This essay will focus on the numerous ways in which femininity is represented in contemporary advertising. It is important to question, why is advertising so preoccupied with gender? Present day advertising messages have the ability to shape thoughts, values, and beliefs of how we, as a society associate women with femininity. Modern advertisements accomplish this by reflecting the set of expectations that society associates with gender roles. This enables advertisements to hold meaning beyond their internal content, allowing them to sell not only products, but ideas and cultural beliefs. This representation of femininity provides behaviour for consumers to emulate and mirror, and answers the questions as to why gender is focused heavily on
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According to Schroeder & Zwick (2004) there are three interrelated assumptions about advertising images. The first is that adverts can be considered aesthetic objects. This involves the image of the ad being fundamentally pleasing or desiring to consumers. In relation to femininity, this demonstrates how ads, in order to be successful, must convey attractive woman who are deemed, by society ‘flawless’ or ‘perfect’ in order for other women, and consumers in general to find the advert effective. Secondly, adverts are socio-political artefacts meaning they reflect society’s sentiments. Lastly, advertising representations influence cultural and individual conceptions of identity. They act as a representational system and are a part of our culture, as they affect not just the product itself being advertised, but create meanings outside the advert with consumers and how they see themselves (Schroeder & Zwick, …show more content…
This includes the “classic stereotype that lowering oneself physically imparts reverence upon another” (Goffman, 1979). Women are more likely than men to be found in degrading positions. They are “consistently posed in deferential positions in ads lying down or physically below men” (Schroeder & Borgerson, Consumption Markets Culture, 1998). This illuminates women’s vulnerability towards men, as men are shown to be the more authoritarian figure. “A standard motif in advertising is a woman lying down on a bed, couch, the floor or the ground” (Schroeder & Borgerson, Consumption Markets Culture, 1998). This also strongly reflects women’s sexual availability represented in modern advertising. This theory can also be related to the social expectation theory that women in advertising, are subordinate to men and are often depicted as being decorative, alluring sex objects. This sexualisation representation, can then lead to society legitimising and justifying violence against women, and believing that it is acceptable. According to Goffman, as cited in ‘Consumption Markets and Culture’, “when advertisements reproduce ‘play’ or ‘mock’ assaults, it symbolises the relation between men and women, and communicates the message that if a man wants to, he can overpower a woman” (Schroeder & Borgerson, 1998, p. 175). After examining this, it conveys that if women are de-humanised and objectified,
According to Schroeder & Zwick (2004) there are three interrelated assumptions about advertising images. The first is that adverts can be considered aesthetic objects. This involves the image of the ad being fundamentally pleasing or desiring to consumers. In relation to femininity, this demonstrates how ads, in order to be successful, must convey attractive woman who are deemed, by society ‘flawless’ or ‘perfect’ in order for other women, and consumers in general to find the advert effective. Secondly, adverts are socio-political artefacts meaning they reflect society’s sentiments. Lastly, advertising representations influence cultural and individual conceptions of identity. They act as a representational system and are a part of our culture, as they affect not just the product itself being advertised, but create meanings outside the advert with consumers and how they see themselves (Schroeder & Zwick, …show more content…
This includes the “classic stereotype that lowering oneself physically imparts reverence upon another” (Goffman, 1979). Women are more likely than men to be found in degrading positions. They are “consistently posed in deferential positions in ads lying down or physically below men” (Schroeder & Borgerson, Consumption Markets Culture, 1998). This illuminates women’s vulnerability towards men, as men are shown to be the more authoritarian figure. “A standard motif in advertising is a woman lying down on a bed, couch, the floor or the ground” (Schroeder & Borgerson, Consumption Markets Culture, 1998). This also strongly reflects women’s sexual availability represented in modern advertising. This theory can also be related to the social expectation theory that women in advertising, are subordinate to men and are often depicted as being decorative, alluring sex objects. This sexualisation representation, can then lead to society legitimising and justifying violence against women, and believing that it is acceptable. According to Goffman, as cited in ‘Consumption Markets and Culture’, “when advertisements reproduce ‘play’ or ‘mock’ assaults, it symbolises the relation between men and women, and communicates the message that if a man wants to, he can overpower a woman” (Schroeder & Borgerson, 1998, p. 175). After examining this, it conveys that if women are de-humanised and objectified,