Advertising And Its Impact On Society

Aimee Klein, Ms. Emfield, World Literature, 4 March 2024. Comparison Essay: The similarities and differences of text. In the story, “The Most Dangerous Game,” the antagonist of the story, General Zaroff, could have easily killed the protagonist, Rainsford, at any moment in the text. They have gone face to face with each other many times, while Rainsford was very much vulnerable.

to represent that, that I felt like a doll for so long.” Said Cara Delevingne, supermodel.

This essay discusses the representations of women in media and advertising, including the effects they have on individuals in society. Firstly, I will review the literature on stereotypical gender roles within media and advertising. This will include traditional roles such as the housewife, and modern roles such as the sex object. Secondly, I will critically evaluate and examine the effects of these roles on women, and even men, in today’s society. Effects include body dissatisfaction, thin idealisation and, in extreme cases, violence against women. Thirdly, I will aim to make conclusions on whether gender representations and roles within media have impacts on men and women in society.

Advertising’s role of creating gender stereotypes then follows children into their teenage years as adverts continue to have an effect on how children’s identities are constructed (Frith and Mueller 92). Advertisements continue to use visual images of men and women to persuade people to purchase certain products (Cortese 57). Advertisements take a product, remove the meaning associated to that product then insert a new meaning in order to create a new cultural meaning ( McFall 66). Advertisements create a new meaning of what it means to be attractive as women shown in advertisements stereotype beauty or attractiveness to be associated with young, slim and perfect flawless body shapes (Cortese 59. This is a problem as advertisements present unrealistic beauty norms by using intensive retouching tools to create perfectly proportionate models (Frith and Mueller 92). Although a very small portion of women actually have the body shapes shown in advertisements, women are

Every day, companies present the people with advertisements everywhere they go. Advertisements have become very prevalent in today’s society nowadays focusing in on a negative connotation. Advertisement has become an effective way for producers to display their new products. In present day, they come in forms of billboards, flyers, e-mails, and even text messages. It is widely known that companies create advertisements to persuade people to buy specific products or goods; however, it is not widely known that advertisements can make a negative impact on today’s society. The companies manipulate people’s mind and emotions, swaying people by new promotions and therefore generating a strong desire to fit into the society, that causes them to make inessential expenditures. Advertisements pose a critical impact on the American culture.

According to the United States Department of Labor, 69.7% of men compared to 57.2% of women were participating in the U.S. paid labor force in the year 2013 (U.S. Department of Labor, 2013). But despite this near equality in the rates of participation in the work force, men and women continue to be depicted in very distinct gender roles throughout the mainstream media (Eisend, 2010; Lull, Hanson, & Marx, 1977; Collins, 2011). This gender stereotyping effect is especially prevalent within advertising. Because advertisements in the media frequently rely on gender roles to promote products and services (Eisend, 2010), research examining the effects of gender portrayals in advertising has become increasingly important in the social and behavioral sciences.

Advertisements play a big part in our society and are significant for products to be seen to attract people’s attention and be persuaded to buy. They might not always be interested in purchasing anything but instead just taking a peak, especially when women are involved. As time goes by, more women are depicted as sexual icons in adverts. This is true in sports adverts with men portrayed as masculine and athletic, while women are characterised as sexy and lacking athletic potential even though they are well-known athletes. Many people such as Goffman (1979) suggested that advertising images transfers cultural ideals of both genders explicitly or subtly, by

“Drunk driving is a significant problem in the United States, costing thousands of lives and billions of dollars each year”(Preventing). Drunk driving is not just a huge problem in the United states, the whole world suffers from it. Some people do not see the real cost of drunk driving. When the driver is drunk, families have experienced losing a loved one, whether he or she was part of the problem or not. The driver that consumes a significant amount of alcohol cannot control him or herself, weaving in between lanes or running down innocent people on sidewalks or simply getting into a car accident. The world overlooks the effects of drunk driving, but it is a common problem that kills thousands every year.

Advertisements are the powerful means of communications that not only promotes the products, services, goods; but alongside promoting cultural and gender symbols. Advertising has long been criticized for the insensitivity to minorities, women, immigrants, the elderly and a myriad of other groups. This insensitivity in advertising has being adversely affected the societal perception towards these groups particularly women. Too often women are portrayed as either subservient house wives who are only for looking after their husbands, children and in-laws. Their role has further derided by merely portraying them as the objects to satisfy male desires and pleasures. If we believe that advertising has the ability to shape our values and our views of the world, then it is essential that advertisers should become aware of how they portray different groups.

Since the advent of modern media, gender stereotypes have been an issue in the society. Advertising agencies spend billions creating marketing strategies to attract the right consumers. When is the time to advertise products and services, some companies use the female’s presence as a marketable object to increase sales and encourage trial and usage of products. Nowadays, the objectification of females in sexist ways is increasingly demanding and competitive in advertising.

The beginning of the twentieth century signaled a major transformation in the United States that brought about a new economy based on consumption and mass production. The onset of new technologies that were developed towards the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century had affected the entire U.S. populace, which ultimately led to a society marked by a whole new lifestyle centered around technology, music, and entertainment. These new technologies not only affected every facet of American life, but they had also helped to revolutionize the American advertising industry spurred by the creation of new mediums between the consumer society and the marketers. Through the creation of the radio, and later the television, the advertising agencies were able to play a very influential role in the mediation of commodities to consumers. However, the success of the

As we know, “roommate” is a word, which is combined by “room” and “mate”. Therefore, according to “Dictionary.com”, the meaning of “roommate” is “a person who is assigned to share or shares a room or apartment with another or others”. Personally, I believe that my roommates are not only the people who share the house or live with me, but also they are my closed friends who know me well. In my mind, the definition of roommates is people who I regard as both friends and family members at the same time.

sort of idol-worship -- and here is where the real problems set in. Now that

In addition, Susan asserts that gender roles are the foundation for what the advertising agencies use to promote and push sales irrespective of considering their impact on society (Bordo, 139). Masculinity and femininity are defined and restricted by boundaries that are created from images found in the media. The images are prevalent and presented in a way so that they become the ‘norm’ of how society should be. To some extent they even create and divide society.

Advertising has had a major impact on society. Some may be considered positive and some negative. Take a look around, advertisements are placed everywhere, television commercials, billboards, newspapers, and even on the sides of buses. Advertising is the basic form of marketing and trading throughout the world. Today’s society knows it as marketers trying to influence or persuade consumers into buying something. It also serves as a medium for services and businesses. There are many advertising strategies, but television commercials will always remain the number one strategy. Think about it, how much television is watched a day, probably a lot. What better way to advertise a product or service? Advertising has a positive effect on our economy. It does not only influence and persuade consumers, but it also benefits them in many ways. It also benefits manufacturers and their company, and the world as a whole.