In a capitalist society we are surrounded by the constant nuisance of advertising. There are advertisements for every single product imaginable. In every media form there are advertisements, as they provide excellent sources of revenue. It is safe to say that the top advertising industries have found a certain niche that has provided excellent results in promoting their products. This specific tool is simply sex. The use of sexual imagery in advertising has enabled these industries to not only employ feminine sexuality to successfully sell products but to characterize gender and define the notion of beauty in society.
In the past decades, the advertising industry has seen a perpetually rapid growth. It has become the basis for several companies and individuals to generate more profits, and thus seems almost necessary in a capitalist economy. However, its growth has led it to become a fundamental part of people’s lives, to the extent of not just inhabiting physical places but societies general though process. As the images suggest, advertisers use feminine sexuality to instantly communicate with a consumer. This tactic is being utilized regardless of the actual purpose of the products that are being advertised. The representation of women in this manner pushes towards the idea that they are solely defined by their sexuality. This point is supported by Sut Jhally who says “In advertising, gender (especially for women) is defined almost exclusively along the lines of sexuality” (Jhally). The Calvin Kline and Dolce & Gabbana ads are examples of this argument. In both ads the men are seen with women in a sexual manner, making the women seem more subservient. These imagistic depictions of female sexuality in the advertising of male products aids to a mindset of females being inferior and a sexually pleasing gender.
Furthermore, in order for these industries to sustain the representation of females exclusively through sexual means, they display similar images in an effort that women find them appealing. This creates the false illusion that true beauty in essence lies in sexual portrayals of the self. Women then turn to these advertisements and magazines which are immersed with such images in an attempt to become “beautiful” and please their men. Several magazine covers show women In the mean while the advertising industry and magazine corporations are capitalizing off the insecurities of women. Naomi Wolf argues that “We are in the midst of a violent backlash against feminism that uses images of female beauty as a political weapon against women’s advancement: the beauty myth” (Wolf 120). Therefore, the latent function of these images of female sexuality is to keep women suppressed by defining the female gender as those concerned only with their sexual appearances.
Works Cited
Wolf, Naomi. "The Beauty Myth." Chapter III: Gender and Women's Bodies (1991): 120-125.
Jhally, Sut. “Image Based Culture: Advertising and Popular Culture.” The World and I
“Kate Moss Covers Purple Fashion Magazine”
http://stylefrizz.com/200808/kate-moss-covers-purple-fashion-magazine/
“Adriana Lima Covers DT”
http://www.zimbio.com/Adriana+Lima/articles/531/Adriana+Lima+Covers+DT
“Kieselstein Cord”
http://www.kieselstein-cord.com/bnews_editorial_coverage.htm
“Kieselstein Cord”
http://www.kieselstein-cord.com/bnews_lustre_janfeb_2006.htm
“Apple Pulls "You Can't Be Too Thin" Ads
http://www.switched.com/tag/ad/
“Kewl Commercials / Weird Ads”
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.witiger.com/marketing/adckperfume2.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.witiger.com/marketing/kewlcommercials-weirdads.htm&usg=__3pxPs6ZponDzxisK4mtexmUXL24=&h=260&w=190&sz=17&hl=en&start=19&um=1&tbnid=JAauFy0Msx8VAM:&tbnh=112&tbnw=82&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsexual%2Bwomen%2Bads%26ndsp%3D18%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D18%26um%3D1
“Deepika Cover Ups”
http://movies.ndtv.com/GalleryDetails.aspx?category=Movies&id=3151&Section=Bollywood&pglctn=glrlstg&ch=5/20/2009%209:11:46%20AM#BD
“Jessica Simpson lathers up for men's magazine cover”
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/showbiz/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20080410/000d60aa06df0967f21a4f.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/showbiz/2008-04/10/content_6606907.htm&usg=__qCaSRezeJ06NagEHKBfifecFtS4=&h=391&w=283&sz=30&hl=en&start=89&um=1&tbnid=AIjW5dwQAk4JMM:&tbnh=123&tbnw=89&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwomen%2Bon%2Bfamous%2Bmagazine%2Bcovers%26ndsp%3D18%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D72%26um%3D1
“Your Fitness Motivator”
http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2008/10/your-fitness-motivator-for-tod.html
“Christina Aguilera is not sexy”
http://tonyphyrillas.blogspot.com/2007_11_01_archive.html
FHM Philippines July 2008 Cover Girl is DIANA ZUBIRI
http://www.celebritypeeps.com/fhm-philippines-july-2008-cover-girl-is-diana-zubiri/
