Always “Like a Girl” commercial was not only a hit in the media world, but a hit to the hearts of many women across the nation. In this commercial Always attempts to reach out and inform Americans of the damage caused to a female’s confidence when they do finally hit that age in their lives where insecurities begin to exist. Positively using their credibility and reputation to target a worldwide issue among woman so that it gains enough awareness to hopefully get fixed. Women working their whole lives to break society’s doubt so that they aren’t classified under another demeaning stereotype when asked, “What does it mean to do something ‘Like a Girl?’’’.
This advertisement could also be aimed towards a group of males that enjoy activities that are seen as feminine in our society. Unfortunately, our society molds men into these arrogant beings that only care for football and women. If you do not comply with these current trends, then you are considered an outcast or commonly known as girly. This ad is allowing men to express their true identities, even though it goes against society’s standards of normal. The man within the ad appears to be breaking numerous gender stereotypes such as smiling, cooking, and dressing somewhat feminine. So, what if a man shows happiness or the fact he loves to cook. At least he is comfortable enough to show his true colors while so many hide behind a mask just to fit in.
Within the advertisement they broadcast systemically reenforced and exaggerated a large number of stereotypes about both men and women. Some may wonder, however, how this really effects everyday life. If someone sees so many ads in a day what is one more, one that is just a bit more sexist than the typical beer ad. While this it is true that the average person is overstimulated by the number of ads as it is there is still something to be said for the content of the ads. Even if a person doesn’t mentally acknowledge them the brain still notes them and stores them in the brain. If time after time one sees women in the submissive role or treated as objects, chances are they will start subconsciously believing it. On the other hand if men are constantly portrayed as stupid and hormone driven then that bias will start to seep into reality. There are also significant moral issues with this ad, if time after time women are portrayed simply as a visual feast it changes how they will be treated for the rest of their lives. Next time they walk down the street theres a chance a man may catcall her, acknowledging the fact that she was in some way appealing to him. He doesn’t do this because she is smart, funny or kind he does this simply because he was pleased by her appearance and may even think he is complementing her. However, by doing this he reenforces what the media has
The first advertisements viewed looked at were of women and men being objectified by being barely dressed and posed in provocative positions. The objectification of women has been a prominent issue for women’s rights activists, but men are rarely seen as being objectified. The first advertisement observed was a Budweiser ad. This ad showed an oversize bottle of beer with a fit woman leaning against it wearing a red bikini. The woman is lying up against the bottle in a provocative manner. This ad is suggesting that the woman is just as good to “consume” as the beer itself. It is also a great example of how companies strategize to get peoples attention. This ad is clearly geared towards men who then buy this
This ad is multidimensional in the way that it demeans women. The first layer is equating the women with inanimate objects. The women are being scaled down to the size of beer bottles as though they were barbie dolls, meant to be played with and molded by the hands of the viewer. The model lays with her legs spread and her chest pushed out in a hypersexualized submissive pose. She looks up at the viewer with a coy smile. Ads like these are meant to sell to an adult male audience. They are made by men with the intention of making money and the understanding that if you offer a typical American male the idea of sex with a physically attractive woman and equate that to a product, he will buy almost anything. This type of imagery also affects how women feel that they should act. Viewing images of women as sex objects in these submissive poses causes women to feel that they are only valuable if they fit the ideals put in place by the heterosexual male gaze.
In society, women are held to a very high social standard. The pressure to look as perfect as all the models in magazines have driven many girls to an impossible fixation. Not only is it seen as a social norm, but also people do not even realize the degrading images of women in our everyday surroundings. After watching “Killing Us Softly”, this ideal was brought to my attention more that almost every advertisement piece that involves women promotes sexualization, objectification, and reinforces the feminine gender roles in America.
Upon a quick glance, the advertisement published in 2015 by Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa appears to be abundant in color, joyful and fairytale-like; at least when I first saw it a year ago. However, after reading about the different variations of objectification in advertisements I no longer see the ad as an innocent take on fairytales. Advertisements are meant to be geared to a public, or a specific public, in order to sell a product. Still, some ads showcase women as the product or at least a way to get people to purchase the product. Although any gender, culture, religion, or group can be victims of objectification in advertisements, women are mainly targeted.
The use of sexualization also reinforces a pattern of gender roles that are currently circulating throughout advertisements. More often than not, women who are used as ploys in ads are seen doing household chores like vacuuming, changing the toilet paper, or making coffee. Females are rarely ever seen in a work place, and definitely not in a powerful position. In fact, the directors of most of these ads place women below or behind the man to show who has the power in actuality. Women are seen as skinny, fragile, and immobile in high heels, while men are strong and powerful. By setting up such a strong binary between the two different groups, it is obvious that the majority of the American society will not be able to fit into these roles, and it leaves a sense of rejection for the average person. This rejection, accepted by the viewers, manifests
The article “The #LikeAGirl commercial is no way to empower young women” by the LA Times strongly suggest that this campaign is no way to empower girls and women around the world. As stated in this article “Running in place will always make you look as though you’re running like a girl. That’s because it’s not really running. It’s telling your audience, “Look at me, running!” -- which is a girl thing to do” (Allen, 2015). This article is suggesting that this commercial will only enhance the stereotypical views put label as being like a girl, and that the fact that the advertisement is for women’s menstrual pads does not help either. I believe this article has a lot wrong with it. Although yes in some people’s eyes this campaign may enhance the views of a stereotypical girl in
To answer this fully first we would need to understand what these effects are within the video while applying the given perspective of the male gaze discussed earlier. The ad opens up to Charlotte McKinney seemingly naked being viewed upon multiple blue collar male workers. As walking past a man watering vegetables she states that she likes things all natural, with the water placement she walks past seemingly covered but the males gaze states it all, that she is undressed and it is blatantly staring. Visually the colors used in the ad are bright and vibrant set to the backdrop of a farmers market, seemingly making the ad seem happy and vibrant almost like a day dream of the typical male. The most prominent features of the ad are the well placed fruit and objects throughout the ad. The fruits used consist of tomatoes, melons, etc. and objects such as a hose, ice bar, and fruit scale. There is even a depiction of grabbing at her by the squeezing of the tomato which is covering her rear. Bringing forth the aspect that culturally it is okay to grab at someone. Now while the video does have other females in the video they are placed in passing as to not distract from McKinney. If looking at the end of the video you can see each man that is shown plus more are seen staring at her while she is eating the Carl’s Jr All-Natural burger. This ad shows itself as a perfect example of the male
Women are suppressed and degraded in society. They are merely seen as pets for males or care-takers of the house and children. The advertisement on women’s equality is rhetorically effective due to its connection to the audience, emotional appeal, and how things are positioned in the ad, as well as the misogynistic comments and how society depicts women.
Gender role bias in advertisements has been so prevalent for so long that the untrained eye wouldn't even discern it. All the same, these biases, for the most part, put women in subordinate positions and men in dominant ones. This assumption on both the genders is unfair and demeaning. These ads portray women as subservient and play toys for men. Not only do the models depict an image nowhere near close to reality, but their bodies are scantily clad and what few clothes they are wearing are very revealing.
This ad is not just a degrading advertisement for women, but rather a horrible example for younger girls; making them think that they also have to dress a certain way and have a thin body type to be considered beautiful. Sadly the society that everyone grew up in has its own opinion about what beauty is. Younger girls have had to grow up with a specific image; an image that society has implanted in their minds. Now little girls believe that they are not beautiful because they do not look like the women in the magazines or the ads. Ken Gillam and Shannon Wooden’s research prove this theory to be true. As explained in Gillam and Wooden’s piece, “But if the feminist thought that has shaped our cultural texts for three decades now has been somewhat disappointing in it’s ability to actually rewrite the princess trope (the spunkiest of the ‘princesses,’Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, and, arguably, even Mulan, remain thin, beautiful, kind, obedient or punished for disobedience, and headed for the altar), it has been surprisingly effective in rewriting the type of masculine power promoted by Disney’s products” (Gillam and Wooden 471). Gillam and Wooden both saw that there was still a problem in society that needed to be fixed. Young girls are still looking up to these
Sexist ads show that society is dominated by the same masculine values that have controlled the image of women in the media for years. Sexist advertisement reinforces gender stereotypes and roles, or uses sex appeal to sell products, which degrades the overall public perception of women. The idea that sexism is such a rampant problem comes from the stereotypes that are so deeply embedded into today’s society that they almost seem to be socially acceptable, although they are nowhere near politically correct. Images that objectify women seem to be almost a staple in media and advertising: attractive women are plastered all over ads. The images perpetuate an image of the modern woman, a gender stereotype that is reinforced time and time again by the media. These images are accepted as “okay” in advertising, to depict a particular product as sexy or attractive. And if the product is sexy, so shall be the consumer. In the 1970s, groups of women initially took issue with the objectification of women in advertisements and with the limited roles in which these ads showed women. If they weren’t pin-ups, they were delicate
In 2013, UN Women launched an ad campaign that revealed the prevalent and rampant sexism and discrimination against women worldwide. Memac Ogilvy and Mather Dubai, the creators of the advertisement, placed authentic Google search text boxes over the mouth of the woman pictured, as if to silence her voice. By using a Muslim woman in a hijab, real searches via Google, and highlighting the true, subconscious feelings and attitude of the audience, the advertisement attempts to expose the negative biases towards women, ranging from stereotypes to blatant denial of their rights.