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Sexually Explicit Advertising is Detrimental to Society Essay

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Sexually Explicit Advertising is Detrimental to Society

Just how far should advertisers go to sell a product? Individuals are reminded that a new age in advertising has emerged when Britney Spears and Victoria's Secret model Tricia Helfer grace the cover of Forbes, a traditionally mature financial magazine. However, as any good advertiser knows, sex sells; all people need to do is look at a newsstand or magazine rack. But while it sells, it also offends as the promiscuous use of sexual images in advertising rubs many consumers the wrong way. The current increase of sexually explicit advertising, while increasing sales, has many detrimental effects on society. New regulations or other forms of control need to be implemented to protect …show more content…

Shari Graydon, President of MediaWatch contends, “when it comes to the youth sell, the id ea of being rebellious is very big” (Menzies, 1). However, according to a study recently published in the scholarly Journal of Communications, “magazines that counsel girls in the years of their emerging and maturing sexuality urge them to be enthusiasti c consumers in pursuit of perfection and serve as field guides for haphazard sexual indulgences” (Fitzpatrick, 1). Often, advertisers relay the underlying assumption that readers are or will soon be engaging in sexual activity. Thus, viewing sexual imag es of young people and objectionable content in advertisements has become commonplace, forcing society to question the values being communicated to young people.

As stated in the Calvin Klein Brochure, “1963 in America: anything was possible. 1993 in America: anything goes. If you've had enough, you're not alone.” It is now the year 2001 and advertisers are still pushing their limits. While designer brands , beauty products, fragrances and alcohol dominate sexual appeal in advertising, companies today are now manipulating “unsexy” products such as razors, cameras, and credit cards in ads to form a sex appeal as well. Needless to say, no standards have been enforced in the advertising industry to protect viewers' morals.

Indeed, “advertising executives have co-opted the counter-culture, trying to

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