kilbourne claims that the portrayal of women in advertising is negatively influencing the view men have of women in our society and how women view themselves. ...
Yet advertising is everywhere. ... For women, Kilbourne claims, "What’s most important is how we look. ... " In fact, many of the women featured in the ads are not real women at all, but rather composites of bits and pieces from many different models. Though only five percent of women possess the body type demonstrated in ads, ultra thin, small bust, long legs, etc, this is the only body type featured in ads. ... Most models, male and female alike, usually have ‘perfect’ bodies (slim for women, muscular for men), look happy, have a good social and financial status, are usually tall and seem to be of Caucasian descent. ...
This however, apart from the occasional exception, seems to be the end of the similarities between men and women in visual advertising. ... They look at body language, dominant features, signs of aggression, relevance to the product advertised, what part of the body was actually photographed or depicted, facial expressions, phallic symbols, ‘exoticization’ and objectification of the models, just to name a few. A well developed and comprehensive resource for more information about how women are portrayed in advertising is the website of Scott A. ... Lukas comments, “Women’s bodies are objectified in common ways. In the case of many popular ads, the objectification of the woman occurs through the association of her being with her breasts. ... Women may only be depicted with parts of their bodies, like their legs or their chests, while men usually have their faces shown.
Approximate Word count = 2050
Approximate Pages = 8.2
(250 words per page double spaced)
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