sexism in advertising: first "crappy" draft

Justin Frame
10/29/08
Persuasive Writing
Professor Varner
First Draft of Sexism against Women in Advertising
The 5’ 7” woman, wearing a thong, with sparkles over her nipples, the picture of a woman with diamonds on and a caption that says, “Now it’s his turn”, hoards of half naked women, with sexual desire in their eyes, chasing one man, who has sprayed cologne on himself, these are all examples of the negative portrayal of, and sexism against, women we see in advertising today. This is creating a social norm that says it is ok to think of women as lesser people, to look at women as objects, as opposed to people and that promotes violence against them. This type of advertising is teaching our children to think this way, and reminding our current generation to continue to think this way. We must let it be known to advertisers and marketers that we no longer want sexism against women in our advertising.

I recently saw an ad for Bitch brand skateboards. The ad depicted a man holding a gun to a woman’s head, with the word BITCH overhead. The depiction of violence against women leads to actual violence against women. Seeing it on television and in magazines sets a cultural norm, it allows people to think that if it is on television, it is ok. Advertisements like this say that it is ok to be violent against women, to call them names, even to hold guns to their heads. According to rileycenter.org, a woman is battered in the U.S. every nine seconds and 95% of all victims of domestic violence are women. The portrayal of women in advertising, and the violence against them has led to staggering numbers like this. Although there would be violence against women even if these ads did not exist, the numbers would not be as overwhelming. Not all ads depict violence against women, but a majority of ads do objectify women, to the point of the woman becoming the object she is helping to market.

According to Marketing to Women, “Models appearing in advertisements from the May issues of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, and Glamour were studied at 10-year intervals (2002, 1992, 1982, and 1972), and coded according to body type, apparent age, and race/ethnicity. Body types were described as very thin (somewhat or severely emaciated), normal/healthy (may be slim or athletic but not emaciated), or full-figured (fleshy or curvaceous, including but not necessarily overweight). Seven in 10 women in 2002 ads are very thin, compared with three in 10 who were classified as very thin in 1972 ads. The average body size of models has shrunk each decade since the 1970s.” I recently came across an ad that pictured a beautiful woman’s face and she had bandages on the sides of her mouth. A box of Durex extra large condoms was depicted and the caption read “Really Big”. Ads like this portray women as sexual objects. Advertisements use these thin, beautiful models to objectify them, to make the models into the products they are marketing, not through anthropomorphism, but by proposing that the objects being marketed are to be used by, or on, women. This is teaching people, men specifically, that it is ok to think and treat women as objects, not people. On the other hand, some people argue that men are depicted the same way in advertisements.

After decades of selling products by depicting women as anxious half-wits and sultry fantasy objects, advertisers have switched bimbos. Suddenly it's his turn to be the bumbling domestic in need of professional advice and kitchen products; now it's his torso, stripped and moist, promoting everything from Calvin Klein underwear to Kodak film (Newsweek 44). The topless Tommy Hilfiger model, the ripped guy attempting to promote Power Bars, Fabio, all of these are good examples of males being used as sexual objects in advertisements. Does this mean that men are treated and portrayed in the same manner as women are in advertisements? Yes, it does, but how they are perceived by the viewers of the ads is much different. Men are perceived to have power and strength in society. Men are regarded as the dominant gender. So, when people view an advertisement depicting a man they do not automatically place a bias or a prejudice against him, as they do women. Another reason that men are not perceived the same way as women in advertisements has to do with physicality. Women have breasts; breasts are seen and used as sexual objects in advertisements. There is much more sexual emphasis on women in advertisements than men because of this. Personally, when I see an advertisement depicting a women with large breasts, generally I take a little glance at them, however, when I see an ad with a topless male, I do not pay any attention to him, I just read about the product and flip the page. I am sure this holds true for many, non-sexist people, not just me. This is the cultural norm we have been cultivated to believe in. This is not a newly created norm, but it is stoppable.

Take for instance the television ads for Wisk detergent that ran during the 1950’s. In each of their commercials the Wisk advertisers would portray women, dressed in aprons and donning headbands, doing laundry. The woman’s husband would come home from work and throw his sweaty, dirty collar shirt at her and demand she clean it. The woman would then retire to the wash room and break out the Wisk detergent. According to one on one interviews that I have conducted with people that would have been around, or had parents that would have been around during this time, I have found something worth noting. A majority of the people interviewed said that after they saw, or after their mother or grandmother saw these ads, they refused to use Wisk detergent. Due to the sexism in the Wisk ads, people actually refused to use the product. Wisk realized this and soon changed their ad campaign. That leads me into my theory to stop sexism in advertising.

Consumers must not purchase items that have sexism in their advertising. Just like detergent consumers of the 1950’s, consumers must pull away from the companies who rely on T & A to sell products, and start purchasing products that are advertised in other ways. The marketers will realize what is going on and they will be forced into changing their ads to be able to compete in the market.

In conclusion, the depiction of females as sex objects and the depiction of violence against women in advertising must be stopped. Cultural norms must be changed. We must reach out to advertising agencies and marketers and tell them that the advertisements they are creating create a negative image of females. All people are equal and have the right to be treated and depicted so. Do we want our children to grow up with a negative look upon women? I know I do not.